# Frozen Steering....tilt tube perhaps



## Lizard Fish (Feb 24, 2011)

Hey guys, I have a question. Boat has been covered since early December. Went out Thursday to check everything out. Cranked fine, untied it and shoved off, then noticed I couldn't turn. I managed to get pulled back up to the pier before floating away. They steering wheel turns a little each way, maybe a quarter of a turn. The motor itself, 60 hp mercury, doesn't budge. I grabbed some WD40 and grease gun and went to work on it. Still nothing. I unscrewed the connection for the steering cable and the steering wheel turned freely, but the motor still wouldn't move. Would I be correct in assuming that the steering cable is fine? Also, if I have it unhooked can I feel free to put some serious muscle on the motor to try and break it free? The boat has been in the water of Pickwick lake for the past 6 years or so and just moved down here last September. So it sounds like it didn't survive its first saltwater winter. Questions, comments, suggestions? Good mechanic to take it to? 

Thanks for any help in advance.


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## countryjwh (Nov 20, 2007)

Father and I went fishing this past winter and did the same as you launched the boat in freezing weather and the boat motor cranked rite up but went titian the motor and would not budge. After finally deciding to use force we turned it and then the wheel spun freely. Needless to say we broke the cable. After replacing another cable we were good to go. This was just our experience so ours did need a new steering cable bout two hundred to get it fixed. Hope this helps.


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## TheCaptKen (Mar 14, 2011)

Lizard, did you disconnect the cable at the helm or at the engine? The most common sticking place is inside the tilt tube. DO NOT HIT THE END OF THE CABLE WITH A HAMMER!!!! If it is stuck in the tube, remove the steering link first. If there is approx 2 feet of room for the cable to slide straight out the starboard side, then the engine can remain on the boat. If not, the engine has to be swung off. Take a 3/8 bolt and install in the hole in the end of the cable. This will prevent you from deforming the hole. Then place a piece of brass against the end of the cable while hitting the brass with a BFG. (Big F**king Hammer) After you get the cable out, use a steering tube brush on a drill to clean the tube before greasing and reinstalling the cable.


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## Sequoiha (Sep 28, 2007)

Capt Ken is correct. If you cannot get it done we can do it for you.


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## Lizard Fish (Feb 24, 2011)

Thanks guys!

CaptKen, I disconnected the cable at the engine. And there isn't enough room to slide the cable straight out. I am going to attach some pictures as well so I can better describe what I think is happening. I am not very hip-to-the-jive with boat motor lingo.

Sequoiha, I will try dinkering for a bit more but if I can't get it freed up by the end of the week i may be giving you guys a call. Got any idea what something like this might run me?


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## TheCaptKen (Mar 14, 2011)

If you do not have enough room to extract the cable out the starboard side, the motor will have to come off and with the Mercury, you need a special lifting attachment that screws into the flywheel.


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## Sequoiha (Sep 28, 2007)

by looking at the picture, the engine will have to come off. to fix it properly, we use a steel reamer desinged just for that, lift the motor and reinstall is approx. 250.00,


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## MSSeaCraft (Oct 3, 2007)

I just spent $900 to have the motor removed and a new stearing cable installed. same problem. Should I store the boat with the cable turned to the left ( out of the tube) or right ( in the tube)?


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## Pinksnappertrapper (Dec 7, 2007)

pm me your number and details like where you are located.


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## CCC (Sep 3, 2008)

Lizard, Kenny Mann at Emerald Coast just did this exact fix to my 115 Yami last week, she turns smooth as a babies butt now with one finger !!!!!!!


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## TheCaptKen (Mar 14, 2011)

It makes no difference if the steering rod is in or out. What is happening is the inside of the steering tube is rusting and seizing on the cable rod. If you use the boat a lot, you don't have that much trouble but if you let it sit, it will seize upon the rod. Once the tube starts the internal rust, there is no stopping it. A good cleaning with a steering tube brush and using it will get you maybe a couple of years before it freezes up again. Never attempt to force one with the steering wheel. The cheap potmetal gears won't take the force and will strip. This will cause the replacement of both the cable and helm unit.


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## X-Shark (Oct 3, 2007)

Storing it in the OUT position gives you a little more leeway to freeing it up.


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## TheCaptKen (Mar 14, 2011)

Storing it in the out position will allow the rust behind the rod to sometimes swell the tube to the point that you cannot drive the rod back through the tube. At that point you have to cut the cable on the starboard side and drive it out the port side. There is no good solution other than use the boat and keep it moving.


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## X-Shark (Oct 3, 2007)

I guess I never have the rusting problem on the shaft due to grease on the shaft and storing it in a garage.

But I have had it stick some. Having it in the out position left room to rotate /rock it back and forth and use a alum block as a backer to hit on it and break it free.

One of these helps a lot


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## TheCaptKen (Mar 14, 2011)

How that is helping is by keeping the water out of the tube. Water splashing up on the rod while running is pulled into the tube as you steer and that causes the steel tube to rust internally. The widget shown, keeps the water from getting into the tube. But you have to be careful with pumping grease into the cable area. I have seen owners get carried away and pump too much and hydrolock the cable by getting too much grease behind the cable and not being able to retract the rod.


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