NS3.5A steering friction adjustment

I have a very old Nissan 3.5HP 2-stroke that has run reliably for many hours.
Recently, I have noticed that even with the steering friction (wing nut) as tight as I can
get it, the engine spins slowly CCW (the reaction torque). I replace the plastic
sleaves and greased everything well. The problem is not quite as bad when
I open the throttle a bit, but I like to be at idle when entering and leaving the
marina. Was the greasing a mistake (the dealer told me to do it)? Can the
mechanism wear or run out of threads? How about the spring? Any help
would be much appreciated!

Too much grease will make the motor turn too easily. The friction system needs little if any lubrication. The steering friction mechanism is not a ateering lock, it just adds friction. Overtightening it will damage its ability to provide adequate friction.

Thanks Paul! I took the swivel/sleeves apart and removed as much of the grease as I could.
I guess the local dealer should not have told me it was OK to grease it up.
We'll find out this weekend whether it's better or not.
Maybe I should have used a degreaser???

As long as the band isn't floating in grease, you should be OK.

Cleaning the (marine) grease out worked!! Loosen the wing nut
a little and it spins around easily for backing out of the slip.
Tighten it a little and it stays put when motoring down the creek.
END-OF-PROBLEM.