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steering cable lube

Beckoning

Member
A year ago, I submitted a similar post, but need some additional input.

​​​​​​​My boat is fresh water only...no salt water. My steering is very stiff, and the rack-n-pinion cable is very difficult to remove and replace, so I'm trying to lube it to gain another year or two. My diagnosis is the cable as all other components (helm, tilt tube, cable end at stern) work well. I can remove the rack mechanism from the helm, then I want to lube the inside of the cable vis-a-vis some sort of pressure technique from the helm end (lubricant runs down hill from there). I've read on various sites about NOT using petroleum based products (for example, brake fluid, SeaFoam, 3-n-1 oil, etc, etc) and only using something like WD-40 or liquid graphite to lube the inside. There cannot be a buildup of old grease inside the cable since it is mostly sealed. What are thoughts on what to use for lubricant? I don't want to introduce something that will end up gumming things up. The problem is either corrosion or frayed cable. If frayed, I know replacement is mandatory.
 
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