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Frozen steering problem

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" So I'm checking a few th

" So I'm checking a few things on the ol' boat and find that the steering is "frozen" in the full left turn position (Mariner twins, single steering cable). I unscrewed the big nut on the steering cable at the motor, and turned the wheel to the right to pull about 7 inches from the tube that the shaft is in (what do you call it?). The cable moved freely after disconnecting it. I then sprayed into the "tube" a lot of Mercury Power Tune in an attempt to loosen things up a bit . . . tapped with a hammer on the shaft at the opposite end of the tube . . . used the wheel to return the cable to it's orginal position, and screwed the big nut back on, and added grease via the fitting. All of that did no good at all, steering still frozen. Then I disconnected the little arm that runs from the end of the steering shaft over to the big arm that goes straight back to the motor. Whoever put the nut on that bolt that drops through right in front of the motor---they must have crossed the threads, because when I finally got the bolt out, the bottom 3/8 inch of thread was stripped. Anyone have any thoughts on how to free that shaft inside the "steering tube."

Thanks! "
 
I HAVE HAD THAT SAME PROBLEM.

I HAVE HAD THAT SAME PROBLEM..ONCE IT STARTS FREEZING UP YOU MIGHT AS WELL REPLACE IT. THE CABLE HAS GOT MOISTURE IN IT AND IT IS CORRODING...WHICH ACTS LIKE A WELD......15 FT CABLE WILL COST YOU ABOUT $150
 
" When you unscrew the cable n

" When you unscrew the cable nut and the cable moves out, when you turn the steering wheel, the cable most likely is good. That is if you can get it out of the steering tube without damageing it. I usually tap it with a brass hammer,using only enough force as not to peen the end of the cable. Once it reaches the end of the steering tube, you can use a long punch to drive the cable the rest of the way through the tube.. Sometmes you have to use a little heat, to help it along. Once the cable is removed clean the tube with a steering tube brush, or something similar.
This is not a sure bet, but it is worth trying, before buying a cable. "
 
" Goof,

If the cable end is

" Goof,

If the cable end is badly frozen in the tilt tube it can be really difficult to free it up. Heat is the key, but you will have a tough time applying a lot of heat to the tilt tube without damaging other engine components. A towel soaked in cold water comes in handy as a heat shield in this situation.

Brian is probably on the right track here. You will save lots of time and aggravation by taking a hacksaw and cutting the cable off. If you prop up the engine properly you can push the old tilt tube out as you insert the new one. Sometimes you have to cut the tilt tube itself in several locations to get it out, because it can be frozen in the transom brackets also.

You may not have enough room to remove the old tilt tube with the engine in place. You may have to cut pieces off as you push it out.

Tony "
 
" O.K., guys, heat finally did

" O.K., guys, heat finally did the trick. After an hour and 10 minutes of torching (except for 3 minutes to change propane canisters) it finally broke loose. Well, not exactly loose, because it was still very hard to move. "Tapping" was no good . . . I had to bang it pretty hard, although I only had 5 inches of travel using the side of a framing hammer. I'm not sure what to do next. I was able to punch out only about four inches, but now the steering cable is hard up against the tilt tube on the starboard engine. I think I could bang out maybe another inch, but there's no way I'll get it all out. Do I have to cut it off?
Thanks,
Craig "
 
" Craig,

If I understand yo

" Craig,

If I understand you correctly, the cable cannot be driven all the way out of the port engine, because the starboard engine is in the way. I guess these are twin V-6 engines. When this happens the simplest approach is to unbolt the transom bracket on one engine and slide it along the transom until you have enough room to remove the cable. On some boats you might have to move both engines, on others there is not enough room to use this method. You would have to remove the engine entirely.

Whichever approach you use, you have to be careful. There are numerous techniques that will work here, but the important thing is to set up properly, so that you are not taking any risks. Having a few extra hands will make the job easier, but one person can do this job. It just takes careful planning.

Cutting the cable will not solve the entire problem. You will still have to install a new cable, and the space problem will have to be dealt with anyway.

If the boat is on a trailer, and you need to remove the engine, it can make the job a bit easier. You can lower the front of the trailer, and then build a stand under the engine. Then, raising the front of the trailer will lower the engine onto the stand.

Tony "
 
" Tony, I hadn't thought o

" Tony, I hadn't thought of that--good idea. These are twin 115's, 4 cylinder. There's no way to slide it along the transom because nothing on the mount actually rests on the top edge of the transom. Four bolts through the transom bear all the weight. I think maybe I can loosen the bolts on the starboard motor just enough to let it shift to stern about an inch. If so, that would (I think) barely move the starboard tilt tube enough that the cable will clear it. I'm thinking of lowering the trailer tongue like you suggested, and then sliding a floor jack under the skeg to take some pressure off the bolts. See any problems?
Thanks,
Craig "
 
" Craig,

Sometimes the appr

" Craig,

Sometimes the approach that you mentioned works. Try it and see what happens.

I think that if you have to remove the bolts, there should be enough of a lip on the transom bracket to hold the engine on the transom.

I don't know exactly what kind of space you have to work with, but sometimes you can use a piece of styrofoam or some other material which you place just inboard of the transom, so that when you tilt the engine all the way up the head rests on it. Then you can prop up the lower unit with a sawhorse or a makeshift stand. This will take the weight off of the bolts, and you could even move the engine around a bit fairly easily this way.

Tony "
 
" I have a johnson Mod. #V4tl-

" I have a johnson Mod. #V4tl-146
Ser.#J2985884
The prop. Is frozen,It will not turn.
Does anybody know what is the cause of this problem? And what has to be done to free It up?.
Thanks. Elias. "
 
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