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Hi everyone,

P

Peterpd99

Member
I'm new to boating and will have lots of questions, and so glad to find this forum.
i'd recently acquired a 1973 4hp evinrude lightwin.
First question, how and where can I add grease so that I can more easily steer, because now it feels a bit too stiff.

Peter
 
The thing to do is to remove the steering cable temporarily from the steering arm of the engine to see if it is actually the steering cable or the engine that needs work.

If the cable, it's best to remove the cable from the engine, then clean it thoroughly until it frees up, and grease it before re-installing it.
 
Haha...I was wondering too.
id seen some motors have grease points/holes where you unscrew then pump grease into it until it oozes out?
but I can't figure out where or does it actually have that on my motor.
 
You have got a friction pad and adjustment on the steering tube underneath the power head. Check that out. Go to shop.evinrude.com and look up a parts break down of your motor.
 
Boobie said:
You have got a friction pad and adjustment on the steering tube underneath the power head. Check that out. Go to shop.evinrude.com and look up a parts break down of your motor.
Click to expand...
You are right...I just checked the parts break down.
I knew that screw had something to do with it, however, I did that yesterday and it didn't make
much of a difference even when the screw was loose. Does that mean I have to take it apart or should just spray some waterproof grease in and around the part that turns?

Thanks!
 
Try some penetrating solvent in that area,try moving,repeat over & over.A little heat might improve your chances of freeing it up , Just keep fuel can away!
 
There are four screws that hold the motor on the swivel bracket just remove the motor from the swivel bracket and clean everything up good and replace anything thats bad. Use a high quality marine grease and put it back together then you can adjust the copilot where you want it and it should stay that way for some time. Any solvent you put on it will dry out and you will be in the same boat.
 
If the bolts are stuck in there just use a torch and get it hot just not too hot to melt the nylon bushings or rubber vibration dampeners.
 
Boobie said:
Joe, where's the steering cable on a 4 hp ??
Click to expand...

Boobie... That was just a quick grab, copy/paste of a partial paragraph from my database that pertained to a higher hp. I meant to edit, rephrase, correct, rewrite, insert, and explain that it pertained to the special steering equipment required when installed on a 25' Mako... heh heh, cough, buurrrp, sneeze, fart, cough, cough! :)

Sorry about that... geeze, my first "missteak". :cool:
 
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Update:
finally got around to grease the pivot bearings after opening the swivel brackets. Now it is smooth as it should be.
so, while I was at it, I was curious and opened the exhaust housing and then the exhaust and discovered a tea bag size of tar inside the exhaust port, wow, it's not quite clogged up, but I think it will help the motor run better father cleaning it? Now waiting for new gasket to reassemble.

on a side note, I went to pick up new spark plugs(champion j6c) today, and was told it was pre gapped at .025" as to .030",
does it make any difference and why?

thanks!
 
Go with .030 why because they have been running good for over 50 years like that. Ignition timing is on point gap, you can use a timing light to set the points it is time consuming but you can really improve performance and get the motor to slow down to a crawl.
 
You always check the gap on new plugs when you buy them. The plug gap should be .030 ". Never trust them out of the box. Experience talking.
 
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