My neighbor bought a project boat with a 1983 60hp Johnson, the engine has a frozen steering arm & shaft assembly. He asked me for help. I told him to take the steering cable out (it was totally gone) and to remove the steering connector completely so we could slide a pipe over the steering arm. I brought over a 5' pipe and my grease gun, and hit the two grease fittings to the shaft with as much grease as it would take before it got hard. Then I told him to go at it. The pipe moved nothing. He's young and full of energy, so I urged him on, "this is the easiest way to fix it, the alternative, disassembly is a nightmare on such an old engine". He got it to move like 1/2" after a few tries, and told me let's just take it apart. I told him the same answer and this went on practically all day. With him going away to do some other work, and then coming back and having a whack at it. He finally got it to go all the way to both sides with the leverage of a 5' pipe but without the pipe, it would not budge. I told him it was the only way, and I greased it as he moved it back and forth, as it gave me a chance to push in grease. I was seeing gunk grease come out. I went away and every so often I would see him trying again.
In the afternoon, I saw him doing it with a small thin walled pipe that I had tried earlier and that just bent. OK, I said, it's getting softer. I went over to his place with the grease gun, and said to him it's getting softer to turn, to which he said no. I reminded him that I could not move it with the short pipe, so it was better now. I started the grease it again, as it gave me a chance every so often. As he moved it back and forth sometimes I was able to get a few pumps of grease easily in, and at other times it would be hard and I would not push the gun. This went on for a few minutes then i heard a grease pop, and he said it's soft, it's soft, it's fixed! His tenacity and energy, and my grease. You can move the engine with one finger now.
I thought I'd post this, since I've seen many nightmare stories online about having to disassemble, or torching the swivel bracket to red hot.....
In the afternoon, I saw him doing it with a small thin walled pipe that I had tried earlier and that just bent. OK, I said, it's getting softer. I went over to his place with the grease gun, and said to him it's getting softer to turn, to which he said no. I reminded him that I could not move it with the short pipe, so it was better now. I started the grease it again, as it gave me a chance every so often. As he moved it back and forth sometimes I was able to get a few pumps of grease easily in, and at other times it would be hard and I would not push the gun. This went on for a few minutes then i heard a grease pop, and he said it's soft, it's soft, it's fixed! His tenacity and energy, and my grease. You can move the engine with one finger now.
I thought I'd post this, since I've seen many nightmare stories online about having to disassemble, or torching the swivel bracket to red hot.....
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