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Tohatsu 8 Swivel Maintenance

C

CACohenDVM

New member
I have a Tohatsu 8, 2-stroke outboard about 13 years old. It is in good shape. We keep it on our sailboat in Los Angeles. Serviced last year. Today it seems that the swivel bolt was too tight because steering since last used in the fall has become very tight. So, I loosened up the bolt. That didn't do much. Apparently, we're told by a local outboard repairman, the swivel shaft probably needs cleaning and the bushings need replacing. I can understand that. But for 6 hours labor and $600 I'd like to figure out if this is something we can do. We are pretty handy. So, if there's a manual that discusses this perhaps we could give it a shot. Thanks much.

chuck cohen
 
It is time consuming, but an average mechanic can do it. The swivel should be greased frequently if used in salt water. The parts catalog is free online, and will show you a lot about how the transom clamp and swivel sections go together... but the Factory service manual is copyrighted, so it is not free, and not online. To get the correct parts catalog, you will want to specify the precise model, likely M8B. You will only be able to determine whether new bushings are needed after disassembly, but I'm 100% sure you will find some corrosion, which can be mitigated by regular greasing.
 
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