Great time to find a used hydraulic setup. I love the K-6 cylinders b/c you never have to monkey with the inside of the tilt tube and the lines are stationary. You can find them on ebay for $100 - $150 . . . all you need is a helm and lines. Hynautic rams work great with seastar helms if you swap the fittings (ace hardware).

http://www.wellcraftv20.com/gallery/...210_Medium.jpg

if you are looking for a cylinder like that, a feind of mine has one that he is going to sell

i just had the same problem very very hard steering after years of pb blaster heat and grease i finally did it the right way bought a new cable[17 feet] took my boat to the marina and had them replace the tilt tube
after about5 hundred dollars later 100 for the cable 140 for the tube and the rest for labor the steering is great its actually fun the drive now but i still get resistance when turning it to port at cruising trottle because of the torgue buts thats to be expected
1n about 10 years when i will replace it again im going to go hydrolic steering for sure
CHANGE THE TUBE

Hydraulic looks great but I have too many other things to spend the cash on getting this boat ready. I have to clean the tilt tube out today and find a replacement cable.

try this web site,thats where i got mine fast too
www.boatfix.com

For $250 - $350 you could have a complete used hydraulic steering setup.
Mechanical steering is a PIA . . . Just save your pennies, watch ebay, and buy during the off season.