oh boy no steering
 

oh boy no steering cant get my knew steering cable to go into the steering tube
its all lined up but it will not go in no matter how hard i try itys stuck in there
could the tube be bad

you need to reem the old tube out first. get all the old crap out of there then try.

I polished mine with coarse sandpaper wrapped around a butterfly bit, then finished off with a finer paper (waterproof sandpaper).

a 5/8 masonary bit fits pretty good, also you can use a 12 ga shoyt gun brush and some solvent to clean it out

new tube
 

i think im going to replace the tube after all the tube is 20 years old and that should solve the problem i hope
is it hard to replace the tube

I've never done it myself, but from what I hear, you're WAY better off trying to clean the one you've got.

I replaced mine this season because of the same problems...went with new stainless.

Ive HEARD its hard to change and even called to ask Skools about it. He said the same thing "its VERY hard and sucks to do"


However, It was SIMPLE. All you have to do is take a nut off one end and it slides right out! Support the outboard with an engine lift or get under a big tree with a come-a-long or something. Then I just slid my new one back in and put nuts on...presto! Maybe it was just easier on my motor (mercury/force, same as the Merc. tubes..that what I bought that fits it..V6 merc tilt tube.) Anyways, it only took 10 minutes and now its like new and stainless...now more pulling it every season. :sun:

its only hard if you do not have a hoist or means to raise the engine and support it.

steering tube
 

is there a web site that shows the steering tube for a merc o.b so that i cant see the price and order one
i used to go to mercurys web page but thet changed it now i cant see the parts of the engine anymore

http://www.bobsmachine.com/

These guys make the stainless tilt tubes. I believe they make all of them, and then other sellers repackage them as there's. Scroll down on the left under engine supplies.