[macojoe]

Your right on some of the V's you have to remove the motor or at least unbolt it to move over.

But it sounds to me thet the tube may be getting rusty and like it or not you may have to remove it??

You can try to test the helm unit to see if thats the problem? Undo the cable and turn the wheel so the cable comes out. then try to turn the motor and see if it is better. If it is then the problem is the helm, if not the it is time to get the cable off the motor!

As for thr screw thing I have been using one for years!!

But that said, My boats have always had brackets or were I/O so I just pull the cable out of the motor every fall, clean grease and wrap in a trash bag. In th spring I clean the tube and put all back tyoghter again.