Frozen Steering cable (a how to)

[bradford]

Something I do is RUN my outboard about every week or so during the off season. When I do I always rotate the steering back and forth 3 or 4 times to keep everything moving as well as add some grease about twice a year, not too much though.

[SkunkBoat]

unfortunately, on the 84 V20 I can't get the cable out with the motor mounted.

[Stinky_Hooker]

Originally Posted by SkunkBoat

unfortunately, on the 84 V20 I can't get the cable out with the motor mounted.

My 18 was that way after I installed the jack plate and ran the steering through the transom. I just unbolted the plates and lifted it enough to remove with an engine lift then re installed.

[Destroyer]

I keep mentioning this simple, cheap, easy way to avoid most of the steering problems, so I'll do it one more time.

Buy a STEERSMAN NUT for the steering cable!! They used to be called Widget nuts. They are available from West's Marine or online. If you're in salt, buy the stainless one. If you boat in fresh, get the aluminum. Either way, they are simply a great way to avoid most steering cable problems.

Simply put: The grease fitting you see on your tilt tube DOES NOT lube your steering cable. It only lubes the tilt tube itself. But a Steersman's Nut goes on the end of the tilt tube, (replacing the nut that is on there now), and when you pump grease into it that grease is forced into the end of your steering cable, lubing it and also keeping water out. The whole changeover should take no more than 5 minutes, and it WILL save you hours and hours of time and tons of money spent replacing your steering cable because it never got lubed properly.

Understand, there's nothing wrong with what Stinky posted. In fact, it's the proper way to maintain your cable and tube. But the Steersman nut will lengthen that cleaning interval to every other year, or even every third year with zero problems in between. It simply works.

You can also find them here: http://www.steersman.com/html/whatitdoes.html

[bradford]

Gonna install one on my '85, Destroyer. Thanks!

[Genie Aye]

Or avoid the issue all together---hydraulic steering..