I lost a day of boating/fishing while on vacation last week due to a problem that rears up every so often. I have been dealing with a stuck steering cable problem on a 2003 Yamaha 70 TLRB. The tube where the steering cable goes through at the motor gets gunked up over time and locks up. I put in a brand new steering cable in March and cleaned/lubed the inside of the tube before replacing the cable. The inside of the tube is corroded so my cleaning job does not last long. I thought I read here on CF about a SS replacement tube. Is anyone aware of such a part and what is the best lubricant to use in the future?
Thanks
Yes, that is a pain. Haven’t seen a SS replacement, but a 3/4"(?) paddle drill will clean it out pretty well from each end.
I have zerk fittings on both of mine … and shoot them full of trailer hub waterproof grease a couple of times per year.
Thanks, Captain Ross
http://T-Topless.com folding, stainless steel T-Top fits most center console boats
http://ShadowTop.com entry level (Do-It-Yourself) T-Topless kit
http://Montauk-T-Topless.com for Boston Whaler Montauk, Dauntless or Outrage
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I got a brand new yamaha steering cable i’ll sell you. Used once and took off my boat and put hydraulic steering in.
yo
“I put in a brand new steering cable in March and cleaned/lubed the inside of the tube before replacing the cable”.
I think the biggest thing is to stop lubricating it with waterproof marine grease like what you would use in your trailer bearings. By design it is sticky, which attracts dirt and other crap that then mixes with the lube over time. It also eventually hardens up which causes your problem. I had to take my motor off of my boat last year about this time and clean out the tilt tube with the drill and 12ga. shotgun brush because my steering was almost frozen. When I put it all back together, I used a davis cable buddy which is similar to all the other aftermarket zerk type fittings you can put on your steering cable. The one big difference is that the lube that comes with it is a liquid with a viscosity close to that of motor oil. Now I will tell you that it makes a bit of a mess on your transom from time to time because it does somewhat leak out of the tube, but with a few shots of this stuff over the past year I can still turn my wheel with two fingers. The best part is that it stays liquid and hopefully won’t ever give me this problem again.
Interesting - what is the lube? And can I put it on my normal zerk fittings?
Thanks, Captain Ross
http://T-Topless.com folding, stainless steel T-Top fits most center console boats
http://ShadowTop.com entry level (Do-It-Yourself) T-Topless kit
http://Montauk-T-Topless.com for Boston Whaler Montauk, Dauntless or Outrage
http://Flats-Top.com Shade for Flats Boats</font id=“size1”>
Drop your top and go T-Topless! T-Topless@RNR-Marine.com
It won’t work with your zerk fittings. I just meant that it is similar in that it is a nut you screw on to your tilt tube which replaces the factory nut. It has a threaded plug where the zerk fitting would normally go, but you actually drill a hole into your tilt tube and the plugged hole on the nut fits over it. The lube has a tube with a male nipple on the end that you screw into this hole and then you squeeze the lube bottle to put lube in the tube (this is starting to sound kinky). After your done you just screw the plug into the hole and you’re done. Like I said, messy with the leaks but so far so good on the nice free steering. I believe the lube is called Davis Max Lube or something like that. They sell it at west marine.
Looks like good stuff … http://www.davisnet.com/marine/products/marine_product.asp?pnum=00422
Have to look for pix of the fill tube/caps.
Thanks!
Thanks, Captain Ross
http://T-Topless.com folding, stainless steel T-Top fits most center console boats
http://ShadowTop.com entry level (Do-It-Yourself) T-Topless kit
http://Montauk-T-Topless.com for Boston Whaler Montauk, Dauntless or Outrage
http://Flats-Top.com Shade for Flats Boats</font id=“size1”>
Drop your top and go T-Topless! T-Topless@RNR-Marine.com