1979 OMC STRINGER 400: Seized steering shaft between the IH and Outdrive

[davynep]

So I bought this boat about three years ago and always had it in fresh water. Recently though I was tempted by some friends to go crabbing out Half Moon Bay. After about 2 weeks the already difficult steering became locked up. The first day I was able to get it moving. I realize at this point I should have inspected and addressed the problem but I didn't. The second time I took it out it would not budge. I attempted to loosen with brute force. The housing on the end of the tru course cable gave way. It shattered into about 10 pieces. We were still able to go out that day by using zip ties and wire to brace the cable but steering was limited and difficult. When we got our 40 crab and a bucket full of rock fish we headed in and planned for a minor restoration. Stringers, Deck, Trim motor, greasing, tilt motor. Someone had filled the tilt motor with grease instead of oil. I will take pictures of everything and post tomorrow. But basically we ordered a new steering cable off ebay for $100 and used just half the housing. Reattached and attempted to turn wheel?. would not budge. Put significant force almost busting another housing. Would not budge. Took the gear off the end of steering shaft. Attempted to spin with vice grips and breaker bar. Ended up stripping the end pretty good. Gonna have to file it if not replace. So Im taking it to a friend tomorrow to help me. He says he will be able to do it in a couple hours but will see. I trust him but do any of you have a few words of encouragement.

 

[Maclin]

Re: 1979 OMC STRINGER 400: Seized steering shaft between the IH and Outdrive

Take it to your friend first next time?

 

[southkogs]

Re: 1979 OMC STRINGER 400: Seized steering shaft between the IH and Outdrive

Intermediate is probably one of the easiest things to find used on the web. True Course is a cool steering system as long as the ole' Stirnger'll hang in. I would guess fixin' it will probably more than a couple hours, but not impossible at all.

Not unusual to find the clutch pack filled with grease as opposed to oil. I've heard folks do that to help keep the water intrusion fought back. Motor isn't in that pack though, it's inside the transom.

If you have all that work to do on the boat (stringers, deck, etc.) you may want to do a quick cost/benefit analysis. Might be worth it to sink the money into something newer (Merc). I like the Stringer drive, but I'm not sure I'd pour a buncha' money into another one.

Welcome aboard.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: 1979 OMC STRINGER 400: Seized steering shaft between the IH and Outdrive

Not sure I understand all this. The steering shaft that runs from the rear of the IH housing, thru the TC drum and anchoring in a blind receptacle forward of the rear TC drum, is a simple affair. There is a shaft grease fitting on the outboard side of the IH and one on the forward receptacle, in front of the drum. There is a nylon bushing that the shaft rides in at the front receptacle. No one ever greases that forward zerk but if you had the shaft out to replace the drum, surely you lubricated it when you reinstalled the shaft?

Other than that, the cables, themselves, could be seizing. After 30 years I had to strong arm my TC steering in any turn. I ended up removing the rear drum, elevating it, and shooting Tri-Flow down each cableway. Now I can turn the steering, under load, with nothing but my fingers.

 

[davynep]

Re: 1979 OMC STRINGER 400: Seized steering shaft between the IH and Outdrive

Well I know its not the cable because when I took the screw out of the cable housing coil, the steering will spin. The shaft however will not at all.

I found both the grease fittings but they wouldn't take any grease. I think the shaft has to come out and be replaced. One on ebay is like $65 with free shipping. I think it might be pressed in there though. I will see tomorrow.

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: 1979 OMC STRINGER 400: Seized steering shaft between the IH and Outdrive

yeah those shafts seize because no one greases them.
easy job. Take the sterndrive off, take the screw out of the trucourse drum, use a heel bar to pull the shaft rearwards (give it a dose of penetrating oil for a day or two before hand)
Keep track of the various wave washers and bits as it comes off.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: 1979 OMC STRINGER 400: Seized steering shaft between the IH and Outdrive

yeah those shafts seize because no one greases them.
easy job. Take the sterndrive off, take the screw out of the trucourse drum, use a heel bar to pull the shaft rearwards (give it a dose of penetrating oil for a day or two before hand)
Keep track of the various wave washers and bits as it comes off.

Ditto to what Howard said. And you probably do not need to replace the shaft but you will undoubtedly need to replace the nylon cup bushing. They are probably still available.

 

[davynep]

Re: 1979 OMC STRINGER 400: Seized steering shaft between the IH and Outdrive

So I looked up the Heel Bar. It looks like the ticket. I think I could break the bar loose but to get it out all the way I need to take the outdrive off. Will I need a press of some sort to get the bar back in? My buddy wasn't able to look at it tonight. I left it there for him in the morning but I won't be able to watch. Got to work.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: 1979 OMC STRINGER 400: Seized steering shaft between the IH and Outdrive

....... Will I need a press of some sort to get the bar back in? ........

No, you fully insert the shaft with all it's washers, spacers and bushings, thru the TruCourse drum, then tighten the drum screw. That is what holds it in place.

 

[davynep]

Re: 1979 OMC STRINGER 400: Seized steering shaft between the IH and Outdrive

Ok so hopefully you are all bearing with me...

first of all before I took it to my guy I took the gear off the end of the steering shaft and clamped on some vice grips, attempting to turn the shaft. The shaft didn't budge but i did strip the end of the shaft pretty good. So the guy I took it too said he usually leaves the gear on to take the shaft out. He couldn't get it back on because I stripped it. So at this time he is unable to turn the shaft or pull it out. I suggested we weld a chain to the end of the shaft and use my truck to pull it out. He told me the shaft needs to turn in order to get it out.... and its still not budging. Don't really know what to do now. Anybody have any thoughts?

 

[icyveins]

Re: 1979 OMC STRINGER 400: Seized steering shaft between the IH and Outdrive

never use vise grips? on any machined surface?

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: 1979 OMC STRINGER 400: Seized steering shaft between the IH and Outdrive

file all the damage better, reinstall the gear. use the heel bar to pry on the gear.
Soak it all with several full cans of penetrating oil if necessary.
no chains no trucks. (but if you go that route, make sure you youtube it for us)

 

[davynep]

Re: 1979 OMC STRINGER 400: Seized steering shaft between the IH and Outdrive

Well I sure do appreciate the help. My guy says he tried that. I doubt he used 2 cans but who knows. There is also grease nipples in 2 spots, should I shoot some in there? He is going to try a slide hammer tomorrow. I have the day off so I might go get the heel bar from sears and head out to lend a hand.

Can anyone explain what exactly happened inside this thing? What could have happened to make this thing lock so tight after a couple weeks in the ocean. Is this system one that should run in the ocean?

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: 1979 OMC STRINGER 400: Seized steering shaft between the IH and Outdrive

I'm only near freshwater and they'll seize here. Slide hammer won't work as well as a heel bar. I would weld that gear back on and pry on it before I would slide hammer. If it's wrecked anyways weld, and then when it heats and then cools that will help too.

The finesse required to free seized things is one of the hardest types of repair to try to help with over the internet.

I would say it's not a great salt water drive, but I don't know much about salt water really. lots of people go in the ocean with them. I just read Cary Alburns "The Ultimate Small Boat Adventure" which really backs up the OMC stringer's potential in the sea.

 

[davynep]

Re: 1979 OMC STRINGER 400: Seized steering shaft between the IH and Outdrive

Well the slide hammer did the trick. I was not there to see but I did manage to pick up a small heel bar from sears for $20. Anyways he has the new one in and we are now waiting on the correct length steering cable. The one that is on there, clearly a replacement, was either a 15 or a 16 foot long. The numbers were unreadable, but I measure with a tape multiple times and it came out to 15'6 and 15'8 inches each time from bottom of housing to bottom of other housing. So I figured it was 16 from center of coil to center of coil. Anyways my friend had a 13 but it was too short. He said a 14 would probably do it so thats whats coming off ebay. I got a good deal by searching for keywords (true course) rather than "Tru Course" which I believe was the factory spelling. Anyways $64 shipping included. I paid the extra $19 to expedite. I figure its worth it to be on the water sooner. I think next project is building some type off rain enclosure for the winter weather sturgeon and stripers. Thank you all for the great help and sharing your expertise.

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: 1979 OMC STRINGER 400: Seized steering shaft between the IH and Outdrive

the cables are measured center of drum to center of drum in feet which matches the last 2 digits of the part number. glad to hear it's on the road to recovery.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: 1979 OMC STRINGER 400: Seized steering shaft between the IH and Outdrive

When you get it all back together, be sure to occasionally lube the front and rear xerk fittings, rotating the steering wheel while you do it. Why was it that you had to replace the whole cable assy? Also, did you get a new nylon bushing to go in the forward shaft terminus in the IH housing?

 

[davynep]

Re: 1979 OMC STRINGER 400: Seized steering shaft between the IH and Outdrive

My mechanic put the shaft back in so I don't know but I'll ask him. I got a new cable because the one that was in there was a replacement that was too long. It ran up and down the side of the boat to take up the extra slack. It worked like that for some years but was always very stiff turning. Then when it finally locked up I muscled it and shattered the housing on one end of the cable. So I ordered another 16 footer just for the housing piece. We tried to recoil and replace just that end but it got even harder to turn after that. Since we had the steering shaft out we figured this is a good time to get the right cable. It should be here tomorrow and I'll be in the water for the next sturgeon derby.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: 1979 OMC STRINGER 400: Seized steering shaft between the IH and Outdrive

My mechanic put the shaft back in so I don't know but I'll ask him. I got a new cable because the one that was in there was a replacement that was too long. It ran up and down the side of the boat to take up the extra slack. It worked like that for some years but was always very stiff turning. Then when it finally locked up I muscled it and shattered the housing on one end of the cable. So I ordered another 16 footer just for the housing piece. We tried to recoil and replace just that end but it got even harder to turn after that. Since we had the steering shaft out we figured this is a good time to get the right cable. It should be here tomorrow and I'll be in the water for the next sturgeon derby.

If you have not yet installed your 'new' cable, then you have not installed the IH steering shaft. This is the time to make sure that you have that forward bushing and the proper shims and spacers that go on either side of the steering cable drum.

I gather that your 'new' steering cable is used. This is a good time to lube it up before you finish your install. Get it installed at the helm, then raise the rear drum as high as you can get it and clamp it there (on a pole or post if nec). Have some one slowly rotate the steering wheel as you spray a lubricant like Tri-Flow down each cable way. Do this several times, first one way, then the next. Each time one of the cables retracts into the housing, use the nozzle tube to follow it with the lubricant.

You will not be sorry you did this. Mine (1975) got so stiff I had to use my whole upper body to muscle the wheel around. It was not my steering shaft as I had kept that lubricated thru the years. When I got done, I could twirl the steering wheel with one finger.

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: 1979 OMC STRINGER 400: Seized steering shaft between the IH and Outdrive

When I got done, I could twirl the steering wheel with one finger.

nice!
good tip.

Also, be careful tightening the drum screws when installing those cables, it's screwing into aluminum. I stripped one with my old weak hand and a screwdriver.