Difficulty steering??????

[puff tentacle]

I just bought my first boat with an outboard(2003 90HP Johnson) I found turning the wheel pretty difficult when I water tested the boat, comparable to the old cars without power steering. Is this normal?? Should I apply grease somewhere. thanks

 

[cat toon]

Re: Difficulty steering??????

Puff, Before you spend money on a new steering cable check the rod coming out the steering tube at the motor turn your motor by hand all the way to expose the rod check to see if you have rust,grease or grime on the steering rod. if so put degreaser of rust remover on the rod bring to a bright shine.this happened to me and I cleaned the rod works great now.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Difficulty steering??????

Disconnect the motor from the steering rod to determine if the stiffness is in the cable or the motor. If it's the cable, and doing what cat toon suggested doesn't help, you may need a new cable. They are a wear item and do need to be replaced from time to time.

 

[puff tentacle]

Re: Difficulty steering??????

Thanks guys, will give that a try...i appreciate the info

 

[boobie]

Re: Difficulty steering??????

You could also have a build up of rust/corrosion in the tilt tube. Get the steering cable out of the tube and then see how the wheel turns.