How do I lube my hydraulic steering? 115 O/B

[11craigt]

Hello all. Just a quick question if there is such a thing.<br /><br />Need to lube my hydraulic steering on my 82' Evinrude 115. The armature that is pushed out by the piston in the steering assembly in front of the motor, is very dry and dirty looking. Looks like they made it real easy to lube the trim adjustment...as there is a fitting for both sides!<br /><br />If I disconnect the line will there be a mess of fluid? <br /><br />Any steps about doing this and advice appreciated.<br /><br />Thanks,<br /><br />Craig

 

[wilde1j]

Re: How do I lube my hydraulic steering? 115 O/B

The fittings you are referring to are probably hydraulic air bleed fittings, not grease fittings. Just keep the rod clean (i.e. wipe down with a cloth wetted with WD40).

 

[11craigt]

Re: How do I lube my hydraulic steering? 115 O/B

Thanks for the reply WildOne.<br /><br />Maybe you are right about the bleeders...I thought since there were two of them, they were for lubing the pivot points for the trim, which has the steering assembly/cylinder going through them in front of the motor.<br /><br />As for lubing the steering arm, I had cleaned it before and then wiped away the build up of old chunky grease that has accumulated and then tried to caress more grease back inside the steering cylinder by pushing and pulling the motor back and forth...seemed to work alright last season. The boat has been inside over the winter being worked on and fixed up...the motor hasn't been moved. The other day after hooking back up my steering wheel and console, I couldn;t turn the damn wheel and had to jump back behind the motor and give it a good nudge before it broke away. It was then I could see that some dust and stuff collected on it from fibreglass repairs that were made and must have gotten pulled into the cylinder over the time is was sitting. So, just clean it all on the outside and I am good to go?<br /><br />Thanks,<br /><br />Craig

 

[Cricket Too]

Re: How do I lube my hydraulic steering? 115 O/B

anchorthis....Are you talking about hydrauluic steering or just cable steering with the single ram that comes out of the cable? If it is sticking and you are using grease, then I'm not sure your actually talking about hydraulic steering. Hydraulic steering uses hydraulic fluid up at the helm, the steering wheel is the actual pump, and there are two hydraulic lines going back to the engine, where the hydraulic unit sits on a rod that does not move, the hydraulic unit moves back and forth on this rod. <br /><br />Cable steering will have the ram actually moving in and out of the steering cable, and is usually lubed up with grease, they do start to stick after a while and when they start to stiffen up they are on their way out. The two fittings sound to me like they are the grease fittings on either side of the tilt tube, which has the steering ram going through it, out of the steering cable.

 

[11craigt]

Re: How do I lube my hydraulic steering? 115 O/B

Thanks for the reply Cricket Too.<br /><br />The steering is definately hydraulic, as I do have a helm pump and ONE main line running to the front of the motor, where it attaches by hose to a hydraulic cylinder mechanism that pushes a metal bar out the other side of it (***this is what is all dry and has old grease gunk around it***) that is connected to a pivoting arm attached to the engine and turns it.<br /><br />I believe the grease fittings I talk about are for the motor to tilt smoothly. The cylinder mechanism that has the "dry" metal bar, runs through these points where the motor tilts from.<br /><br />Hope that gives you more clarity.<br /><br />How do you lube this cylinder and metal bar?<br /><br />Thanks,<br /><br />Craig

 

[Boilermaker]

Re: How do I lube my hydraulic steering? 115 O/B

Craig,<br /> That sure sound like your discribing a TELEFLEX CABLE setup??? I thought they were hydraulic also but it is a hard hose like casing with a cable inside. <br />Can you see behind the helm at the steering mechinism??? It would have a steel cable with a stiff wire wrapped around it coming out of the steering box when you turn the wheel.<br />All the hydraulics I have seen (not many) have had 2 hoses.

 

[11craigt]

Re: How do I lube my hydraulic steering? 115 O/B

I am pretty darn sure. But I'll look at it again...that is the helm, from what I saw the last time, the helm was an aluminum caseing which attached to the wheel from underneath. It had a seperate small hose the was pinch at one end, that extended out about 6 inches from the aluminum helm, which I figured was a bleeder tube or fill tube?<br /><br />Thanks for the reply,<br /><br />Craig

 

[11craigt]

Re: How do I lube my hydraulic steering? 115 O/B

Boilermaker, just getting back to you. I checked out the steering tonight. There is only one line that runs to the motor and connects with roughly a 1" nut to the steering cylinder that pushes out the metal slide bar that then through a pivot point, connects to the armature that through another pivot point, connects to the engine.<br /><br />I looked at the helm again, it is a casting of what looks to be aluminum and there is a tube seperate from that that runs to the motor. This tube is clear and looks to contain fluid, but is not completely filled. At the end of this tube it is pinched off, sealed. I think this is an expansion chamber/tube?<br /><br />I, don't know what to think. Just want to have smooth steering and I think I will have to disconnect the tube from where it mounts at the engine and clean out all of it in the cylinder there?<br /><br />Any replies would begreat fo radvise.<br /><br />-Craig

 

[imported_Curmudgeon]

Re: How do I lube my hydraulic steering? 115 O/B

You have just described the commona mechanical[/u] steering unit. If you can get the steering cable out of the motor, purchase and install one of the lubrication kits that are readily available for that type steering. Short of that, keep the "ram" sprayed down with WD-40 and exercise the steering frequently. To do otherwise invites the cable to freeze in position.<br /><br />I've never seen a hydraulic unit that didn't have 2 hoses and a seperate operating cylinder at the motor.

 

[11craigt]

Re: How do I lube my hydraulic steering? 115 O/B

Thanks Old Curmudgeon for the reply.<br /><br />What would be the other line coming off of the aluminum casted helm. This tube is somewhat transparent and has some sort of fluid inside it. The tube is about half full and is about 12" long and is pinched at the end. I thought this was an expansion tube for the hydraulic. <br /><br />The boat is an 83' Cobia Sunskiff 180 and the engine an 82' Evinrude 115.<br /><br />Thanks,<br /><br />Craig<br /><br />P.S. - where can I find these lubrication kits?

 

[imported_Curmudgeon]

Re: How do I lube my hydraulic steering? 115 O/B

Cable systems basically work by pushing the cable out of the helm toward the motor (usually making the ram extend) when turning one direction, and pulling in cable when turning the other - the cable being pulled in has to have some place to go ... and that's the second, short tube. Take it off and you can see what happens.<br /><br />Go to West or Boaters and search for "Steering Lubrication System" for some possibilities to keep things operating ...