Locked Steering on my 4 cylinder mercruiser 488. How do I free it ??

[al1026]

Help , this happened once before years ago. Don't remember what I did too free it
Power Steering has always been on the hard side, but manageable .

In past If I happened too move lower unit I can see steering wheel moving while I am pushing lower .
Being stuck now I tried moving lower unit and it wont budge Locked , throttle fine, engine starts, forward & reverse fine.
I opened steering cable bolt from transom area, will not come apart. But once big bolt is off, steering wheel turns, does nothing, but not locked,
Greased all around, everything seems locked , possibly from lower unit area locking steering.
Is there some release that I am not aware of.??
Lower unit is Alpha 1
mercruiser 488
4 cylinder
power steering

As I said this happened few years ago, I got it loose and its been fine since, just don't remember what I did

Promised grandson too go fishing and as it stands now were pier fishing

thanks for your help

 

[Bondo]

I opened steering cable bolt from transom area, will not come apart. But once big bolt is off, steering wheel turns, does nothing, but not locked,

Ayuh,.... Welcome Aboard,.... The end of the cable is corroded, Inside the aluminum tube ya took that nut off of,.....

 

[al1026]

Thanks for response, let me get this understood in my pea brain
I did take the big bolt off , once it was un-threaded, wheel turned 1/4 turn, not turning lower unit, but once turned exposed a cable. that goes into a long stainless shaft that is bolted at other end.
Can I unbolt that end
Does that cable under the black cover slip apart or one long piece ?
What is the process too replace cable , remove , clean, grease, etc etc
thank you

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,..... If ya undo the bolt on the far end, the portside, That's the end of the steerin' cable, from the helm,.....

To hold the casing, it mounts through the aluminum tube, that the big nut screws to, 'n exits the other end to the portside,....

Changin' the cable would be the same operation,....
Ya gotta pull the Whole cable, inner, 'n outer casin', Out of the aluminum tube the big nut screws too,....
Inside that tube is an Important grease point, most folks miss,....

Once ya got it apart, you can figure out what ya need to put it back together,....