Mercury Steering Cable Seazed in Tilt Tube

[mysticislandjack]

Hi I currently have the frozen steering cable as was discussed in this forum. I followed oldman570 recommendations removing the nut from the cable that comes from the steering wheel. I can pull the small steering cable out to a point but i will not come out completely as if there is a flange that prevents it from coming out of the tilt tube. At the other end, I cannot budge the cable. I have used a considerable quantity of pb blaster, 3 in one, and some other penetrants, but most of what i spray just comes right out even when sprayed in the grease zerk. I applied heat to the area where the zerk is, (My motor is a 40hp 2002) on the side where the cable wont budge. I have a coupe questions:
Should the cable come completely out on the side where the steering wheel connects, and should i apply heat to the cable on the other side as apposed to the the housing? I appreciate all input, thanks.

 

[achris]

Hi mysticislandjack,

I have parsed your post off the 4 year old thread and created a new one just for you.

Hopefully you'll get more replies with the new thread.

Chris.
iboats mod team.

 

[Scott Danforth]

if its really bad, you will need to buy a new tilt tube and a new helm and cable kit. this means your cutting the old cable off the tilt tube and starting over.

 

[Chris1956]

Put a pipe wrench on the steering cable end (port side), and rock it. If it moves at all, spray it with a penetrant and continue to rock it. Eventually it will loosen up and you can grease it and pull it out. Don't hammer the end of the cable or it will mushroom and bind in the tilt tube.

 

[mysticislandjack]

Thank you for the reply, If I put the pipe wrench on it do I keep it far to the outside to avoid scraching the tube? On a previous post heat was recommended, should I heat the tilt tube, or the cable where it enters the tilt tube on the port side? The cable comes out almost completely on the starbord side, but seems to stop just short of coming out completely.is there some sort of flange inside that prevents it from coming out completely?

 

[achris]

If the cable is moving and almost comes out, time for a long drivers and a big hammer... No flange inside. Just start hitting it... That's about all you can do.

Chris......

 

[jerryjerry05]

HEAT and a bunch of it.
​The grease has turned solid and heat and WD are the way to loosen it.
Just unhook the fuel lines.
Hitting with a hammer can do more damage so be careful where you hit.
​I use a dead blow plastic but even that can screw up the end of the cable.

​Spray, heat and have someone turning the wheel as you push the motor.

 

[mysticislandjack]

Thanks for the advise. A lot of heat on the shaft, and a pipe wrench at the end of the shaft on the port side broke it loose. Neither the port or starboard side will completely out, could it be that the shaft has mushroomed inside? They are moving freely from end to end , just not coming out completely.

 

[Chris1956]

If you can get the open end of the steering rod inside the tilt tube, it is not mushroomed. If not, file it down a bit until it fits.