Steering Cable Advice

[bud659]

I have a 1991 Yamaha 70HP with a motor that wont turn with the wheel or manually. I have discovered the cable is frozen inside the tilt tube. Is the only way to get it out is bang it with a hammer? What do you think I should do to prevent this from happening again (Anti-Seize, grease, sand inside of tube, etc?)

of course its a nice day out and im stuck on shore

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: Steering Cable Advice

Loosen the nut and bash the end with a mallet or place a chunk of wood between the end and a hammer. Try not to mushroom the end. Having a bolt in the eye will help it from crushing, but you'll have to remove it before it enters the tilt tube. Then use a wooden dowel like a punch. Heavy doses of WD-40 should help. Sometimes it just won't go. Then you have to replace the tilt tube along with the cable.

Keeping it coated with a good marine grease is vital. Mercury's 2-4-C is good. Their Special Lube 101 is better but very messy. Johnnyrude's Triple Guard is great too. Yamaha puts out a multi-purpose marine grease. There should be a seal on the ram end of the tilt tube to help keep grease in and water out. Our rigger also puts a big gob of grease on the nut end to help keep water from entering there.

 

[bud659]

Re: Steering Cable Advice

Thanks to your help I got the cable out. Can I sand the inside of the tilt tube? And can I use Anti-Seize or Wheel Bearing grease to coat the cable and the tilt tube? Thanks for your suggestions.