Steering Issue

[jerseyboy1983]

I have a 1985 Evingrude 150 HP on a 1985 Wellcraft V-20. I just had a new engine installed and when we tried to hook the steering up we couldnt turn the steering wheel. It now turns but it is very hard to turn and when it does, nothing happens to the steering arm. What is the box called behind the steering wheel and when i look for a new one, do i look for one for an evinrunde or wellcraft?

 

[multimech]

Re: Steering Issue

Evinrude nor Wellcraft make the helms (the box behind the steering wheel).

Disconnect the drag link from the engine steering arm to the steering cable. Try to turn the wheel. Does the cable move in the steering tube? If not, it could be bound up in the tube or in the cable. If it does move easily. Your engine needs to have the engine swivel heated up and new grease put into it.

If the cable itself is stiff or has been bound up in the tube, replace both the cable and the helm and make sure you ream out the steering tube on the engine.

 

[WA-Newb]

Re: Steering Issue

I am still a newbie to all of this but will try to help a bit...hope I give you the right terms...lol

The box behind the steering wheel is called either a rack which would be a long skinny rectangle...or if it's smaller and sort of roundish it would be called a rotary system. The rack type will come on the steering cable itself but the rotary does not.
You can look on Ebay for the two different types to see what you have.

But what i wanted to tell you is that on my last boats steering issue..I had a frozen cable and tried working it real hard after lubing the tilt tube for a few days with PB blaster and I ended up breaking a gear and jamming it in the rack box..so the wheel was unable to turn and I had to buy a new cable.

It may be frozen in your tilt tube though in which case spraying PB blaster..waiting spraying more..waiting and slowly trying to work it back and forth may work for you. I have had success a couple of times but once they get that bad they will lock up real easy if you don;t use the boat for a short period of time.

Like Multimech said..first try to determine where it is binding and then try to figure out if there is a way to free it up.
Good luck.

 

[Numlaar]

Re: Steering Issue

I posted some detailed instructions with pics on an old thread here:

Clicky

Should help clear things up a bit more for you. In case you dont want to read the whole thing, short version of the 3 steps:

Three step diagnosis:
1. Disconnect the steering Link arm from the end of the steering cable at the motor.
Try to turn the motor back and forth, if it moves freely, then the problem lies in the rest of the steering, if it moves stiffly, then the main tube the motor pivots on will need to be lubed and worked loose.
2. Try to turn the steering with the cable still in the tilt tube of the motor (but not attached to the motor). If it is stiff to turn it is either a bad cable, or the cable is seized in the tilt tube.
3. Remove the steering cable from the tilt tube (steering tube), (you may have to pull the motor depending on the clearance) and see if it moves freely with the steering wheel. If it is still stiff, its a bad cable, and needs to be replaced (can't really lube them).
If it moves freely out of the tube, the tube will need to be reamed out, greased and the cable put back in.

 

[jerseyboy1983]

Re: Steering Issue

Thank you everyone. I will try that this weekend and let you know how it went. I Did try to turn the wheel when it wasn't hooked up to the motor so Its now down to two possibilities. Thank you again.