Swivel/steering resistance/stiffness question

[pman7]

First of all I hope this is the right forum for posting this. I am open to shifting this to a different forum if need be. The reason I am posting this here is if necessary I'd like some advice on an adjustment.

I have a 71 Merc 500 on which I'm installing a new Uflex steering system because the old one wore out after about 30 years. I'm wondering how stiff the motor pivoting or swivel should be. Mine seems fairly stiff and want to make sure it's not too stiff.

I'll do my best to relate the level of stiffness in steering my motor but I'm open to suggestions on how to measure or communicate this.

Without the steering cables attached I need to apply about 10 to 15 (my guess) pounds of pressure to the very back of my motor to pivot it. Obviously this far back edge of my motor has better leverage than my steering arm because it is further away from the pivot axis. So this means that more than 10 to 12 pounds of force is needed to turn my motor at the steering arm point.

Does this degree of stiffness seem excessive? I've lubed the swivel pin through the grease sert quite sufficiently so I don't believe that is the problem. If this is too stiff for a Uflex/Rotech steering system, is there a way to adjust it, maybe a nut to back off to reduce the stiffness?

 

[Laddies]

Re: Swivel/steering resistance/stiffness question

With the steering linkage removed from the engine it should amost flop back and for the no resistance

 

[Don S]

Re: Swivel/steering resistance/stiffness question

I'm with Laddies here. One finger is all it should take to move the motor from side to side with the steering disconnected. Sounds like you may have some corroded bushings.

 

[pman7]

Re: Swivel/steering resistance/stiffness question

So you're saying there is no adjustment and bushing replacement is the only way to go?

That doesn't sound good, or very easy. Can anyone suggest any slick tricks that might get some solvent or such into the areas of corrosion?

 

[Don S]

Re: Swivel/steering resistance/stiffness question

Best trick I know, is to get the manual and do it right.
Read the line below my name..............

 

[pman7]

Re: Swivel/steering resistance/stiffness question

I've got the manual so I'll do some research tonight. I was just worried about having to lift that sucker off my boat. I'll need some help to do that.

So apparently there aren't any slick tricks.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[pman7]

Re: Swivel/steering resistance/stiffness question

It seems like I can tell more from my parts list than I can from my merc manual. I trust the schematics on the parts list more because it is only for my specific model.

There doesn't seem to be any removable bushings on this swivel apparatus. There's a housing that the swivel pin swivels in, the oil seals and washers on both ends. I can't tell for sure from the schematic but it appears the length of surface the swivel pin shares with the bracket is around 9" to a foot. In the middle of this length is the grease sert that supplies grease that is apparently suppose to flow both ways.

When I pumped grease into the sert I saw grease ooze out the bottom seal. I didn't see it ooze from the top seal.

Possibly the top half of the swivel pin is gunked up with dried grease. This motor had set in a barn for multiple years (maybe 10, I'm not sure) and was then purchased by a friend of mine who changed the impeller and not much else before running it about 30 hours last summer.

If I can't get the thing loosened up from just shifting it back and forth I guess I'll have to take it off the boat and disasemble the swivel pin and clean it up good, unless someone else has another suggestion.

Has anyone else had this problem on an old motor that has set idle for several years?

I hope I can still find the oil seals. Would the oil seals be something that NAPA might have or would I have to go to a Marina for those?

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Swivel/steering resistance/stiffness question

pman, If you remove the motor from the swivel bracket, and clean the bushings, you should be OK.

However, you can try some heat (use a heat gun first, then a propane torch, if necessary) to heat up the upper bushing, then pump some fresh grease into it. Be careful the gas doesn't catch fire.

 

[imported_Voyager]

Re: Swivel/steering resistance/stiffness question

Please keep the group up to date with how you solve this (I have the same issue with stiff swivel on my '82 50hp, but haven't addressed it yet, currently doing carbs, lower unit, etc)

If you need to lift the motor, invest in a flywheel puller, into which you can thread a lifting eye. You can then easily and safely lift the motor with a block and tackle or engine hoist. You can find a nice puller (assuming your motor has 1-1/2-16 threads in the ID of the flywheel), on eBay. Search for the ChicagoProducts.US store. This is where I got mine, and I'm quite pleased with the quality.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Swivel/steering resistance/stiffness question

If your steering goes through the pivot tube on the transom bracket, you may have to remove the engine from the boat anyway to route the cable thru the tube.

Might try some penetrating oil on the upper bushing and just rotate the engine back and forth for a good period of time and keep adding grease and squirting oil. When grease has two directions to go it will exit the path of least resistance (obviously) so you may need to keep at it to get some up to your upper bushing.

Lastly, nice smooth curves on the steering cable; no sharp bends. If you kink the inner rod it will never steer right.

Mark

 

[pman7]

Re: Swivel/steering resistance/stiffness question

Thanks for all the advice. I will slowly try the penetrating oil tonight. I've also got a heat gun on order. I tried it with a hair dryer, lots of rotating the motor and an occasional extra squirt of grease. It has loosened up at least 75 percent, probably more. It's not as loose as my 1959 18hp Evinrude with the tiller handle and is not yet to the stage it will flop but I can now move it with a fingers grip on the front steering arm with less than 10 pounds of push.

Estimating that the total swing of the motor is about 90 degrees, the center 45 degrees is quite smooth and relatively easy (still not a flop easyness). It's the ends of the pivot (maybe 22 degrees or less) on both sides that I'm not yet satisified with.

I can and will slide the motor to the side a bit to install the cable. Thanks for that advice too. Every thing seems to be progressing pretty well.

I'm not worried about wasting time on this thing Don and if, after I spend all this time trying to shortcut the repair, it isn't pretty much perfect, I'll do it the "right way." Then my fishing buddy will be back from west Texas and he'll be more than willing to help me lift the motor off. What ever happens, I thoroughly enjoy wasting my time on my boats.

Learning shortcuts sometimes come in handy down the road. And Voyager, I will let you know what happens.

 

[pman7]

Re: Swivel/steering resistance/stiffness question

Here's another followup for Voyager. After the hair dryer I noticed that the improvement faded a bit on cold mornings. On the cold mornings it was slightly stiff again but not nearly as bad as it originally was. It would loosen up after movement though.

I tried the penetrating oil which seemed to have a very positive effect. I applied it, pivoted the motor and let it set overnight. The next morning, in the cold, the motor turned fairly easily. As the day warmed up, it pivoted even more freely.

I wouldn't yet say it say it "flops" when pushed but it does continue moving an inch or so after you give it a little shove. I don't know if it is sufficiently loose but I'm satisfied that it won't do any damage to my new steering system.

I'm going to continually check it for a while to make sure it remains loose. I still never had grease come out the top bushing so I can't say it's completely healed. It appears to be working properly but only time will tell.


Thanks to everyone that helped me on this thread.