***what else should I do?***

[JDs Dorsett]

I am having trouble with my steering on a 50 hp mercury outboard, it is still stiff, although I did put new marine grade grease in all the zerks, before it was stored it won't turn easy.... so000, I disconnected the steering cable and it works freely, the problem is in the base somewhere on lateral swing movement of the motor,{If that is what you would call it} it has been sitting for about 3 months, it was lubed up before, to prevent this?
I have had this problem on other boats, but it was the steering cable inside the housing that was stuck, not the motor itself. so I am not sure if I missed something, or missed a zerk. any ideas?





Quote: "It's a great life if you don't weaken":

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: ***what else should I do?***

Sounds like you have to clean out the old grease ........ when you grease all the points does grease come out anyplace? Is it clean?

I would continue to pump in new grease and work the motor back and forth ....... if that does not work....... you might have to take the section apart and do a deep cleaning. There is the possibility that grease is dried inside a section and causing the binding.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: ***what else should I do?***

Might get a hair dryer and heat the pivot pin area while attempting to force new grease into the zerk and also, might set the skeg on the floor (with the trailer tongue jack) and then turn the jack a few more revs to force the weight of the motor to be on the skeg, not the pivot pin thus probably giving you a small space at the top of it where the grease can escape.

Also, some of the lower hp engines, especially tiller operated ones (which the 50 was capable of) had a tensioner screw there who's job it was to put tension on the engine so that when you let go of the tiller, engine torque didn't move the engine fully to one side. With remote steering, I doubt that you want this in tension if you have such.

Mark

 

[JDs Dorsett]

Re: ***what else should I do?***

thanks for the info, I did squeeze new grease until it came out clean on each zert found, however it sounds like there must be some binding in an area that you guys said. I will try the hair dryer and raising the jack idea. thanks guys, appreciate the info.

I forgot to mention that this motor is not being steered by a tiller arm, but rather a steering wheel, and I did seperate the shaft from the linkage and it moves freely, so it was re connected.

 

[JDs Dorsett]

Re: ***what else should I do?***

thank you for your help

 

[marinedr.d]

Re: ***what else should I do?***

hi,sounds like the cable will have to come out and then you can clean the tube,On some boats you can do this with the motor on and some have to have it off.I think it is a 5/8 hole,I have a reamer just for this,hopes this helps.I would try this before buying a new cable,also put 24c on cable before reinstalling the cable.

 

[JDs Dorsett]

Re: ***what else should I do?***

hi, thanks for the tips, I tried putting pressure on the skeg and using a heat gun on the area, and added more grease, kept wiping the excess then working back and forth and heating up, plus spraying a material designed to free stuck parts,all though there was a tiny bit of darker grease that came out, most was new that was coming out. nothing seemed to really work it any better. so I gave up for now, we are getting pounded by rain. thanks again for your input and everyone else too

 

[robert graham]

Re: ***what else should I do?***

Maybe put a heat lamp or hot air blower overnight on that pivot tube to thoroughly heat it inside and outside to melt/loosen any old/hard grease that may be in there, pump fresh grease, move motor back and forth to hopefully loosen it up. Good Luck!