bapabear Loc: Blaine, Washington

Well I have gotten some sleep from my busted fishing trip. Now it's time to recover..
I have a merc 60 hp bighfoot with nearly locked up stearing swivel. I believe the grease has hardened. Any suggestions on cleanout, or do I have to pull head?

I need to replace steering. Should I stick with rotory cable or go hydrolic?

saw1 Loc: nor cal Windsor

Mine froze up and I busted the cable tryin to move it.
You have to take the cable nut loose from the motor and disconnect the steering rod and hammer the steering rod out of the tube.
I ended up using a piece of rebar and was able to finally get it out.
Had I known what to do in the first place I wouldn't have busted the cable tryin to turn the wheel.
Once you get the steering rod out of the tube you can then clean out the tube and lube it and put it back together.
Mine is also a 60HP 4stroke 2004 Merc.

Gordon Loc: Charleston South Carolina

Future reference. My father( who was a boat motor mechanic ) told me to always turn your motor so the steering rod was all the way out. That way if it freezes up you can tap on the rod while someone turns the steering wheel. and they also make a nut that fits on the motor where the rod comes out. It has a grease fitting on it and lubes the rod every time you turn the wheel.

bapabear Loc: Blaine, Washington

Thanks guys for the input. I have run into that problem, but in this case the problem is with the actual spindal the motor turns on. The spindle that is part of the motor that the allows the motor to swing left and right on the motor mount. The cable is free but skips in the steering gear due to something broken from too much pressure on my part. Bottom line. 1. steering housing has to be repaired if parts available or replaced. 2. steering gear broken and motor takes two hands to turn, along with my body weight. This is the situation even with the cable disconnected at the motor. Oh well, it gives me something to do to keep me off the streets causing trouble.

saw1 Loc: nor cal Windsor

Does the shaft of the steering cable slide back and forth ii the tube on the motor or is it still frozen?
Sounds exactly like what I did. I kept cranking on the steering wheel and the cable broke. I had to replace the whole steering cable . But first I had to get the old one out.
It was still frozen in that tube and I had to hammer it out. That's where I had to use a piece of rebar to fit inside the tube to finish hammering the cable arm out.👍

DC Loc: Washington state

I had my cable freeze up several years in a row on my 16' smokercraft tracer. I would each year pound it out ream out the tube lube and use it for a year and then it would freeze up and I would have to do it all over again. Finally the cable started seizing up and after much research and advice from others on this forum I decided to replace it with a hydraulic steering kit. I ended up buying a Baystar Hydraulic Steering Kit which was more expensive but had much better reviews I found the best price was from Walmart.com they don't sell it in the stores but they do online and will ship it to you for free. It was fairly easy to install the only difficulty for me was pulling the new hydraulic lines up to the steering wheel. Filling and bleeding was easy I went on line and found a easy way to fill and bleed using just some tubing. I have had the boat out a couple times this year and man what a difference, a lot easier to steer and holds a trolling line a lot better than the cable steering. Yes cost about $500 more than a cable replacement kit but for me it was well worth it and the hydraulic will stand up to the salt water use a lot better since there is no cable to corrode.

DC Loc: Washington state

I use to use a 3/8 socket extension to hammer the cable end out of the tube worked pretty well but once the cable freezes up then that is a different story which is why I went hydraulic when I replaced it.

saw1 Loc: nor cal Windsor

My actual cable didn't freeze up. It was just the connecting rod that slids through the tube on the motor.

bapabear Loc: Blaine, Washington

Once again, my problem is not with the steering cable, but the outboard rotation spindal. Thanks DC. I think the hydrolics is the way to go once I get my motor spindal lossened up. My fishing buddy offered to pay 50% just so he did not have to fight the wheel at 80.

DC Loc: Washington state

yes that is the problem I had as well the good thing about the hydolic conversion kit is not dependant on that tube other than mounting to it

Fredfish Loc: Prospect CT.

Bapa, on my 1990 Merc 25 tiller motor, there's an adjustment screw to put tension on the pivot pin. It's on the port side, just below the powerhead. I don't know if your 4 stroke has one, but it's worth looking.
The grease being dried up is a possibility, I suppose, but I think corrosion is a more likely culprit. Unfortunately, it will require lifting the motor, to disassemble the mount from the motor. Good luck and let us know how you make out.

bapabear Loc: Blaine, Washington

You are correct on all accounts. Along with corrosion, the saltwater, mixing with the grease over time creates a nasty tar like coating on the metal parts. That is often the problem several referred to on the cable shaft and housing. I am familiar with the adjustment screw. The engine is tight even with the screw removed. I was sure I would have to bite the bullet, but just hoped there might be a magic cure out there that I had not heard of. I am sure someone will respond with a simple cure as soon as I get the job done LOL. Thanks for your suggestions.

Fredfish Loc: Prospect CT.

Perhaps a large dose of penetrating oil in the tension screw hole? It couldn't hurt. Good luck.

Bubbax Loc: Snohomish Wash

We were able to resolve this by forcing a solvent through the circ fitting We also tied a 2x4 to the lower unit near the anti cavitation plate to help rotate the motor. Do not force it too hard. It took a while to break it free.
Bob

Bubbax Loc: Snohomish Wash

I meant zirco fitting