Steering stuck

[Captain Ahab]

Went to use my 25 hp evin this spring and found that the piston was stuck in the tube. Still not tried to fix it. Anyone else ever have this.

Motor is 1983 and boat is 1974 and in all those years of fresh and salt this is a 1st

 

[DaleH]

Get a heat gun to loosen it up, then remove the steering tube, borrow a 12 gauge shotgun brush and clean the heck out of that tube with WD40 and solvent of choice, to get all the old grease out.

Then go online and buy the $25 “Steersman”, which closes the tube and has O-Rings to help protect the steering tube, plus it has zirk fittings to re-grease it.

Only use the good blue colored synthetic waterproof grease, the best value going is the OMC/bombardier product called Triple Guard grease. Every motor make sells it, but it all comes out of the same factory and the OMC product is available at the best price, as the Japanese companies charge 2 to 3 times the price.

 

[Captain Ahab]

I take it you mean these?
https://steersman.com/html/whatitdoes.html

 

[Captain Ahab]

Getting out the heat gun and gonna try to get it free.

Ordered the Steersman as well so we should be good

 

[onthewater102]

I was surprised the OEM nut for the tilt tube didn't have a grease fitting on either of my motors.

Any reason why you couldn't drill a hole in the side of the tilt tube and weld a nut on the outside over it to hold the grease fitting?

 

[jethro]

I was surprised the OEM nut for the tilt tube didn't have a grease fitting on either of my motors.

Any reason why you couldn't drill a hole in the side of the tilt tube and weld a nut on the outside over it to hold the grease fitting?

I know plenty of guys have done that with snowmobile suspensions that didn't have zerk fittings where they wanted them. Just weld the correct size nut for the zerk. I've also seen them simply drill and tap the tube itself. Red locktite the zerk fitting and call it a day.

 

[onthewater102]

I thought of that but I don't think there is much room in the tube for the zerk to protrude...though thinking about it more I could just grind the end of the fitting to match the contour of the inside of the tube couldn't I?

Certainly preferable to having welding sparks anywhere near the motor or aluminum hull.