Stiff or Seized outboard steering. How to Fix

[Bigplumbs]

This is applicable to Ultraflex or Teleflex steering.

Last year the steering on my little Rib got quite stiff and surprise surprise now it is seized altogether. Here is my method of fixing it. It is almost always dried grease crud in the tilt tube and seldom the actual outboard pivot itself.

The golden rules are:

1) Try not to let it get seized as I did.... Do this once it starts getting stiff
2) Never use thick grease
3) If you do use the grease nipples to grease (which I would not advise) then make sure the steering cable is retracted so as not to force grease between the inner and outer.

Here is a little video of how to fix this situation..... It is a messy job but someone gotta do it.

 

[jfm]

Erk, "Her indoors"

Just to say there are lots of opinions on all this. I would always use a thick marine grease.

Your point 3, and the same point at 7:08 in the video, is a bit off track because those grease nipples flow only to the engine tilt bushes; they do not flow all the way to the steering tube so it's irrelevant whether the cable is retracted.

 

[Bigplumbs]

Erk, "Her indoors"

Just to say there are lots of opinions on all this. I would always use a thick marine grease.

Your point 3, and the same point at 7:08 in the video, is a bit off track because those grease nipples flow only to the engine tilt bushes; they do not flow all the way to the steering tube so it's irrelevant whether the cable is retracted.

Very interesting about the Nipples. Using the thick grease is I still feel what causes the problem. If ends up drying out and going all hard.... But as you say opinionis indeed divided. I also followed Dangar Stu (Dangar Marine) and he is not a fan of the thick grease.

We had some felt blow off our shed in the recent gale Her indoors wilol soon be up on the roof fixing that..... She is the light one you see

Mind you she keeps wearing my coats .... Next job for her is anti fouling the sealine lol she likes that job

 

[Momac]

.. Next job for her is anti fouling the sealine lol she likes that job

And perhaps grease its steering , which may be tricky from within the engine bay on a S24.

 

[Bigplumbs]

And perhaps grease its steering , which may be tricky from within the engine bay on a S24.

It has power steering so no real need for that I recon. No Polishing the engine bay either

 

[Momac]

It has power steering so no real need for that I recon. No Polishing the engine bay either

There is a grease point on the steering.

 

[QBhoy]

There is a usually a grease nipple for the actual steering. A procedure too. Quicksilver extreme grease would be the one for the job. Also suitable for almost everything else around the boat and engine too. Great stuff. Hope that helps.