Whitlock Steering Maintenance

[pandroid]

Ive got Whitlock wheel steering, whih has a chain in the binacle connected to sheathed cables. The manual says take the chain out every three years and douse it in machine oil - but its a bugger of a job. It appears to have grease on it and I'm not sure whether to use grease or oil. A whitlock guy at the boat show said leave the thing alone, just check the tension.

Anybody got something similar can tell me what they do?

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[Chris_Stannard]

My steering gear is not Whitlock but is chain to cables. I grease the chain, it was greased at new and work grease into the cables.

<hr width=100% size=1>Chris Stannard

 

[AndrewB]

Every 3 years or so.

Yes, I do mine as well every so often, using light conduit lubricant grease, but have wondered about motor cycle chain oil. I do the cables at the same time.

The chain shouldn't be that difficult to access, just a matter of removing the steering compass, and it is directly beneath. It can be greased without needing to be removed.

 

[snowleopard]

motor cycle chain oil

comes in an aerosol. it is very sticky and contains graphite. it would certainly enable you to lubricate difficult-to-reach bits and would stay put, preventing corrosion.

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[LadyInBed]

My Whitlock system seed to be a bit stiff when I got the boat, so put wheel hard over, greased the chain that I could get to and funnelled engine oil down one cable. Left it for an hour or so, put the wheel on the opposite lock and repeated the operation.
All seemed much better with time.

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[byron]

<font color=blue>Whitlock is the best money can buy, it knocks spots off hydraulic steering. If the man at Whitlock says leave it alone then take his advice.
God! I wish I still had Whitlock... 12 years on my last boat without touching it and I dare say the previous owner hadn't looked at it either.

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