Boat Steering and Trim Troubleshooting

Posted by admin in Steering & Trim on 08 24th, 2009 | 3 responses

Boats that have outboard motors are normally steered in one of three different ways. Small boats are often controlled by a tiller handle on the motor. Midsize boats are often cable steering system and large boats usually employ a hydraulically assisted power steering system.

Midsize Boats with steering and trim problems are normally caused by two main reasons.

Poorly greased outboard motor. Under the power head at the top of the leg, there are a few grease nipples that lubricate the shaft on which the motor pivots. These normally only get grease every year or so when the motor is serviced which is inadequate. So the first thing to do is add some grease. If you disconnect the steering rod and the motor is still hard to turn, this will most likely be the reason and a good dose of quality marine grease will fix it.

Steering cable not lubricated and salt incursion into cable causing cable to become tight and to stick. The main reason this happens is when the seal on the end of the tilt tube where the steering rod comes out has failed or not been fitted, or this joint has not been properly lubricated.

Below is a remedy for a sticking steering cable.

Materials:
1 – 2 litres of auto transmission fluid
1 x 50 – 60cm length of 1/5″ or 2″ plastic water pipe with end cap to suit plasticine
Duct tape.
A friend to help.

Steps as follows:

1. Disconnect steering rod from motor and remove steering cable from tilt tube.

2. Fit and seal the end cap to the 2″ plastic water pipe, and drill a hole in the centre of it the correct size so that you can feed the part of the steering cable that moves in and out through it and into the pipe.

The idea is that the cable can be fed into the tube to the point where the lock nut is, and you seal it off there. Seal up the gaps in the hole around the cable with plasticine and hold it in place with a thorough wrapping of duct tape.

The idea now is to fill up the pipe with auto transmission fluid, and then get your mate to wind the steering from lock to lock for at least 30 minutes while you keep the tube held still vertically. This “sucks” the auto trans fluid, which is really just very fine oil, into the steering cable and provides the needed lubricant.

The only downside is that its common for the oil to work its way right up to the steering box and you can get oil leaking from there – easily fixed with a strategically placed rag!

The other alternative is to replace the steering cable with a new one, or migrate to hydraulic steering.