Greetings,

My steering was stuck solid, so I disassembled and removed the entire
assembly, and replaced it with a new Teleflex Safe-T steering system.
I think I figured out why the steering stuck, despite the fact that I
grease the steering rod regularly. When you extend the steering rod
and grease it, an O-ring wipes all the grease off as it retracts into
the tilt tube. When I disassembled the system, the steering rod was
dry as a bone.

While installing the new system, I cleaned the tilt tube out with
engine cleaner and a wire brush. I then ran pieces of an an old
t-shirt through the tube until they came out clean. I stuffed grease
in one end of the tilt tube, and liberally greased up the steering
rod.

The problem is, the grease on the steering rod was sheared off by the
tilt tube as I inserted it, and the grease I inserted into the tilt
tube was pushed out the other side.

I extended the steering rod all the way out, greased it, then turned
the wheel to retract it into the tilt tube, but each time, the grease
is wiped off by the close tolerance of the steering rod and tilt tube.

How the heck do you get grease into the system, when there's such a
tight tolerance between the steering rod and the tilt tube? I've even
thought of using air pressure to force grease into the system, but
there's got to be an easier way!

HELP!! 8)

The end tube or steering rod is generally not was seizes up. It's the
steering cable inside the casing that gets rust in it due to condensation.
Forcing grease like you are trying to do will not prevent the problem.

Ron

wrote in message
...
Greetings,

My steering was stuck solid, so I disassembled and removed the entire
assembly, and replaced it with a new Teleflex Safe-T steering system.
I think I figured out why the steering stuck, despite the fact that I
grease the steering rod regularly. When you extend the steering rod
and grease it, an O-ring wipes all the grease off as it retracts into
the tilt tube. When I disassembled the system, the steering rod was
dry as a bone.

While installing the new system, I cleaned the tilt tube out with
engine cleaner and a wire brush. I then ran pieces of an an old
t-shirt through the tube until they came out clean. I stuffed grease
in one end of the tilt tube, and liberally greased up the steering
rod.

The problem is, the grease on the steering rod was sheared off by the
tilt tube as I inserted it, and the grease I inserted into the tilt
tube was pushed out the other side.

I extended the steering rod all the way out, greased it, then turned
the wheel to retract it into the tilt tube, but each time, the grease
is wiped off by the close tolerance of the steering rod and tilt tube.

How the heck do you get grease into the system, when there's such a
tight tolerance between the steering rod and the tilt tube? I've even
thought of using air pressure to force grease into the system, but
there's got to be an easier way!

HELP!! 8)

wrote in message
...
Greetings,

My steering was stuck solid, so I disassembled and removed the entire
assembly, and replaced it with a new Teleflex Safe-T steering system.
I think I figured out why the steering stuck, despite the fact that I
grease the steering rod regularly. When you extend the steering rod
and grease it, an O-ring wipes all the grease off as it retracts into
the tilt tube. When I disassembled the system, the steering rod was
dry as a bone.

While installing the new system, I cleaned the tilt tube out with
engine cleaner and a wire brush. I then ran pieces of an an old
t-shirt through the tube until they came out clean. I stuffed grease
in one end of the tilt tube, and liberally greased up the steering
rod.

The problem is, the grease on the steering rod was sheared off by the
tilt tube as I inserted it, and the grease I inserted into the tilt
tube was pushed out the other side.

I extended the steering rod all the way out, greased it, then turned
the wheel to retract it into the tilt tube, but each time, the grease
is wiped off by the close tolerance of the steering rod and tilt tube.

How the heck do you get grease into the system, when there's such a
tight tolerance between the steering rod and the tilt tube? I've even
thought of using air pressure to force grease into the system, but
there's got to be an easier way!

HELP!! 8)
There is an easier way. You can replace the nut with one that has a zerk
fitting or special fitting to force grease into the cable guide. Check with
West Marine. I'm sure they carry at least one type of the luber kits.
Jim

On Thu, 29 Jun 2006 19:32:37 GMT, "Jim" wrote:


There is an easier way. You can replace the nut with one that has a zerk
fitting or special fitting to force grease into the cable guide. Check with
West Marine. I'm sure they carry at least one type of the luber kits.
Jim



Thanks everyone......I've seen the "Steersman" nut, but I just don't
see how grease can be injected into such a tight tolerance.....

For what it's worth, the cable did seize in the tilt tube....When I
removed the old cable, it slid back and forth freely....As I
mentioned, I've already installed an entirely new unit, but despite my
cleaning, there was still some corrosion in the tilt tube...I just
ordered a stainless tilt tube to replace the old one, so my problems
should be a thing of the past....

Thanks for getting back to us. The stainless tube will really help. Not
sure what you using for grease, but I'm kind of partial to the Merc 24C with
teflon. Good luck and good boating.

Ron Knapik

wrote in message
...
On Thu, 29 Jun 2006 19:32:37 GMT, "Jim" wrote:


There is an easier way. You can replace the nut with one that has a zerk
fitting or special fitting to force grease into the cable guide. Check
with
West Marine. I'm sure they carry at least one type of the luber kits.
Jim



Thanks everyone......I've seen the "Steersman" nut, but I just don't
see how grease can be injected into such a tight tolerance.....

For what it's worth, the cable did seize in the tilt tube....When I
removed the old cable, it slid back and forth freely....As I
mentioned, I've already installed an entirely new unit, but despite my
cleaning, there was still some corrosion in the tilt tube...I just
ordered a stainless tilt tube to replace the old one, so my problems
should be a thing of the past....

On Thu, 29 Jun 2006 21:42:33 GMT, "Ron Knapik"
wrote:

Thanks for getting back to us. The stainless tube will really help. Not
sure what you using for grease, but I'm kind of partial to the Merc 24C with
teflon. Good luck and good boating.

Ron Knapik

Thanks Ron.......I'm using the blue "marine waterproof" with
anti-corrosive goodies in it......

Nice thing about the stainless tilt tube is that I won't have to worry
about dissimilar metal corrosion on the steering rod.....And, there's
enough grease around the tilt tube and mounting assembly to scare away
just about anything!

Good boating to you too......

On Thu, 29 Jun 2006 22:19:24 -0400, wrote:


You want that O ring tight, that is what keeps the water out. It
doesn't take much grease to keep it clean in there if it stays dry.

I made up a cleaning tool years ago. Use the wirebrush tip from a
copper pipe cleaning tool and chuck it up in a 1/4" drill extender.
You can then use a drilll to polish out the tube.


Indeed, I think the O-ring is the key to the survival of the system.

I just ordered a stainless tilt tube to replace the original. The new
steering is still stiff, I believe because of the corrosion in the
tilt tube. I used a wire brush to clean it out, but looking through
it, the surface is still pitted and lumpy. The stainless tilt tube
should cure things for the long haul, provided I check/replace the
O-ring at regular intervals...