TOPIC: Steering sticks when standing

My boat stays inside my shop when not in use, but the steering has started sticking if I don't rotate the wheel every few days. This is on a '17 Evinrude V4 with a new steering cable assembly and the slide bar built into the bracket. The first time it happened it was locked up good. I Hooked a grease gun to the 2 fittings on the outboard bracket and gave 8-10 pumps on each. This broke it loose so I cleaned up the exposed slide bar and lubed it as well. Since then it sticks when it sits a few days but pops loose with a little extra force, and then smooths out with a few lock-to-lock rotations.

How much grease should I pump into those fittings? Pump until it comes out of a seal somewhere? Is there some other grease point I should look for? Any insight into keeping this from happening?

Hello,
I may be misunderstanding and not answer correctly, but in threads of yours on JEGO, you seem to have a 1973 Evinrude 85 horsepower. It further sounds like you are having issues where the "slide bar" of the steering cable becomes stuck in the Evinrude's tilt tube. You further seem to state that connecting a grease gun to the Evinrude's swivel bracket grease fittings helps. Now if this is a correct understanding, the grease fittings typically do not grease inside the tilt tube, but rather only on the outside where it passes through the swivel bracket (lubricates for tilting the outboard up and down). Many original tilt tubes will have rusted internally, and the air humidity will repeat this occurrence often unless very well lubricated, and sometimes, only a new tilt tube will solve the occurrence. From least cost to most, the best solutions to me is the use of a grease nut, and in stainless as pictured for saltwater/brackish water usage. These thread onto the end of many tilt tubes, have an o-ring seal to seal grease/lubricant in and water out, and the grease fitting is positioned to allow the grease/lubricant between the inside of the tilt tube and "slide bar". Next, one can replace the tilt tube with a new plated/coated steel one, but better is the use of a new stainless tilt tube. We can supply both with a little input from you if wanted. We are located in the Atlanta area.

A Happy Labor Day To All,
Joe
www.fergusonpoolemarine.com
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I think you're interpreting that correctly Ferguson. I'm not that familiar with the "correct" names for most of the parts, LOL. I think the best info I'm getting from what you've said is that the grease fittings don't grease the tube that slides, just the points that pivot the motor up/down. I think something like that nut might be exactly what I'm looking for but I need to take a look at the boat to be sure. Am I correct in guessing you sell those through your shop?

Glad to hear that I did understand, and was helpful. Yes, we do sell the grease nuts in two sizes, in aluminum or stainless, and the stainless tilt tubes for several applications. The grease nuts can be seen also on this page of our website, fifth item from the top of this page: fergusonpoolemarine.com/contrlssteeringinstrmnt.html

Thanks,
Joe
www.fergusonpoolemarine.com
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