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Hard steering on Honda 75/90 hp
Hi All!! This is a hard one to do a search on and even my shop manual
doesn't cover it and I don't want to proceed to take anything apart
without at least a diagram. My Honda 90hp has been slowly been getting
harder to steer - nothing to do with the trim. Just out of the water,
there is a lot of resistance in the steering wheel. Used to be, I
could swing the motor left to right by hand - even when vertical -
just by pushing on the cowling. Now, even with the motor trailered
right up, gravity won't even pull it to one side. Obviously, first
thing I did was grease the two nipples - as I do every year, but ZERO
difference. I applied enough grease to expel the grease inside - which
was quite dark - through the crack in the pivot joints. I then removed
the control linkage from the push arm so that the motor was 'free'
from the steering wheel and you could practically swing it side to
side with a strong wind. So I then proceeded to remove the nut on the
driver side of the motor that attaches the push arm from the steering
wheel - sort of looks like a brake line type fitting. Ok, so when I
try an pull it apart to separate it from the motor, I can only go
about 2/3s the way as I've run out room to pull it any further but
what comes out from inside the pivot shaft of the motor mount is a
large tube with a smaller diameter rod inside it. This smaller rod
slides in and out of the larger as the wheel is turned. Anyone whose
worked on this knows what I am talking about. Both shafts looked shiny
but had only a thick film of old grease on them , requiring a rag and
several passes to remove, and not an even coat either. There was no
evidence of fresh grease. Even when I cleaned the shafts off and
reinserted them and pulled back out, they looked the same. I did this
several times. I then manually greased each rod. Surprisingly, once
reassembled, it seemed slightly stiffer at the wheel. So whats my next
step? And where is all the grease I am pumping through the nipples
going aside from through the cracks. Anyone know where I can find a
schematic of the motor mount?
Thanks a HEAP in advance. |
MajBach
May 13
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| If you are saying the steering wheel turns easily with the collar nut
loose but the shaft isn't moving in the tube, you just need to drive
the shaft out of the tube, clean the tube and put it back. Use a wood
dowel to knock the shaft out but don't hit it too hard. You can crush
the hole where the link goes. If you can get it moving you can use a
penetrating oil to loosen things up. Run it out the far end, oil it up
and pull it back
I use a round wire prush like you clean copper pipe fittings chucked
up in a drill extension and spun with a drill motor to clean the tube.
WD40 or JB blaster will speed up the process. Get it all wiped clean
before you go back together. These solvents kill grease. Be sure to
replace the O ring on the far end of the tube when you put it back
together and use a good marine grease. Don't pack too much in the
cable itself. That will just gum it up. If you figured out the cable itself is bad (turns hard even with the
collar nut loose and away from the motor) a new cable is in your
future. If this is the round box Teleflex type I found out you can
sleeve this in 3/4" blue "Smurf" tube (electrical stuff from Home
Depot type places) It really makes the cables last longer since the
jacket is protected and it won't get spider cracks in it that let
water get in. That is real important on "wet" boats like my pontoon
where the cable is virtually in the salt water. I just used "GI" grade
duct tape to seal it up at the collar nut. |
gfretwell
May 14
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| The grease fittings are to grease the tilt pivit, not the steering
cabl;e. Dies the shaft that you cionnect the steering link to move in
and out of the tube easily? You should be able to pull it out with the
collar nut off. It soulds like you are just moving the cable, not the
shaft. With the collar nut loose does the wheel move OK? just the
whole cable sheath moving back and forth from where the collar nut
threads to the motor?
If so that is good news. It means the cable is OK. The shaft is just
stuck in the tube. |
gfretwell
May 13
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| After playing around with it some more, I fear you are correct. I
didn't explore this possibility but it would appear the shaft inside
the cable is what is causing the resistance. Is there any way of
servicing or lubricating it? |
MajBach
May 14
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| This may help:
http://www.davisnet.com/Marine/products/list_marine.asp?grp=m18-1 and is probably available locally..... |
gene.boating
May 14
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