Johnson 110 VRO steering jammed

[Abelseaman]

Hi there!

I am trying to get my 17ft OMC Sunbird Capri SS with a Johnson 110VRO running again after having it standing for about 6 years. I have managed to get the engine going again..and just need to clean up the carburator so that it will idle as it seems to be getting caught some where in mid throttle.

The next problem i have ecountered is that the steering has siezed. I believe the problem lies in the pushrod at the engine end as that was exposed to the elements for some time when the boat cover got ripped.

Any suggestions as to how i can free it without having to demount the engine from the boat? I have tried WD40 on the end, and prying against it with a piece of timber but it wont budge. And there is no sign of rust on the rod as it has seized fully extended, so i imagine that it may be just seized up grease in the barrel perhaps? :facepalm:

 

[boobie]

Re: Johnson 110 VRO steering jammed

Throw the WD-40 away and get some PB Blaster or mix up some ATF and acetone 50-50 and squirt that on it. Then disconnect the steering link from the mtr, put a block of wood on the end of the cable and give it a good wack with a big hammer. Also take a visegrip pliers clamped on the cable and move it side to side if you can, but don't go ape with the movement. Also have somebody in the boat putting some pressure on the steering wheel (in the right direction) at the same time.

 

[Abelseaman]

Re: Johnson 110 VRO steering jammed

Ha Ha..got it loose yesterday evening. Used up half a can of WD40 and another half can of STP carburetor cleaner. I replaced the transom mounting bolts one at a time with long lugs, so that allowed me to ease the engine away from the transom by about 4 inches without having to use a hoist (which I don't have), enough for the end of the slide rod to be out of the engine well, allowing me space to hit it with a hammer. after about 10 goes tapping in and tapping out, each time squirting copious amounts of WD into the trim tilt barrel from the cable end and then flushing it out with the carb cleaner and using all the tips above, it got loser with each go...and the amount of hard gunk which came out from the tube was amazing. I am guessing a combination of dried grease, dirt and rust. Thanks for the tips works like a charm now.

Moral of the day....its worth turning the wheel every few months even if u don't use the boat.

 

[levi_tsk]

Re: Johnson 110 VRO steering jammed

the way i did it on my mako was to hose it down with blaster and then put in new grease and trim the motor up and down until its freed up works every time