locked steering johnson 70 won't budge@all

[andyhou]

I just got this boat last weekend and the previous owner told me it has not been touched in over 4 years. The steering is completely frozen and cables are all cracked out. I know i need to replace it, however it's so frozen i tried to hammer it through. It started to go through and i thought i was home free but once down to flush with the big nut i couldn't get it to move anymore. My question is should i hack saw off the oppisite end where the cable cover and hammer back the other way? I've never seen one this stuck before but I would assume 4 years+might do this.
Thank you
Andy

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: locked steering johnson 70 won't budge@all

oh, i have. i cut the cable off with a metal blade and a sawzall, that way it stop any binding. then i take a 3/4 " drift pin and drive it on out the way it was going. helps to have several lengths of drift pins. then seriously clean the tilt tube. and installing the new one grease it, and use a sealing nut for the outer end of the tilt tube.

 

[F_R]

Re: locked steering johnson 70 won't budge@all

andyhou, I've seen way too many of those. They are one of my least favorite jobs. As said, get it out any way you can. cut it off, beat it out, or whatever. I have seen them so bad that I've had to replace the whole tilt tube because I couldn't get the cable out. The tube will be full of rust which needs to be gotten out of there.

Thereafter, let it be a learning experience for anybody reading this. That tilt tube bore must be lubricated as a preventative maintenance item. Ignore it and this is the result. Note that greasing the zerks on the tilt does not grease the cable in the tube!! The sealing nut that goes on the output end of the tube is a big help to keep water out. Seems like that should be standard equipment doesn't it? But it isn't.

 

[cougar1985]

Re: locked steering johnson 70 won't budge@all

i put never seize on the steering linkage and have never had a problem in 30 odd years of boating.