Re: Replace steering on '89 Sunbird
Kese, Try sliding the engine all the way left to give as much room as possible to pull out the steering rod. If this is not enough clearance, you will have to remove the motor from the transom. Here is an easy way to do it with a small boat like you have.<br /><br />Install a 1/2" lag bolt and washer into the center of the garage door header, but allow 1" of the bolt to stick out. Pull the cowling off the motor. Back the boat up until the motor is directly under the lag bolt. Motor needs to be vertical. Drop the trailer tongue onto the ground, so the motor is as close to the lag bolt as you can make it. Now you need to attach the motor to the lag bolt. I use a crummy block and tackle which I attach to steel plumbers strapping that I bolt onto the flywheel using the existing flywheel bolts. You could use a rope or chain and the strapping. Then put a hydraulic jack under the trailer's tongue and take out the slack in the rope or chain. Now loosen the motor mounting bolts and jack up the trailer tongue until the motor is off the transom. Now you can pull the boat forward enough to remove and replace the steering rod. The motor can just hang there until you are ready to reinstall it. I recommend you disconnnect the electrical and fuel lines. If you plan to move the boat more than 2 foot away, best to remove the control cables. Also the steering cables usually do not have too much slack in them.
