hydraulic steering issues

[wetwhopper]

Got the boat all geared up last night to start off the new fishing season. Everything checked out and motor purred like a kitten. Woke up @0500 today. Loaded the boat, packed the kids, got to the docks, put the boat in the water, went to bacck out and NO FREAK'N STEERING! Lol. The day was not all lost... hitched a ride on another boat and the boys got to fish.

I'm sure this has to be someting pretty basic... right? There's nothing out of order that I can tell. Nothing is bent.

Has anyone ever had this happen to them before?

Thanks.

[goatram]

I would bleed the steering if I was you. Pop the top and check for fluid in the helm. is any there? even is some there I would still add the hose and up end the new bottle and start to turn the wheel when you have some resistance loosen the valves at the engine and turn it some more. get your brother to help and look up the procedures from the Manufacture's Web Site
Have fun Rich You can do it Man!

[Chaps]

I say "no fair" putting those cute kids out there in order to gin up sympathetic repair help

Well, you didn't say exactly what your steering was or wasn't doing and whether or not you could see any oil leakage at the helm pump or the motor cylinder or if the motor was bound up and froze in position, etc . . . John's probably on the right track but more info would help

[goatram]

The issue might be a sticky valve working it back and forth might free it up. Bleeding it will get rid of any contaminated fluid. Jetty has had his issues with his before many times. I know I flushed mine last year when I installed my AP. I also just helped a friend do his a week or so ago. Looked like Coffee Milk instead of of the clear amber fluid.

My two cents extra

[wetwhopper]

Thanks for the info guys. I will check things out first thing tomorrow morning and get back to you.

[JETTYWOLF]

No steering sure doesn't tell us much....."the facts are always hidden in the details"
So you didn't make the decision to get rid of the boat and be upside down and fish under water?
I always hate to see a brand new boat go away so soon.

C'mon

I had serious helm pump valve problems from an obvious cheapo steering system. It couldn't handle the abuse of being a daily driver.

I'm sure that's not your case.

No steering means the engine moves NOT at all, I'll assume.

BTW, Kevin our resident "welding exput" from the great white northland gave me the best tip ever.....just you some Marvels Mystery oil when needing to flush/re-fill.

It's a 1/4 the price of that so called hydraulic oil from teleflex $20 a Qt. and is availible about anywhere..."even in the north country obviously".

And if ya have a leak. Oh you'll see that RED goop coming out, no doubt.

[falmouthmetal]

I had the same thing happen with my Pacific, due to low hydraulic fluid. I had not checked the level for months and had no problems. Then, one day no steering. Check the level at the steering column, and top it off if needed. You should see the fluid level right at the top.

You need a bottle of the fluid and a hose which screws into the steering column. It may only take a very small amount of the hydraulic fluid to correct the problem, but you may need to repeat the process a few times before it goes back to completely normal. One bottle of fluid will probably last a very long time. In my case a small amount of fluid corrected the problem immediately. I looked over the system carefully and never found a leak, so far so good.

[goatram]

Welcome fulmouthmetal. Glad to have you aboard

Just what we needed another Pacific Owner. Made near me in Marysville Wa. Ya need to build a fort on it to stay out of those NE winters. and to dig on Dave the resident Paid Fisherman who has a nice Pacific in Jacksonville Fla that hates Boats with Forts.

Rich Today was a beautiful WA Spring Day Did you fix it? or spend the Day with Mom and the Kids Shopping?

[wetwhopper]

Wow! Thanks for all the input guys. So I went outside and had my wife turn the wheel right while I tried to turn the actual outboard... no luck, tried left... no luck. Went to find my hydraulic fluid fill and low and behold I dont see a hydraulic fluid resivore anywhere. Took some pics and thinking I have mechanical steering Here are some pics...

[Chaps]

yup, you've got cable steering. Undo that link at the motor. If the wheel won't turn then jerk the cable out and replace it, that cable can't be lubed. Its common for them to seize up.

[wetwhopper]

Right. O.k. thanks Chaps. Should I be looking to go hydraulic or should I stick with mechanical for the long haul? This would of really sucked had it happened out in the salt

[Chaps]

stay with what you have, hydraulics on a small boat is expensive overkill and no guarantee of zero problems. the cable steering will not fail all at once, it must have been getting tighter over time, thats your clue that a replacement is going to be needed in the near future.

[welder]

Typically the grease SETS UP over winter or not used for a while . I have not seen it lock up while in use.
When mine would lock up, I would pull the cap off of the steering arm [on the motor] and soak her with WD40 and calmly work the wheel back and forth until it let go .
If you force it , you will spit the cable out of the housing at the wheel , then it's junk.

My problem was using the Mercury Grease back in 1986-90 , Like I said before...Went to blue wheel bearing grease and never had another problem.

[wetwhopper]

Welder, Before I had a chance to read your post (thanks by the way) on the way home from work today I stopped by the local boat mechanic and told him my scenario. He suggested I take a rubber mallet and lightly tap the end of the steering column while turning the steering wheel gingerly... The end of the steering column started going back in the cuppler (ever so slightly). I think i have made things worse because now when I look at the outboard it is slightly off center or turned, but I still have zero steerage at the wheel or the motor and cant center the motor???? He suggested it might get the steering loose. Then all Id need to do is regrease regularly. Do you think I should keep tapping on it or leave it be? Thanks... yes, I'm clueless but I want to learn how to work on my boat. By the way Goatram, I now change my own oil, filter and lower unit lube

[goatram]

I would pull the cable and then cut the corner off of a quart ziplock bag and then insert either end of the cable that is open the most. Use a rubber band to seal the plastic bag by rapping it around tightly. Use WD 40 Or PB blaster or tranny fluid fill the bag up and then make sure the bag and cable are supported and let it sit for a day or two if the fluid drains out fill it some more. It will take some time but it was new last year. after it is free use the blue grease as welder suggested to keep it lupped in the future.

[wetwhopper]

O.k. John... thanks for the "heads up". My brother is gonna come over Sunday and we are gonna give it a go

It would sure be nice not to have to pay the gas to drive the boat all the way to Olympia (Tom's Outboards) or the Shelton (Verles) and pay a mechanic. O U C H !!!

[21ftcc]

I have cable steering in my boat and lost steering the first year I owned it. I now remove the cable out of the tilt tube and clean and re-lube (not grease). First your will need to remove the nut on the tilt tube on the side of the outboard that the cable (tube) come out and in on. Then undue the nut on the (true) cable end and remove the cable. Remember you might have to push it into a compartment if it goes into one to get it out of the tilt tube. Now check the outboard, it should turn with ease, two fingers should turn in back and forth. If it doesn't you have bigger issues. Grease the outboard fittings that go to the pivot tube. Now clean the cable, the part that goes out and in when you turn the wheel. If it doesn't turn or is hard to turn, time to replace it. Once you install the new cable, install back into the tilt tube as you removed it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IucARiVT ... re=related

[JETTYWOLF]

Wow! Thanks for all the input guys. So I went outside and had my wife turn the wheel right while I tried to turn the actual outboard... no luck, tried left... no luck. Went to find my hydraulic fluid fill and low and behold I dont see a hydraulic fluid resivore anywhere. Took some pics and thinking I have mechanical steering Here are some pics...

HOLY "________" Batman, ya didn't even know if ya had cable or Hydraulic steering Or Not.

Cable steering is EZ. Keep it greezy and always store your boat with the shaft turned to the inside. And DO NOT store the boat all winter with out pumping the dang steering back and forth every once in awhile. CONTRACTION-EXPANSION, dude

I could fix it for ya. But I'm in sunny Florida.

[wetwhopper]

21 ft. cc, THANKS for the vid. HUGE HELP!


Jettywolf, thanks (I think?).

[wetwhopper]

Am I right in assuming when I replace the old nylon threaded marine grade locknutt with a new one (off my mechanical steering) that I can use a Home Depot stainless nylon locknutt? Thanks!

[Sabs28]

Sure, Why not. Lube the threads a little bit, even if the part you are threading the nut onto is not stainless, the grease/ anti-seize will keep the moisture from sticking to the non-stainless component & causing it to rust on.

[wetwhopper]

I have steering!

Followed everyone's advice. It was pretty easy... saved a ton of $ and have the satisfaction of knowing how to maintain my steering now. Thanks everyone for the help... John your awesome!

I'm fishing!!!

[Sabs28]

I have steering!

Steering helps, Doesn't it????

Now lets see some pictures of the boat in action.....

[goatram]

Glad to have provided some assistance Rich. If you have your degree you have the means to fix anything Because you can read and Comprehend what is written here and in the manual.

Your a step closer to your Capt's License

[21ftcc]

wet,

The stainless-nylon nut can be stainless, BUT because the tilt tube is carbon steel you have dissimilar metals which is a no no.