Steering help needed

[Chuck Healey]

Was on the lake today when I noticed I could only steer to port. It seems as though my steering cable might be seized. I opened up the pedastal to take a look but didn't see anything wrong. Looks like a rack and pinon type device with the cable coming out of the bottom. I didn't see any grease fittings there or where the cable exits the transom. I disconected the linkage to see if the problem was in the outboard or rudder linkage but they work fine. The rod that exits the steering cable only extends about half way untill it stops. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I will going to a renzdevous tomorrow and would like to get it fixed tommorrow morning.
Thanks

[Chuck Healey]

After my last post I went through the previous posts on steering and it looks like my cable might of frozen up. Tomorrow I'll grease the rack and pinon mechinism and try to shoot some WD40 through the cable. Hopefully that will get me through the weekend. What would be the best place to order the Teleflex cable and what model would I need? I assume that the cable and rack and pinon comes as 1 unit? I will be hosting the NE-TS renzdezvous this weekend on lake Winnipesaukie if anyone wants to attend.

[Billy]

The damage is usually with the rod at the end, but to see the damage you will need to remove the guide tube. This is where mine failed. The corrosion was on the rod and prevented the rod from retracting into the sleeve. The guide tube seems to trap moisture and salt.
Good Luck.

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

I've added the steering tube to my yearly maintanence "lube" items, along with the prop shaft, and three motor grease fittings. Trailer wheels get greased a bit more often than that. With the rack and pinion being affected by gravity, its easier to steer one direction more than the other. Hopefully, it is your cable end and not a broken spline on the rack.

[Chuck in SD]

You might try contacting Uflex USA. They have replacement steering units and cables and if you give them the numbers off of your old cable they should be able to help you out. You might need to go through a retailer to purchase from them though.

[Jack O'Brien]

Sounds like you have a year 2000 or later X with the Detmar rack and pinion steering and the cable that freezes. Here is what I did:

http://www.surplusunlimited.com/steerin ... stems.html

Either the nine or ten foot will be fine. Your Detmar is 8-foot. This place has good prices. I have also seen some good postings about Uflex.

The Teleflex rack is slightly longer than the Detmar and needs a bigger hole in the pedestal for the helm shaft to stick through. THE HOLE NEEDS TO BE LOWER than the original hole or the rack can't fit. You can make the top of the new hole even with the top of the old hole - the bottom will be lower.

[Timm Miller]

SS141-10 is the one you need www.surplusunlimited.com

[Zoran]

I had steering problem because somebody (most likely me while working on the boat, and I am only heavy weight in the family) stepped on the rudder bracket. It bented down and worked without problems when motoring but when weight of the motor while sailing is added steering was realy sticky and it will stop and I could't turn to starboard. I detached the motor from the steering system and it worked for sailing. Next day I took off the rudder bracket and fixed it by bending it back.

Zoran

[Chuck Healey]

Thanks for the replies. I have a 99X, but I think is was manufactured later in the year. beacuse I have some of the later model upgrades. I assume that since it has a rack and pinon type steering system that my pedastal is a little longer to accomadate this. I was was able to get the steering working a little better by lubing the area I could get to, but it looks like I will be ordering a new cable. I'm not looking forward to enlarging the opening to make it fit however. Does the 10' cable take up much more space in the rear bearth as opposed to the 8'?
Thanks again.

[Timm Miller]

Well the math is there but yes it does take up a bit more room but it is to the far starbaord side. The hole gets enlarged by about 1/4" and slightly lower than present one......don't sweat it.....easy mod.

[Chip Hindes]

Trying....to....resist....

Nope, can't do it. Entering the fourth full season; original Detmar still working fine, one finger operation; it's still so loose I can't tighten the motor pivot enough to keep it from flopping to leeward when the boat heels.

I know, I'm doomed.