Fix stiff frozen seized outboard steering swivel bracket housing

Before you take apart your outboard to repair a frozen steering housing, try this simple trick I used to free up a 1994 Yamaha 250, and I saved me a whopper repair bill, too.
My steering works better than ever, and I did not have to take anything apart! If you have determined your steering "connection" (cable or hydraulic from the steering wheel) is not to blame, then the swivel bracket is the likely culprit. To replace or perform major service you will have to remove the entire powerhead, which is a big job. Watch the video and try this simple trick first, and you may avoid downtime and a costly repair.
Before getting started buy a few cans of cleaner and spray lube. I used carb cleaner, Liquid Wrench, and Penetrating Blaster.
OBJECTVE: Get penetrating lube onto the internal corroded surfaces of the upper and lower bushing of the steering housing, using a grease gun as a high pressure pump.
**Basics Steps**
1. Remove grease cartridge from grease gun and fill with a few ounces of penetrating lube. Keep the pump end down and always have enough fluid in the chamber so no air is sucked into the inlet orifice of the pump head. I just left the cap off and sprayed in more penetrating lube when needed.
2. Remove a zerk fitting from one side of the motor, then fill with fluid from the other side, so that old crusty grease purges out. Larger motors have multiple zerks on each side.
3. Methodically change the fitting that you fill from and purge out of in order to best flush out the old crud.
4. Once you have most of the crud and caked grease out, then replace all zerk fittings.
5. Add fluid to the lower fittings and release air pressure from the fittings above. The objective is to fill the steering cavity with fluid and purge out as much of the air as possible. You want fluid to be forced to the bushings at the lower and upper end of the housing.
6. If your steering does not move, keep adding pressure with the grease gun to drive the penetrating lube to the frozen areas. This may take hours, and likely days. The more you can keep pressure on it, the better chance of your success.
7. If your steering does move and is just very stiff, then turn the motor back and forth all the while adding pressure with the grease gun, forcing fluid into the corroded areas while the motor moves.
8. BE PATIENT. I worked on my motor for a few minutes a day, pumping fluid over the course of a week to gradually free up the steering.
(NOTE: Due to corrosion some of my zerk fittings had already broken out of the housing. At first I inserted a screw to plug the hole. Ultimately, I removed all the old zerks, drilled and tapped new threads, then installed new stainless steel zerks that I purchased at Fastenal)
Good Luck!

[@alg335]

i followed this with my 60 HP Mariner and it worked! Bought 2 cans of PB Blaster and really only used 1 can. Put some grease in swivel bracket and I;m back in business!

[@lawrenceciantar660]

How you put the dp blaster in the grease gun ?

[@artlife6210]

Everyone says to heat the tube with a torch...and I tell them, nooo, that will melt the nylon bushings in the top and bottom of the pivot tube.I use brake kleen in a syringe and do something similar to you, but the grease gun (pressure)sure seems like an even smarter way to go, thanks for the video Mark, great idea sir!

[@lefin1027]

I was thinking on doing this very same thing only with 50/50 AFT & Acetone to act as penetrating oil. This mix is used on offshore oil Riggs. Watching your video proves its the bomb. thx .

[@HVASEA]

EXCELLENT IDEA!! Why Yamaha didn't put a zerk fitting on the top and bottom of my F225 is ridiculous.

[@jeffreypinder9398]

Great concept and technique. Will be helping an Uncle tomorrow with the same issue.

[@luisroebuck4354]

I got the same problem, I am going to try your method. I hope it works for me. will keep you post

[@djfunkycraig]

All I could hear was how to drive a forklift, thank you non the less for your time

[@bena2293]

Nicely done Markman 5 I never thought that a grease gun could hold thin DP blaster but it looks like it worked. I have the same problem with a 1990 200Hp Yamaha with only one thousand hours. What a great outboard Hack and if that doesn't work then I have to pull the power head and do the major. Aloha Capt Ben

[@markman5]

Nice!

[@zash008]

great idea. My old bass boat steering locked up while it sit 2 years waiting for me to get engine running again. I fixed the engine and sold it with the locked up steering. Went and bought a brand new offshore boat with hydraullic steering. HUGE difference in steering between cables and hydraullic in my experience.

[@markman5]

I agree, hydraulic is the system on my boat and it is much more refined system. Even with the mechanical advantage of the hydraulic, I was not able to turn the motor once the steering locked up.

[@altezzas14]

Thank you so much for the video. Now I can steer with one hand. There's still hard spots here and there but much better than before. I will probably try putting some heat on it to see if it helps

[@markman5]

Good point!

[@artlife6210]

Marks idea work great, but dont heat the tube, the bushings are nylon and theyll get misshapen, this is why so many who try a torch see the tube get stiff again within a month, the bushings distort and grease leaks out and saltwater leaks in, good luck!

[@roninviking]

yeahmate, so helpfull... got my motor turning.. so excited now

[@The_Sword3]

For people who don't want to deal with leaky grease guns all you have to do is take the grease fittings out. Then you can spray to your hearts content. I also purchased a length of 3/16ths clear plastic hose and shoved it in the grease holes where the fittings were and gave it a really good cleaning. no need to fumble with a grease gun

[@markman5]

Good point, I can see how this could work if you did not have grease caked up Inside steering column. Just getting penetrating fluid in the cavity is the key and will start the process.

[@davidwhan6815]

I am doing this,got 04 yamaha 90hp,tknx for good advice

[@wavehaven1]

Cool idea !! Thanks. One thing that cuts old grease faster than anything is about $3.50 a gallon from the gas station. Use a something like an oil squirt can and Keep squirting on top to clear old cud out and it will seep in....keep a pan under the engine. If you can get that gas through that zirk....much better it will cut that old stuff up real easy. I used small rope wrapped around the bottom and kept it under strain while pumping new grease in, that helps to keep the grease from squirting out the bottom and goes up the shaft, cuz no one thought of putting a $.50 zirk fitting on top so this dont keep happening ??? Just Blame the owner.....**** !!!

[@RobCGilliam]

We are on the same wavelength buddy. Thanks for the gas suggestion and that someone else thought about sealing the bottom. Just bought a 2004 Carolina Skiff with a 90 Suzuki for dirt cheap. Motor runs like brand new, but steering has resistance because of the kingpin issue. I had the same issue with an old Yamaha, so took the risk because of the price. First attempt was seafoam because that's all I had and it all came out the bottom. When I get back down to the coast next weekend I thought a pipe clamp to hold rubber tape or something like that to force everything out the top, which is more "sticky" with muck. Your gas idea is good.

[@dcrican762]

Great Video. How in the world do you pressurize the penetrating oil from a spray can into a pressurized grease gun without a canister, or cylinder? Thank You

[@azoresterceiraspearfishing7336]

Great video.What grease gun is that? Will any grease gun work?

[@creativewoodworker4300]

Thank you! And God Bless you for sharing this info.

[@sherbitdab4767]

Be nice to know how you get the penetrator fluids in to The grease gun no explanation on how to do this please explain thanks

[@roncaptain9527]

Thanks for your video... My 30 year old Yamaha is frozen... Going to get my grease gun out ...

[@jackdavisiii7857]

I've got a 48hp Johnson tiller steer that is real tough to turn. I think you just gave me something to try this weekend - great idea thanks!

[@dwaynesmith3842]

How did it work for you

[@watercool5]

Did it work?

[@lawrenceciantar660]

Does it work please ?😊

[@christopherhawthorne5395]

Man I cannot get the liquid wrench to stay in the gun. It slips passed the plunger and come out the back of the gun . Any sugguestion?

[@joshsls3797]

What is the brand grease gun you’re using?

[@martinello8825]

How does your motor have 3 zerk fittings on each side of the pivot tube. I have a 96 VX 250 and I only have 1 zerk fitting close to the bottom. Did you drill holes and add these?

[@markman5]

The motor came with at least three zerks on each side of the steering column. A couple of them were blowing out where they were threaded into the aluminum housing, so I drilled, re tapped, and screwed in new zerks to fit the new threads.

[@connorjarmie8542]

I tried everything in the book to try and free my seized up turning collum, after putting two cans of pb blaster tru it, and nothing happened I used a 50 50 mix of atf and acetone, within 10 minutes I had the steering able to move with one hand worth of pressure, I then put about two grease guns of 10-40 motor oil tru the grease fitting (was afraid grease would be to thick) as it flushed all the old grease out, continue the process until all the old junk is outta there, I spent two days screwing with pb blaster and every other lubricant from auto zone

[@yayita2024-n5c]

Thanks! Great idea 💡

[@ozziecalienes116]

How did you get the grease gun to hold the fluid my leaks

[@westonchandler7879]

So (in order), you: 1. remove zerk fittings from one side, pump PB blaster in until it flows back out 2. put zerk fittings back on, pump more PB blaster in (which will now build up pressure) 3. "pop" zerk fittings? how do you pop a zerk fitting to remove pressure?

[@jeffdafoe]

He showed it in the video, you push the tip of the zerk in with a screwdriver.

[@nja1758]

Was anyone able to determine how zerks were on both sides of the motor? Were additional zerks added in this process?

[@acheybreakey7385]

This video has promise, but background noise is terrible. Re-do the video or dub it. Secondly, what cap did you use at the end of your grease gun to make it a seal ?

[@sublimefishingcharters7917]

Smart man !

I am from Vietnam, I want to buy full system steering boat

[@Mitchellfamily7814]

Great idea thank you very much saved me a bunch

[@ronaldrollins5014]

I cant get my grease gun to pump the pb blaster - I even bought a new gun - still no luck

[@48dupont]

This just happened to me going to try this this weekend

[@billylawrence3057]

I used a hammer drill to loosen mind it worked well took a while but it loosened it, hope this may help some of you.

[@linette5753]

hammer drill how you did it?

[@kha630]

Mark, after you felt the engine was moving back and forth sufficiently, what did you lubricate this area with, marine grease or the liquid silicon spray?

[@markman5]

I keep adding Penetrating Blaster with a grease gun on a very regular basis.

[@CranialNerd]

Tried a grease gun but it is leaking. Which one did you use Mark?

[@MrBobchiz1]

How much heat can you put on the area

[@chipsammich2078]

Genius.. I'm doing this tomorrow

[@ifixboats5066]

I've been there. In st Pete

[@joelcr250]

Ive learned that penetrating is always the solution

[@mattoutland5290]

About how many cans of PB blaster did this take? I'm going to attempt this this weekend on my '89 yamaha. Its not completely frozen, just stiff, but I can see a lot of old dried up grease.

[@BrokenRRT]

3000 dollars? I would punch him in the throat!

[@markman5]

I would get 2 cans of PB blaster. The salt takes its effect over time and makes the grease cake up and get real crusty. PB blaster will work great to clean that out so you can get fresh grease inside on the bearing surfaces.

[@neslihanatar4762]

Good advice thanks.

[@markcarpenter7682]

Did this actually work for anyone else??

[@diastoleny]

Leaked out the back of my grease gun. I have to keep bottom up and try again.

[@AmericanConstellation]

Dude....this was nice but you never answered anyone's questions. My question is.....What did you put on the back of your grease gun after you took the plunger out?

[@BroadBillHunter]

pb blaster

[@AmericanConstellation]

Thanks! I'll give it a try. Did you have to seal up the lower part to get fluid to come to the top?

[@BroadBillHunter]

@@AmericanConstellation i drilled a zirk fitting into the top of the steering column and worked pb blaster from the top and the bottom

[@AmericanConstellation]

@@BroadBillHunter Do you remember the Zerk size? Did you use a self tapping or did you tap it? I have the same year motor you have....It's a 200 Yamaha...I want to try this on Saturday..

[@BroadBillHunter]

@@AmericanConstellation maybe a 9mm zirk i dont remeber same size as other one on the motor. tapped it with a drill

[@moimeme3468]

Hi, mine is a suzuki DF 140. steering is almost blocked. a guy told me a trick would be too heat the sterring tube with a blow pipe...so the grease would be fluid enough to be pushed with new grease...ever tried that ? what do you think ? thx

[@truwaterfilters]

I have a mercury 150 thats very stiff im currently in the process of trying the exact steps in the video and if that fails im going to heat the tube will let you know how you go.

[@ayhamalhindi5172]

Tru Water (Aust) did it work??

[@bayouboy6615]

im gone try this

[@edthacker580]

I have a 2006 mercury optimax 150 and only has one fitting. Now what?

[@ayhamalhindi5172]

ed thacker lol it’s normal my Suzuki DF140 have only one grease fitting two .

[@rockymoldenhauer6501]

Seems like mechanics would know this too. And flush it out...rather than take it apart.

[@99neworleans]

just wanted to help, check out my video on how to unfreeze a teleflex cable

[@mikewalters4994]

Be nice if you could hear what you're saying.

[@keithlohr126]

help, what kind of grease gun? mine does not hold fluid

[@altezzas14]

Keith Lohr, just worked on my boat recently and I used a Lucas grease gun from Home Depot. I had about half tube of unused grease and filled the other half with pb blaster

[@keithlohr126]

grease gun did not work, we had an adapter we made to allow liquid to be introduced thru the gun with air, it did not work, corrosion and dirt built up in top 2 inches of shaft at top, had to taken apart cheap to fix parts wise just time consuming , but we know now

[@wg8847]

Cant hear brother.

[@ronsteskool]

If wd40 or penetrating oil isn't working use coca cola . not pepsi :) it works fill let set 24 hours .

[@AmericanConstellation]

He never told anyone what he put on the back of that grease gun.

[@markman5]

I left the back end of the grease gun open and held it up right so it was easy to keep the fluid in the chamber.

[@williamprice3929]

Use a hand pump grease gun? Right. Any decent engine repair would have used a propane torch to heat up the old grease that in the steering shaft and then pumped in new grease. Three thousand dollars to fix it? Horse shit, you can buy a new engine for that.

[@inthadawghouse]

you can buy a new Yamaha 250 outboard for three thousand dollars? ill take 6

[@screwascreenname2662]

🤣 yeah ok 3k for a new 250. Get off the crack man

[@sdvp99]

Too much background noise

[@nicstr28]

Take all that cable crap off your boats and install hydraulic steering. The end. You're welcome.

[@absolute.explore]

bad sound, disturbing, poor details