Bent tilt tube

[n428]

Steering cable snapped- so replaced the Teflex cable. Reassembling it all the rod was very tight going into the tilt tube..

Cleaned out all grease etc from tilt tube but it was still catching in the same place. Tried with another straight rod and the tilt tube definately appears to be bent. Replacing it isnt a problem but I'm very puzzled as to how this could have happened. No-one I have spoken to has ever heard of a tilt tube bending, and to make things more interesting I wasn't using the boat when this happened..

Any guesses?

Cheers

[Mercury]

Originally Posted by n428

Steering cable snapped- so replaced the Teflex cable. Reassembling it all the rod was very tight going into the tilt tube..

Cleaned out all grease etc from tilt tube but it was still catching in the same place. Tried with another straight rod and the tilt tube definately appears to be bent. Replacing it isnt a problem but I'm very puzzled as to how this could have happened. No-one I have spoken to has ever heard of a tilt tube bending, and to make things more interesting I wasn't using the boat when this happened..

Any guesses?

Cheers

Corrosion in One spot inside the tilt tube, making the steering cable bind, could be making it appear as though it is bent.

[nan-ber]

n428. what engine have you got. i know t newer yam 50 s were bending t stern tube regular and yam uk were looking after it, how ever yam in ireland had no such faults, or so they told t joe public.

[TUFTY]

Had a similar problem with a Mariner 40.

I put a rotary wire brush on a flexi shaft attached to a drill.

Plenty of wd 40 or similar and spent about 10 mins
pushing the rotating wire brush up and down the tube!!!!

This did the trick. There must have been a spot of corrosion, old grease
or something that the wire brush eventually removed.


Good Luck


Tufty