Thread: Boat maintenance

BRM, what about maintenance to the steering sections? How much grease? How often to grease them? How much slack is allowed? Give us your thoughts on that and problems to look for etc. I think the steering on a lot of boats gets neglected.

Good point Kent. I know there are other things that I missed and hope folks will chime in and help remind us of what we should be doing.

Originally Posted by arkcrappie

BRM, what about maintenance to the steering sections? How much grease? How often to grease them? How much slack is allowed? Give us your thoughts on that and problems to look for etc. I think the steering on a lot of boats gets neglected.

Like I said Kent, I could write a book on boat maintenance. Lots of subjects need annual attention.

Originally Posted by arkansasbowhunter

This was a good topic for everyone to benefit from BRM so moved it to separate thread
for you.

Check your battery water levels often as the charging and draining of the batteries can cause water levels to fluctuate. If they need refilled use distillers water.

Another tip on maintenance would be seek a dealer that has mechanics that have been with the company for a while and properly trained to work on your outboards. Some repair centers have mechanics come and go frequently and they may not be the ones to deal with. There are also some dealers that mainly focus on selling boats instead of servicing them. Remember saving a few dollars traveling to buy a boat does not help keep the doors open on the dealer that is near you and will be the one you turn to when something goes awry with your boat or motor. These newer 4 stroke motors require more equipment to properly check them than the older 2 strokers which your back yard mechanics could work on and were good at it.

Put it back where it was. No need for a separate thread or I would have stated one.

Who authorized this move?

Check your safety chains is something good to do. Make sure the bolts holding them on or welds are still intact. A light coat of grease on the ball will help also. If you tow something long enough you will find the safety chains prove there worth lol. Had a boat jump off my ball once and the chains held it to my truck without causing an accident.

Originally Posted by arkcrappie

BRM, what about maintenance to the steering sections? How much grease? How often to grease them? How much slack is allowed? Give us your thoughts on that and problems to look for etc. I think the steering on a lot of boats gets neglected.

Manual steering usually only takes a few pumps from a grease gun if it feels tight. The steering rod should lube itself while you turn the wheel. You really can't over grease a manual system because the end with the drag link is open except for the rubber cap that screws over the rod sheath on the port side. If you do have too much grease in the tube, it will be taken off the steering rod by that cap. Don't have a specific amount of grease to use, but it only takes a little as the steering rod is high grade stainless steel. The cable itself is a low grade stainless and WILL rust after awhile.

The largest problem with cable steering systems is the cable itself because of the above statement. Most of the ones I see have had the plastic sheath over the cable crack and allows water to enter the cable. The outer wraps of the cable rust and break over time, and the boat is hard to turn, or in some extreme cases the inner cable breaks in two and you completely loose steering. A replacement is necessary in both situations. Always check the main steering cable sheath for cracks and water infiltration. Replace if necessary. Hard steering is an early sign you need to check it. This problem is why a larger engine say 150's and up use a dual steering cable system. If one cable breaks over time, you can still drive the boat without losing control at 50+ mph. When one cable breaks, the boat usually will turn easy one way, but the broken cable won't allow you to turn it as easily the other way as the broken cable catches the sheath linings. ALWAYS replace Both cables in this situation.

Hydraulic steering usually needs repairing if you fail to get a response in your motor turning, or having to over steer the wheel to get the engine to turn. Seals leaking are the number one reason for this as the leaking seal causes the system to lose hydraulic fluid and take in air. You need to check for chaffing of the steering lines if you can't see the seals leaking. Hydraulic systems are closed systems, and a leak either at the helm, the seals, or the lines is usually the cause for the system to become open, and fail. After repairing the cause of the leak, you must then refill the helm with the proper fluid, and you MUST bleed the air from the system. I have a purge machine from SeaStar that does the bleeding easily and quickly. Another way to check your hydraulic system is to try and push the engine to see if it has excessive movement. Hydraulic systems are all No Feed Back systems, which simply means that the wheel turns the engine, but you can't push the engine and turn the wheel like you can on a standard cable system.

Most hydraulic systems have some left and right play at lower speeds, but stiffen up at higher speeds. This keeps you from over steering the boat at the higher speeds. Two or three inches of play should be The Most you'll ever have.

Thanks for the detailed response Brm.

good discussion.....