So, my 2022 FSH 252 lives south of the border in Baja on the Sea of Cortez. I really rely on the input and insights that I find on this site. Very valuable! There are no dealers that I will be taking this boat to when there is a problem.
That said, when we got back down here the steering was very stiff.
Given the various threads on the subject I started gathering the materials to get some lube in the cable. Also doing the intermediate bearing while i was at it. Not an easy task down here to get the right size hose.
First thing I noticed was the rubber boot on the starboard side, closest to the transom looked all gouged up. Pulled the boots from bothe cables and sure as heck the boot was torn. It really looks to me like it was torn when it was originally pushed on. The port side looked in bad shape as well, but on the I.D. of the boot. Picture attached.
View attachment 215960
Well the hose I found was 1/2" I.D. so it pushed on in place of the torn up boot. I had about six feet of hose so I cut it in half and hose clamped it in place of the bad boot and filled the 3 foot section of tube with light gear lube. Put an air fitting on and started ramping up the pressure. Started moving oil at 80 psi. Cheap clear poly tubing was getting a big aneurysm it at that pressure! Thought she would pop at any minute, lol.
It pushed quite a bit of oil up in the cable and didn't blow up.
With the hose clamp still attached up by the transom I cut the hose off to the length of where the second boot for the shaft goes.
I was able to install the second boot and then hose clamp the hose to that boot. Effectively making a clear reservoir for the gear oil and seal out water.....so far so good. Steering turns better than ever and no sign of water in the oil.
View attachment 215961