2020 AR210 Stiff Steering

[HangOutdoors]

Yes the cables will bind up and need replacing from sitting, I have read posts about using a grease gun and a hose with a fitting to lube them do a search because it will usually help until you can get them replaced years ago I would do the other ends of the cables at the binnacle remove the cable and hook up a hose with a funnel hanging above it and let penetratingly oil work down the cables via gravity That did work but just temporally. and it is some work to get to the cables maybe if you go from the nozzle end and have the funnel high enough it would do the same thing a lot easier. Also in the future get a base gasket for a toilet those are bees wax put that all over the steering cables where they exit the outer cable and work it up into the outer cables then also put it at all the pivot points for the reverse buckets and the nozzles that wax is great for lubing submerged things and not washing off.

Just bums me out I am 1 week short of a year and it is like this on a steering cable. I didn't know that this could happen, I missed it in the threads, otherwise I would of lubed it and and worked the steering wheel all winter, I get pretty OCD about the boat and its maintenance.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Well also crank the engine occasionally , just think of the many valve springs sitting compressed for all that time, and the rings sitting in the cylinder walls for all that time and the impeller sitting in the same spot in the pump liner for all that time. It is not a good thing.

 

[RobbieO]

Just bums me out I am 1 week short of a year and it is like this on a steering cable. I didn't know that this could happen, I missed it in the threads, otherwise I would of lubed it and and worked the steering wheel all winter, I get pretty OCD about the boat and its maintenance.

Disconnect each cable one at a time at the helm. Don't know if that's possible. Maybe it's just one cable.

 

[HangOutdoors]

You cant do that in the newer boats which have the sealed rack and pinion.

 

[HangOutdoors]

I am going to go find something like an NPT tank valve connector referred to in the thread above and try to lube it up with my compressor. Unfortunately no one stocks one around here. Amazon can't deliver till Friday, and I am supposed to be Fishing Friday morning with Trolling motor on that is still in the box, so yeah. Need to rig up a hose and a connector.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

What can't you do with the rack and pinion steering?? also I just remembered those housings had a habit of coming loose so you should inspect the bolts on the helm and be sure they did not come loose I can't remember if the symptom of the helm coming loose was stiff steering or a lot of steering play I bet a smart guy could drill and tap a grease fitting in the housing some place that would not cause an issue.

 

[HangOutdoors]

I am not able to just take one cable off, they are both together in the sealed black case, so no way to isolate one at the helm and test them.

Case was secured good.

 

[HangOutdoors]

Ready to lubricate tommorrow to see if it helps.

 

[AZMark]

Ready to lubricate tommorrow to see if it helps.

View attachment 148772

Haha I love it. You waste no time!

Cover up that helm end real well in case your luber works better than you expect.

 

[HangOutdoors]

@AZMark Tubing and watersport weather is coming fast, so I need to get my fishing days and adult time now before I have 6 teenage girls and the Admiral on the boat every weekend bossin me around.

 

[RobbieO]

Ready to lubricate tommorrow to see if it helps.

View attachment 148772

Hopefully you have a regulator for that air hose fitting!

 

[HangOutdoors]

yes on my tank. It is pretty accurate. Dewalt pancake nailer you can see in the background.

 

[drewkaree]

What can't you do with the rack and pinion steering?? also I just remembered those housings had a habit of coming loose so you should inspect the bolts on the helm and be sure they did not come loose I can't remember if the symptom of the helm coming loose was stiff steering or a lot of steering play I bet a smart guy could drill and tap a grease fitting in the housing some place that would not cause an issue.

I don't remember the year they changed up the connections, but someone posted pics of it, they combined both combined both steering cables into a fitting at the helm.

The consensus on that Arrangement seems to be that they did it to force people to take it to the dealership for repair, and so that it would require completely new cable setups, solving the problem, but at an unneeded cost

 

[WREKS]

@HangOutdoors Inside cable knuckle, at part labeled 16, the steering rod attaches to the cable. In mine, it rusted at that attachment point. There is so little clearance that when the rust built up it could not be cleaned out. The more I tried to move it, the more it jammed. It happened before camera phones, so I do not have pictures. But I did cut open the cable and that is what I observed. Maybe, you can free it up with a rust remover if nothing else works.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Excellent point and why I like to pack bees wax up in the end of the cable, pull off the rubber seal and you can access the opening turn the nozzles all the way to each side while pushing in wax with your finger

 

[HangOutdoors]

@WREKS Good info, I will look.

I was out this morning before heading into the office at the crack ass of dawn sitting in the boat moving the steering wheel back and forth rapidly and then slowly, the neighbor was watching and she probably thinks the cheese has slipped off the cracker.

Anyhow, when I turn the wheel fast you don't hear anything. When I turn it slow you can hear the rubbing and feel tension and some vibration.

I am going to try and lubricate it this evening. If that doesn't work, it will have to be dropped off at the shop for warranty work. As long as it is covered I will leave it with them, if they actually won't cover it, I will just order the cable and do it myself.

If I had to guess, I would think that the little black cap seal that is at the end of sleeve where the rod goes out to the bucket came loose. I checked the other side and they are really not on there great (possibly a small hose clamp would be better there). I would then assume, through capillary action water got up in the cable and after sitting for the winter, it either rusted or caused issues. But again I am just hypothesizing at this point.

For everyone else I would check those black cap seals on the end of the sleeve where the rod comes out to make sure they are on there good. You can see them in my pictures at the beginning of this thread.

 

[HangOutdoors]

@Cobra Jet Steering LLC Thanks, I will definitely be packing the wax in and add it to my maintenance routine.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Years ago I always added bees wax to any out board water pump impeller that I replaced to keep it from wearing down when driving slow in no wake zones., Going fast the impeller blades flexed away from the metal housing but going slow in no wake zones the ends were rubbing and showed obvious wear the wax lubed the impellers and years later you could still feel the way on them when you took them apart.. I also used it where I placed stainless steel bolts through aluminum to prevent dissimilar metal corrosion. and on trim hydraulics rams etc I liked how it repelled water, probably today there are better substances this was 30 plus years ago But I still use it for grinding or drilling aluminum and coating things I don't want water to get into Hell it still works for toilet base gaskets and those are what I buy when I need more wax.

 

[HangOutdoors]

Alright I was able to get a couple few ounces into each cable. 75 psi. I even took off the rack black box of the steering wheel. Nothing has really changed. When I turn the wheel slow you can hear a rubbing like friction and feel a slight vibration. It almost feels like it is coming from under the helm to the right where the cables loop down. I crawled back in there and everything looks ok. I am a bit despondent over it.

Not real sure what course of action to take next. Dealership is talking 10-14 days before they can look at it. They are swamped delivering inventory that has come in and others in line for work. He mentioned that he may be able to get me through the process quicker in a couple few weeks.

I could order a new steering cable that will be here next week and do it myself.

The boat is drivable but the steering is more work than it should be.

Perhaps I run a bit more gear oil through it to see if I can get it to push up further. Nothing came out of the gear box.

If anyone has access to their boat, a 2020 21', preferably an AR210, can you take some pictures of the steering cable coming from the wheel, how it goes out toward the side of the helm, the loop and it coming down going under into the floor right there? And post them? I would appreciate it.

 

[RobbieO]

So it is possible to replace the cables individually? I thought it was a sealed unit.