Cleaning Baystar Hydraulic Steering Frozen At Tilt-tube Rod

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Author Topic:   Cleaning Baystar Hydraulic Steering Frozen At Tilt-tube Rod

pcrussell50 posted 09-03-2014 01:17 AM ET (US)
For about a year, on my 1998 Alert 17 special service Montauk with Mercury 90 FourStroke and Baystar hydraulic steering, there has been a "notchiness" or "catch" in [the steering]. This past weekend I hauled [the boat] out of storage after months of non-use and found the steering essentially frozen. After a good bleeding and some other tests it was clear it was not in the hydraulics, so I dug further and it turns out the chrome steering rod that passes through the tilt tube is getting held or jammed by some sticky brown crud in the tube it slides through. This chrome rod otherwise looks fine in and of itself.
So I _think_ I need to pull the steering rod out of the tilt tube and clean the crap out of its bore. Am I on the right track? Or do I need to be replacing things?
Also, if cleaning is the thing to do, what are the best practices? And best brushes and solvents for the job?
-Peter
tedious posted 09-03-2014 08:56 AM ET (US)
Peter, your plan of pulling out and cleaning seems like a good one. I'd be inclined to just use a nylon bottle brush and some solvent to clean it first, followed by a detergent like Fantastik or Simple Green. Let dry, grease, reinstall and see how you make out.
For a cleaning solvent, lots of stuff will work, so use what you have on hand. I'd be inclined to go with paint thinner or WD40, and would stay away from acetone or lacquer thinner.
Tim
boatdryver posted 09-03-2014 09:45 AM ET (US)
After cleaning, install a Steersman nut with a grease zerk. Problem solved.
JimL
leadsled posted 09-03-2014 10:46 AM ET (US)
Use a 12 gauge shotgun bore cleaning brush to ream it out.
pcrussell50 posted 09-03-2014 01:26 PM ET (US)
Thanks for the suggestions all.
Have any of you actually done this? Or am I the only one here who has faced this?
I should add that this was primarily a saltwater boat since it was new, for 11 years, before I moved it to the lake. Ironic that the steering finally jammed two years after moving to fresh water. Then again, the chrome rod wasn't rusted or pitted, just very scant hard-dried grease/crud, so it was apparently well sealed against salt.
-Peter
leadsled posted 09-03-2014 02:16 PM ET (US)
My tube had rust blisters that locked the stainless rod. For several years in the spring the steering was frozen. I would hit the rod with a hammer and it would be smooth all summer. Then it would not move hardly at all with the hammer. After a long time hitting it I was able to get the rod out. I reamed it out with a 12 gauge shotgun bore cleaning brush and put it back together. It was still a tight fit because the rust blisters narrowed the tube. And yes it was used in salt water.
contender posted 09-03-2014 08:10 PM ET (US)
Put a 12 gauge brush on a drill motor and dip it in a cleaning solution degreaser, run it in and out, then use good marine grease for the replacement
FISHNFF posted 09-09-2014 02:18 AM ET (US)
Hey Peter--just a little background: the BayStar system Peter has was the very first ones made. I had a special order with West Marine as soon as one was available. It is an unbalanced system. It uses a rod moving through the tilt tube to turn the motor. The new BayStar is just a smaller lighter duty version of the SeaStar. There is no rod moving through the tilt tube.
I hope these suggestions work. I can't remember why, but adding a Steersman did not work.
FISHNFF

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Author	Topic: Cleaning Baystar Hydraulic Steering Frozen At Tilt-tube Rod
pcrussell50	posted 09-03-2014 01:17 AM ET (US) For about a year, on my 1998 Alert 17 special service Montauk with Mercury 90 FourStroke and Baystar hydraulic steering, there has been a "notchiness" or "catch" in [the steering]. This past weekend I hauled [the boat] out of storage after months of non-use and found the steering essentially frozen. After a good bleeding and some other tests it was clear it was not in the hydraulics, so I dug further and it turns out the chrome steering rod that passes through the tilt tube is getting held or jammed by some sticky brown crud in the tube it slides through. This chrome rod otherwise looks fine in and of itself. So I _think_ I need to pull the steering rod out of the tilt tube and clean the crap out of its bore. Am I on the right track? Or do I need to be replacing things? Also, if cleaning is the thing to do, what are the best practices? And best brushes and solvents for the job? -Peter
tedious	posted 09-03-2014 08:56 AM ET (US) Peter, your plan of pulling out and cleaning seems like a good one. I'd be inclined to just use a nylon bottle brush and some solvent to clean it first, followed by a detergent like Fantastik or Simple Green. Let dry, grease, reinstall and see how you make out. For a cleaning solvent, lots of stuff will work, so use what you have on hand. I'd be inclined to go with paint thinner or WD40, and would stay away from acetone or lacquer thinner. Tim
boatdryver	posted 09-03-2014 09:45 AM ET (US) After cleaning, install a Steersman nut with a grease zerk. Problem solved. JimL
leadsled	posted 09-03-2014 10:46 AM ET (US) Use a 12 gauge shotgun bore cleaning brush to ream it out.
pcrussell50	posted 09-03-2014 01:26 PM ET (US) Thanks for the suggestions all. Have any of you actually done this? Or am I the only one here who has faced this? I should add that this was primarily a saltwater boat since it was new, for 11 years, before I moved it to the lake. Ironic that the steering finally jammed two years after moving to fresh water. Then again, the chrome rod wasn't rusted or pitted, just very scant hard-dried grease/crud, so it was apparently well sealed against salt. -Peter
leadsled	posted 09-03-2014 02:16 PM ET (US) My tube had rust blisters that locked the stainless rod. For several years in the spring the steering was frozen. I would hit the rod with a hammer and it would be smooth all summer. Then it would not move hardly at all with the hammer. After a long time hitting it I was able to get the rod out. I reamed it out with a 12 gauge shotgun bore cleaning brush and put it back together. It was still a tight fit because the rust blisters narrowed the tube. And yes it was used in salt water.
contender	posted 09-03-2014 08:10 PM ET (US) Put a 12 gauge brush on a drill motor and dip it in a cleaning solution degreaser, run it in and out, then use good marine grease for the replacement
FISHNFF	posted 09-09-2014 02:18 AM ET (US) Hey Peter--just a little background: the BayStar system Peter has was the very first ones made. I had a special order with West Marine as soon as one was available. It is an unbalanced system. It uses a rod moving through the tilt tube to turn the motor. The new BayStar is just a smaller lighter duty version of the SeaStar. There is no rod moving through the tilt tube. I hope these suggestions work. I can't remember why, but adding a Steersman did not work. FISHNFF