CONTINUOUSWAVE

Where can a stainless steel replacement tilt tube for an outboard engine be purchased?

I have read that stainless tubes are available.

BACKSTORY

I ream all the old grease and funk out of the steering tube on my 96' [Means 1996 not 96-foot—PLEASE USE FOR DIGITS FOR YEARS] Johnson 48 SPL annually now, otherwise it's bound to get sticky. Regardless of how much, or what type of grease I use, I still get a good bit of corrosion in there every year, all saltwater use. The tube is as polished as I can get it every year, I run a wire brush chucked into a drill through it with some PB Blaster or carb cleaner to get all the crud out, but its pretty pitted inside, and the fit for the steering cable feels a little sloppy. I'm planning on attempting to replace it this winter, if I can get the old one out. It appears to be original to the engine, so it's had a long time to weld itself into place. Any tips on getting the old tube out appreciated.

Don't worry about the tilt tube.

Replace the port side steering nut with a Steersman Nut and grease one time each year; you will not have any problems.

http://www.steersman.com

I actually DO have a steersman nut, and have not found it effective keeping corrosion out of either the steering tube or cable. Mine may be defective, but any attempt to inject grease into the zerk fitting in the nut just forces the rubber "wiper" out of its seat, this has been true since the day I installed it, so I just use it as a grease seal of sorts. The wiper seal can easily be removed by hand, so I never understood how it was supposed to resist the hydraulic forces involved. Am I missing something in how this is supposed to work?

My results with the Steersman Nut are similar: I did not find it particularly useful.

Perhaps the outside diameter of the actuator rod varies slightly among different makes and models of steering systems, and for some combinations the fit of the O-ring seal in the Steersman nut is not a good match.

I contacted Steersman about the poor seal. They sent me a new O-ring; the outcome was the same: poor sealing of the actuator rod at the port end of the tube. The steering rod ends up with a coat of grease on it. Maybe that is the real purpose of the Steersman Nut.

Perhaps some engine manufacturers offered a “saltwater” version of their outboard engines back in the last century, and a stainless steel tilt tube was part of that upgrade.

Today’s outboard engine makers all stress corrosion resistance, and I don’t see any special upgrade options for saltwater use.

I do not think a stainless steel tilt tube is made for that engine. They are usually for V4 and larger engines.

The Steersman Nut is not supposed to seal off the system, it is to grease the arm. If the arm is greased it should not freeze.