CONTINUOUSWAVE

Q1:can a Mercury 60-HP BIGFOOT FOURSTROKE EFI engine be removed from the swivel tube without disassembling the powerhead and the lower unit?

Q2: if the engine were to be supported from a hoist, can the lower cowling be removed and the engine mounting bolts be accessed?

A picture or recorded presentations of [a Mercury 60-HP BIGFOOT FOURSTROKE EFI engine being removed from the swivel tube without full disassembly] has not been found. Talk has been found about removing the powerhead and lower unit before removing from the steering tube

To me it looks like it would be possible [to remove a Mercury 60-HP BIGFOOT FOURSTROKE EFI engine from the swivel tube without disassembling the powerhead and the lower unit].

BACKSTORY

The steering on my 2006 Montauk 150 boat was really bad when I got it. All guides were followed. The tilt rod was disconnected. The problem was isolated to a very stiff pivot tube and steering bracket, that is, the steering is much smoother--almost butter--when disconnected [from the] engine.

The engine is stiff and is hard to move, sometimes taking two hands while disconnected from the steering. I tried heating up the pivot tube/steering bracket and running a solvent through the bearings while turning [the engine] back and forth by hand, letting solvent sit and then regreasing. But no luck.

Now I am at the stage where I will have to replace or refurbish the steering pivot tube and shaft, or repower.

It seems certain that to remedy the problem of the stiff steering will be less expensive than buying a new engine.

I cannot offer any advice on how to remove the engine from the the pivot tube in the engine mount, other than it looks like it will be a difficult task. If you are on good terms with any factory certified Mercury mechanics, you could ask them about the procedure needed.

Check out the Mercury forums, you are more likely to find someone who has done this repair there than on this Boston Whaler site. Add another grease zerk if you do this repair.

I am not clear that the concern is with the tilt tube or the engine pivot.

Removing the tilt tube from the engine bracket is a BIG step.

The steering cable that is inside the tilt tube MUST be thoroughly greased. It also requires annual maintenance in the way of grease. Installing a steersman nut in place of the port side tilt tube nut is highly recommended.

Also note the tilt tube brackets have grease fittings on each side that require grease and annual maintenance.

The engine pivot also has grease fittings.

I suggest you review the owners manual for the Mercury 60 engine. If you do not have one, I suggest purchasing on via your local dealer or through Mercury Marine online:

https://www.mercurymarine.com/en/us/land/owners-manuals/

While I have not worked on a Mercury 60 Bigfoot, it does use a similar design to Yamaha, Evinrude, and others where the bottom steering tube mounts are fairly easy to remove, but the top mounts are only accessible from inside the midsection to put a wrench on the nuts on the top mounts. Powerhead removal is required to access the nuts to remove the long bolts that run from the upper steering tube into the top mounts inside the midsection.

Often an exploded-view diagram can be helpful in understanding how mechanical devices are fastened together. Often you can find exploded-view diagrams as part of listing of replacement parts on a manufacturer's website.

If you are really serious about performing work on your own outboard engine, the real first step in that process will be to purchase the factory service manual. Usually an outboard engine manufacturer will make that literature available to customers, although these days there is no telling if that tradition continues with all brand and models of outboard engine.

Also, generally the engine mount and the rudder post or swivel tube attach to the midsection of an engine, not to the lower unit.

The lower cowling is usually a two-piece shroud that clamps around the midsection and create the lower cowling or pan. It is not a structural component; it is just a shroud.