Fixing a stiff steering bracket (pivot tube) on an outboard motor

In this video I look at how to free up a stiff or seized steering bracket on an outboard. This is a common problem where the grease that gets put into a pivot tube solidifies around the bushings making the outboard hard to turn. This video explores a couple of ways of fixing it.

We first try using compressed air to force degreaser into the pivot tube and then some oil. Eventually I completely disassemble the bracket and use a Dremmel to clean out all the old crud and corrosion, grease it and reassemble. The result is a steering bracket that once again turns smoothly and easily!

Some related videos:

First attempt at doing this job on a Yamaha 50HP:    • Removing the steering bracket (tilt t...  

Lubricating steering and gear cables:    • Lubricating stiff outboard throttle a...