2001 F50 TLRZ Steering Yoke Removal

[hogaboomer]

Trying to find out why this steering is so tight, I want to take the pivot tube out and inspect it. The cables are new, with them disconnected the motor is very hard to pivot. I have removed the powerhead and the lower leg, the steering yoke is exposed.
The service manual says to hit it with a plastic hammer. The problem is, there are ridges on the bottom of the tube, and no way for the steering yoke to pass over the ridges. Now, I'm sure ridges is not the correct technical term, but the pics will show what I'm referring to. Not only that, the tube is all one piece, and it's welded at the top. I can't, for the life of me, figure out how this thing is supposed to come off.

[boscoe99]

I am seeing a circlip.

[boscoe99]

Those ridges look like the splines of the steering arm to me.

Time for heat, dry ice, penetrating fluid, a bigger hammer, a puller and a prayer.

[hogaboomer]

Yes sir, I took that off. The parts ordering page is showing replacement part is made out of rubber, and has grooves to slide over those splines. Mine is metal, and has no grooves inside.

[hogaboomer]

So, the spline section is supposed to separate from the tube? I've been heating and beating and oiling, it's not budging.

[hogaboomer]

I'm starting to think that weld is gonna have to get ground out and push the tube out from the top, clean it up and reinsert and re-weld. I'm not seeing any other way, that spline section on the bottom is looking like it's all one piece with the tube.

[hogaboomer]

Something seems off here.

[robert graham]

Let me guess…a saltwater motor that has never had any of it’s zerk fittings introduced to the tip of a grease gun???…..Hopefully you can beat it, heat it, soak it in solvent enough to get it to move….

[hogaboomer]

Let me guess…a saltwater motor that has never had any of it’s zerk fittings introduced to the tip of a grease gun???…..Hopefully you can beat it, heat it, soak it in solvent enough to get it to move….

I guess. I pumped quite a bit in there before it started coming back out, but it didn't help the pivot any.

[boscoe99]

I'm starting to think that weld is gonna have to get ground out and push the tube out from the top, clean it up and reinsert and re-weld. I'm not seeing any other way, that spline section on the bottom is looking like it's all one piece with the tube.

It looks that way. But it is not.

[boscoe99]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/25497788997...BoCfYsQAvD_BwE

[hogaboomer]

This one doesn't look like that. Those splines are bevelled down at the end. Mine is not, the splines stick out past the edge of the hole in the bottom of the steering yoke.

[robert graham]

I guess. I pumped quite a bit in there before it started coming back out, but it didn't help the pivot any.

Maybe figure a way to “pump” some solvent in there?….might loosen it up better than plain grease…maybe remove the zerk fitting and spray solvent/ acetone/brake fluid/ PB Blaster in there?….maybe a heat gun would loosen up the old hard grease? ….keep after it and hopefully it’ll come loose!

[hogaboomer]

It looks that way. But it is not.

Where did you find this pic, boscoe?

[hogaboomer]

Maybe figure a way to “pump” some solvent in there?….might loosen it up better than plain grease…maybe remove the zerk fitting and spray solvent/ acetone/brake fluid/ PB Blaster in there?….maybe a heat gun would loosen up the old hard grease? ….keep after it and hopefully it’ll come loose!

I did take the zerk out and sprayed penetrating oil in. Thing is, there's nothing there to loosen up. It moves up and down a little, but when it hits those teeth, it stops. If you look real close at the first pic, you can see the tooth dents in the bottom of the bracket from me beating on it. It's not going over those teeth, they stick out past the edge of the hole.
I thought maybe that pipe was split inside to let the bottom half slide out, but it's not. It's all one piece, and it's welded at the top.