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My 115 Yamaha is off the boat, and all my steering from the wheel to the motor is smooth. The motor itself, however, is very stiff at the turning joint. I've been spraying the two joints with Aero-kroil (member MW sent me a can... bless his heart!), WD40, and PB Blaster for the past three weeks, often several times a day, and working the motor back and forth. I've only got it loose a few degrees on either side of center, and even then, it's not as loose as I'd like. I can find no grease fittings for this part of the system.

In a couple of weeks, I'll be getting a Yamaha service manual from Twin Cities Marine. Maybe I have to disassemble that section and polish the parts?

Any suggestions welcome!

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Hi Dan,

On the Evinrude/Johnson there's a fitting on the outside housing of the vertical tube/bracket assembly that tilts up with the engine and is about 1/3 of the way down from the top on the port side. The key is that the engine needs to be tilted up a bit in order to see it. Maybe it's the same in the Yamaha world?

Just checked the manual for your engine but a '98 and it seems to be in the same area, 2/3 of the way down the pivot tube... Hope this helps.

Dave

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BTW, here's the link to that manual, diagram is on page 4-21: MANUAL

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I had a 1986 Yamaha 90 on my Montauk.

If you are talking about the pivoting pin that is horizontal, I don't recall seeing any grease fittings on my 90

There was one or two for the tilt part of the bracket.

If repeated soakings with PB Blaster (the best for what it does) I would try some heat.

With my old engine, alot of what I learned came from slyly asking the parts guys at the dealer.

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There are definitely grease fittings on my 90 Yamie 2 stroke. I remember seeing them... Also fittings on the steering. Dan’s idea of soaking with penetrating is a good. If you tilt up the engine and find the fitting the spray and grease combined may work. I will check tomorrow to see where mine is. I have the opposite problem to loose, even idling it turns to the right. There is an adjustment for this, tomorrow, now I have good reason to look…:D

Bring on the bikinis B)

jon

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thanks for the replies. I checked the modern online manual, and it does show a fitting there, but I can't find one on mine. The tilt shaft on the bracket has two fittings for grease, but they move fine. It's the vertical shaft that is for turning the engine left and right that is tight. I bought a trailer today from a guy who rebuilds OMC outboards for a hobby. He has several boats, and does a thorough job rebuilding both the engines and lower units, but he's not a Yamaha guy. He showed me where the fittings were on his Evinrude 90. After getting home, I looked again and could find none for the steering part. After I read these posts, I went out and looked again. It has not appeared. :(

Perhaps when I get both the operator's manual and service manual from Twin Cities for my model year, I'll figure it out. Thanks, all for your help, and post if you come up with anything else!

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Dan, you're a "Long Islander", why don't you contact the Yammy dealer here, his name is Dan too, I read his water meter at his house the other day, he told me what he did for a living "Yammy outboard Dealer", I tucked it away in the corner of my head (cob webs and all) in case anyone needed "Yammy" advice, and "WHOOOMP THERE IT IS"
http://www.kandkoutboard.com/

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Thanks, Matt, I'll do that. Have some more questions for him.

The guy I met yesterday who rebuilds OMC outboards is "old school," like you. He mixes his own oil/gas mixture for his big two-strokes. "Then I know it's in there."

He also gave me three phone numbers for outboard "boneyards" for used parts. I need a power trim unit.

Trixie's Landing (Brick, NJ) 737 269-5838
Outboard Recycling (Alabama?) 334 645-2050
American Outboard (MD?) 410 822-1740

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Dan,

Perhaps the Yamaha forum may be able to help. Good forum but lately a lot porno spam. http://www.yamahaoutboardparts.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum;f=1

I will look later to see exactly where the fitting is my outboard. I do recall seeing a fitting down there. I believe the lower potions of the 115 and 90 are almost identical, can't be sure though...

Jon

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Thank you, Jon. What year model is your Yamaha 90?

edit: FOUND one! The guy that sold me a trailer brought it over for me today. After poking around, what looked like a screw holding a ground wire had a little tiny spring sticking out it. Broken zerk! At least I know where to squirt the Aero-kroil. It's about a third of the way up the shaft, starboard side. Seems like it should be higher.

[IMG]http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb77/DelawareDan/whaler%20project/whaler%20phase4/allisontrailer.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb77/DelawareDan/whaler%20project/whaler%20phase4/trailerwheel.jpg[/IMG]

200 bucks for the trailer. Some rust issues, though.

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Oppps, sent you a PM did not realize you found the fitting. I had a suspicion that is was sheared off...
Good Luck

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Thanks, Jon! I'll read your PM. I posted over at the Yamaha site this morning about power trim and maintenance. Thanks for the tip. Looks like a good resource, despite the spam (no midgets there, BOB).

Actually seem to be making progress squirting penetrating oil in there. Did you find the adjustment to get yours tighter?