I have a mariner 125hp outboard, i got it in the water today for the first time since January?

Question

after i got it in the water i noticed that the steering was really hard so i tried to return to the trailer to get it out, while maneuvering to get to the trailer i tried turning the wheel to the left and felt something snap, now the boat won't turn left but it will turn right, i greased it up and it is a lot smoother now. my question is will i have to change the entire steering mechanism or can it be repaired???

Answer 1

take it in to a mechanic for a price estimate.

Answer 2

you may have to change the steering box on it,if yours is the old type with the dual cable it will have to be changed,if its the newer type that gas the single cable that usually can be repaired,or replaced without breaking the bank,you,ll have to look under it to see if its got the dual or single cable then go from there with it,attwood has the repair cables for those or the whole box, i replaced mine last year for under 200 and i thought that was a good deal,good luck on it.

Answer 3

In most cases you will have a single cable steering system and the cable has broken.

  Turning left the cable is being pulled and pushed when turning right.When pulled the break widens in the cable and the motor won't move.Now you have to determine what type of steering cable you need and the length.

" NOTE" You will have to remove the engine from the boat to allow you to replace the cable.

Answer 4

have you got cable or hydraulic steering, if it's cable that wont be much to fix, just replace the cable, if it's hydraulic, then it's a bit more, you may have broken a line, or the seals have gone, or a retainer pin has broken on the ram, or it could be simple thing like a bolt broken on the steering mount, have a look for the obvious first, oil leak, broken bolts or lines, a good idea, when your boat is stored and not used for a while, grease every thing up, once a month turn the steering and start the engine, they dont like sitting and doing nothing, and get it serviced before you use it for the first time, remember, your life depends on the engine running properly