16 Steering and Bottom Paint Question

M

Montana Kev

New member
I recently purchased a 1993 CD-16 Cruiser. It's been sitting for several years and now the maintenance starts. I am looking for any old articles on the forum or new advise.

Steering - The teleflex steering is real stiff. I have lubed the zert fitting at the engine and disconnected the engine from the cable. The engine moves free. The cable is still stiff after the lubrication. I see there is there is a clear tube attached to the steering box behind the wheel. It's dry. What type of lube goes in to the tube and how much?

Bottom Paint - It's got bottom paint that's in bad shape. It comes off to the touch and is a mess when I wash the boat. I would like to remove it and have read several articles online and see it's toxic and there are many opinions on how to remove it. Looking for advise from CD owners.

Thanks,
Kevin
 
Montana Kev":19ggh9ca said:
I recently purchased a 1993 CD-16 Cruiser.

Steering - The teleflex steering is real stiff. I have lubed the zert fitting at the engine and disconnected the engine from the cable. The engine moves free. The cable is still stiff after the lubrication. I see there is there is a clear tube attached to the steering box behind the wheel. It's dry. What type of lube goes in to the tube and how much?

Thanks,
Kevin
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Kevin, I can't answer the bottom paint question, as my boat lives on its trailer and does not have bottom paint. My suspicion is that you are lubing the zerk fitting that goes to the pivot tube, and not the steering. To my knowledge, there is no way to lube the entire steering rod in the pivot tube without taking it apart. You most likely have some very old and dry grease that is in the pivot tube and on the steering rod. I suggest that you get the rod fully extended and start cleaning it with a solvent that will not damage rubber o-rings. The rod will probably be very brown/rusty looking, but will clean up after several applications of solvent and new grease.

In the past, I had been keeping the steering rod fully inside the pivot tube when the boat was not being used. My thinking was that this would keep dust and grime from polluting it, plus minimize rust. I now believe that this just contributes to the problem by allowing the grease to get hard as it cooks inside the pivot tube.

Steve
 
There used to be a fitting available which allowed for lubing these cables and the push pull steering. Davis makes fittings which will help to keep the cables lubed, but In todays world, I believe that the best course of action is to chuck the steering and put in a new unit, and cable. It is almost impossiable to disassemble and grease the modern units once they have corroded. Usually it is not only dry grease in the helm unit, but corrosion in the cable sheath.

I just spent a 5 days, repainting the bottom of one of my boats--(non C Dory)--and it is a pain to do! I had let it go 4 years--and even though we are in "fresh water"--really brackish--we had lots of growth. Lesson learned!

Once bottom paint is put on the boat, the boat has most likely been either sanded, coated with epoxy or coated with a primer, and you will never get the bottom looking good again. There are exceptions--and occasionally you can clean up the bottom.

There are chemical strippers--and a boat the size of the 16 that might be practical. Page 285 of the current West Marine Catalogue lists 4 strippers which can be used for bottom paint--not cheap.

Soda blasting by an expert is another option. Sanding will leave marks.

I would just repaint it with another ablative paint. Pettit Vivid might be a good paint to use--it is good for multiple launches, yet survives trailering abrasion well. You could also sand off the paint--and then paint it with another non bottom paint--such as TopLac or Easy Poxy.
 
I have a 93 angler 16 as well. After trying all sorts of stuff, replaced the steering unit this year. Not too expensive and well worth the effort.

Gerry
 
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