As I was handsteering I noticed that the tiller was getting a little loose, with a bit of a widening play. So I decided to screw things a little tighter. To no avail! Screws were simply broken due to corrosion (stainless steel against aluminum). One came out ok, but for the other I had to use the drill. I suspect the two others may come undone at some point. Things are better but there’s still a bit of play in there. I could tell this happened before by the remnants of other screws. Anyways, that’s the first real repair I suppose. Glad I picked up the drill!
Just a thought: Is there a opportunity to thru bolt those screws with washers and bolts on the underside? Exposed screws like what you are repairing have a tendency to corrode or strip out with constant use. Even if you can’t replace all of them, even two would help substantially, Good luck.
A bit of silicone grease will keep S.S. fastners from corroding the Aluminum. I use a tube I get from a swimming pool supply. I guess any good quality water proof grease will work. Also, wrapping the threads with Teflon tape used in plumbing will seal the threads and keep the threaded fastener from un-threading itself.