dissimilar metals question
 

Yesterday I had the fun of cutting off the steering wheel on my new to me used boat :( I tried penetrating oil, heat and a gear puller she was frozen on there. I did get it off and now I will be installing a stainless steel steering wheel. Not sure what the hub of the SS wheel is made of but it's either cast aluminum or stainless. The steering shaft is steel. So what should I use as a lubricant between the hub and the steering shaft ? Should I use silicone grease, regular grease , lithium grease or anti-seize ? If anti-seize do I use copper or aluminum based ? The goal is to minimize corrosion and dissimilar metal galling so in the future if I have to take the wheel off it can be done without destroying it :D I'm a little concerned about using anti-seize only because if it " runs " due to heat/moisture it will run onto the dash panel. And we all know how anti-seize gets on everything ! ;)

If yu can find Plasti-lube, that would work best with a light coating. You could also paint the splines lightly for added protection. Just don't assemble while the paint is wet.

Corrosion Prevention & Metal Protection by Eck®
We used this product when I worked for
Carver Yachts. Worked very well.

Man I love this place

ahh yes, galvanic corrosion! When two dissimilar metals of different valences are left in contact with an electrolytic solution like water or salt water the exchange of electrons ensue. The upside, electricity happens, the downside is that the metals oxidize and become brittle. A few ways to inhibit such action...

Try Tef Gel - been using it for 15 years with aluminum on steel in salt water and the parts always come loose

I've been designing subsea instrumentation and enclosures for 25 years, so this is right up my alley.

Tef Gel is great. I prefer Fas-Torq A/G. If washout may be an issue, use Marine Grade Never-Seize.

I've used Lanocote with good results.

+1 ^ on the lanocote, good stuff