Marine propulsion device steering assembly

A steering assembly for an outboard motor including a power head having an engine and a lower unit which carries the power head, the lower unit including a propeller adapted for rotation under water and a drive shaft housed within the lower unit and operatively coupled to the engine and to the propeller, said steering assembly comprising a swivel bracket adapted for mounting to a transom bracket secured adjacent the upper edge of a boat transom, said swivel bracket being mounted to said transom bracket to afford vertical tilting movement of said swivel bracket about a generally horizontal axis, said swivel bracket having a generally vertical bore and a generally horizontal cross bore which intersects said vertical bore, a pivot shaft supported within said vertical bore for rotation about a generally vertical axis, said pivot shaft having fixed thereto a pinion and means for supporting the lower unit from said pivot shaft with the drive shaft being located in rearwardly spaced relation from said pivot shaft, a rack located in engagement with said pinion and supported within said horizontal cross bore to afford generally horizontal movement of said rack to effect rotation of said pinion and pivot shaft and the lower unit about said vertical axis, and steering control means for effecting horizontal movement of said rack and for affording control of lower unit rotation about said vertical axis, said rack and said steering control means being located below said generally horizontal axis and the boat transom.