At lower speeds it is fine.(hyd. If your boat’s steering is unusually stiff, you should first check to make sure there’s adequate grease on the motor. so not the cable. Wrong: It's really hard to mess up a head-to-wind/current docking except by applying too much steering or too much power. Regards YouTube. I have hard steering on my Captieva 262 with Bravo 3. All last season I fought with hard steering on my Triton Bass boat. steering my boat to the left is extremely difficult at anything faster than a slow plane, also steering effort gets more difficult when increasing boat speed, and requires additional steering effort towards the left, say a full 1/2 to 3/4 of a turn just to maintain a straight course - Answered by a verified Marine Mechanic. There are several high-quality motor cleaning products that work wonders on steering cables. The best source for Mercruiser OEM parts, marine engines, boat & engine When steering tube grease hardens, it stops the movement of the steering cable, resulting in steering stiffness or lockup. If it’s been longer than 12 months since you’ve added grease to this area, or if there’s little-to-no visible grease remaining, go ahead and add some. steering) My boat never seems out of control, just difficult to turn. i have freed the cable at the tube to the point where i can actually pull 3-4 inches of the shaft back thru the tube toward the steering wheel yet it is still locked up. When you are navigating and moving your steering wheel, the steering wheel control valve in the system lets the fluid flow into the pinion, offering the ability to … Participant. With the rotary no feedback, steering effort is about the same. i have greased the bearings and the steering arm at the motor. Grease is necessary to keep the components moving and functioning as they are intended. parts, accessories, boating supplies, tools, & aquatic sporting The fix for this is to remove the smaller hex nuts holding the steering links at either end of the hydraulic ram and pull them out of the steering tube. My steering on my boat is extremely hard to turn, what should I look for or do? I greased the rudder but the steering did not improve. Oh.. and God have mercy on your soul if the outdrive (exterior) pivot pin is broken on one of the drives. 90 Comp turned both directions with ease last summer. It’s hard to enjoy a day at the lake when you’re boat isn’t responding to the steering wheel. Start by disconnecting the steering arm from the cable’s motor/rudder end and turn the steering wheel. Sometimes this pull is not a slight pull but more of a rather forceful type of pull. My mechanic consulted Mercruiser and was told its a bad regulator. The yoke that's bolted to your hull has a steering pin the attaches at 12 and 6 o'clock, allowing the outdrive to swing. Replaced the Rudder packing this spring and have noticed that the boat turns to the left with a finger but when turning to the right at slow speed i have to muscle it. That's why I swapped the pump and changed the fluid. steering) My boat never seems out of control, just difficult to turn. The symptoms are when you turn the wheel, and the steering goes from stiff to normal to stiff throughout the steering wheel rotation. Another possible reason why your boat is difficult to steer is the presence of corrosion around the steering cable. goods. My mechanic consulted Mercruiser and was told its a bad regulator. Cane Pole LIKED above post 05-22-2020, 04:28 PM #4. A good rule of thumb is to grease this area about once every 12 months. Common symptoms include need for greater steering effort, or maybe the boat will not steer when you turn the wheel. Without this lubrication, the steering wheel may be difficult to turn. A family day on the lake enjoying the fresh air and sunshine is a perfect way to get out of the house without worrying about social distancing. Steering hard to turn 90 Comp turned both directions with ease last summer. See below for more details. The best way to describe it is like driving a car without power steering. A pressure gauge gets hooked up between the power steering pump and the actuator, and the engine gets started and run. As if there are stiff spots as you turn the wheel. Any suggestions on what it could be? the port pump does nothing. a new pump was just installed starboard engine. Sometimes you feel a slight thumping when you turn the wheel. good luck . This is the pump cavitating–picking up air instead of fluid. In my experience, and talking with another CC member, the SS boats can get hard to turn one way or the other. It can happen for several reasons. as there is no way to lube them correctly. I’ve only had it out a few times, but today when I had it out I found it very hard to steer once I got up around 35mph. The best that I can tell is that it is a duel cable no feedback rack and pion type of steering system. I have hard steering on my Captieva 262 with Bravo 3. The only maintenance on a cable steering system is back at the engine or rudder. If it moves freely, turn the steering wheel and see if it is still hard to turn while the cylinder is still disconnected.. And then it will vary depending on the speed of the boat and how hard the turns the boat is making. After you get a steering pump or cylinder fixed it still could be bad cables from the increased effort needed to steer which will wreck the cable liner. If your boat’s steering is unusually stiff, you should first check to make sure there’s adequate grease on the motor. Replaced the Rudder packing this spring and have noticed that the boat turns to the left with a finger but when turning to the right at slow speed i have to muscle it. It's stiff, not smooth, and if turned all the way to one lock or the other sometimes feels like its stuck and doesn't want to turn back. i just bought the boat and its hard to steer to the left. i just bought the boat and its hard to steer to the left. My mechanic consulted Mercruiser and was told its a bad regulator. Like all other types of fluid in a vehicle, the power steering fluid also collects dirt … When I am cruising across the lake and want to turn, I nearly have to give it all I've got. Spray the snot out of your steering U-joint just above the steering rack with a penetrating oil. Before you head to the closest marina/repair shop, however, you should first attempt to diagnose and fix the problem yourself. Wish I would have done that as I could have replaced the cables myself. Steering wheel was EXTREMELY hard to turn at idle and underway. Had a local shop replace the steering cable and now I can turn the wheel with one finger. For service email, Copyright © 2021 Performance Product Technologies. Boats with props that spin the opposite direction will be reversed, harder to turn one direction, easier the other. I don't want to butt into mbtb23's post but I am having this problem myself on my 2004 PIII with a 3.0 L 200 hp Merc. A constant stiff steering is another issue. I’ve only had it out a few times, but today when I had it out I found it very hard to steer once I got up around 35mph. check the stbd pump again. When I am at about 60 to 62 mph my steering wheel is very difficult to turn. The power steering pump is what provides your steering system with fluid to the rack and pinion unit. The only maintenance on a cable steering system is back at the engine or rudder. In some cases, the grease from these fittings will get sucked into the support tubes. Undo the large nut at the end of the plastic jacket of the steering cable. If your boat has a prop that spins one way, then usually it's easy to turn right, a bit hard to turn left (due to the forces put on the face of the rudder by the prop). Go through each of these scenarios to troubleshoot and identify your problem. It looks like you're new here. I bought this boat last summer and been fixing it up since. Next, thoroughly clean the links and the inside of the steering tube with a wooden dowel with a solvent soaked rag wrapped around it. Any suggestions on what it … E-commerce shopping is the safest method of shopping right now during the COVID-19 situation. when the boat is sitting still it steers ok both directions, but when your running it steers ok to the right but hard to the left. On a rack system, if you take your hand off the wheel the boat will turn on it's own. – Rough / Hard Steering problem. The best way to describe it is like driving a car without power steering. It felt like there was no power steering. Crossing my fingers for you that this isn't it. Sartell, MN. Without this lubrication, the steering wheel may be difficult to turn. This is especially problematic in saltwater boats, as salt speeds up the corrosion process while simultaneously leaving behind grains of abrasive salt. Pull the plastic jacket of the cable towards the side of the boat exposing the 5/8 telescoping rod. Stiff steering with no power assist. These are just a few of the most common reasons why boats are difficult to steer. If the wheel turns very easily at this point and your engine, outdrive, or rudder also turns very easily, Lube all the fittings on the engine, outdrive, or rudder as preventative maintenance and re-attach the cylinder. There are a couple of reasons why boats will veer off in one direction or the other. Common problems with outboard boat steering include steering that becomes stiff suddenly, steering that locks up completely, and steering that turns in one direction easily, but does not turn in another. Just as an employee at your local boat supply store for a recommendation. March 11, 2009 at 2:15 pm #1262006. It's stiff, not smooth, and if turned all the way to one lock or the other sometimes feels like its stuck and doesn't want to turn back. i have rack and pinion steering on my starcraft fishmaster 190 with a mercury 90 outboard motor. Of all the things fun to do to a boat, that one ranks dead last. Here is video of my boat showing the seat. Underway or at higher rpms, it definitely gets harder to steer, almost as if either (a) there is some type of load preventing the drives from pivoting, or (b) the power steering pump doesn't work. It has been sitting for about 10 months before I purchased it in April. removed cable end pin and steering is free. 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