hard to steer while under way |
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KileyB
Newbie Joined: September-21-2010 Location: Salem, OR Status: Offline Points: 19 |
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Posted: August-10-2012 at 9:37pm |
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I've read several posts here and other sites and can't seem to find an answer so here it goes. I replaced my steering cable last summer. Steering remains difficult while under way but is smooth as butter while stationary. The steering box is slipping on the steering cable and needs to be replaced but is not the cause of the hard steering. Thoughts?
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'92 Excel
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BuffaloBFN
Grand Poobah Joined: June-24-2007 Location: Gainesville,GA Status: Offline Points: 6094 |
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By that description, I'd stand a few feet back from the stern and sight the running gear to the front. If the prop is noticably to one side of the rudder, the prop wash will weight it.
By steering box, you mean the clamp block in the back? How does it steer when it's in gear at idle? |
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SNobsessed
Grand Poobah Joined: October-21-2007 Location: IA Status: Offline Points: 7102 |
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You might also try coating the rudder shaft with anti seize or other waterproof grease. Wouldn't cost much to try.
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“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”
Ben Franklin |
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bhectus
Platinum Member Joined: July-04-2010 Location: Gator Country! Status: Offline Points: 1809 |
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Definitely pull the rudder and grease it. I have a thread on here about rudder packing, with detailed instructions/photos.
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'02 Ski Nautique 196 w/ 5.7 Apex bowtie - Sold
'87 Barefoot - sold '97 Super Sport Nautique - originally custom built for Walt Meloon '97 Ski Nautique '83 SN 2001 |
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CarlosDiaz
Newbie Joined: August-04-2012 Location: 1014 Columbia R Status: Offline Points: 2 |
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Maintain boat pats is really a hectic work. For this purpose share some tips for it.
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dwcar
Platinum Member Joined: February-11-2007 Location: Houston Texas Status: Offline Points: 1103 |
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83Ski
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Bri892001
Grand Poobah Joined: September-27-2008 Location: Boston MA Status: Offline Points: 4947 |
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Also, what year is the boat? Mine has a zerk fitting right on the rudder port. Just a couple pumps with a grease gun will help if you have the fitting and lack of grease is the problem.
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KileyB
Newbie Joined: September-21-2010 Location: Salem, OR Status: Offline Points: 19 |
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I'll check the alignment this morning. Not sure what to call the steering mechanism. It's the large gear that the steering cable wraps around. The steering cable is slipping around it when the steering gets really stiff. It steers freely when idling to pick up a fallen rider or around the dock. Anything much above that gets progressively harder to turn. |
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'92 Excel
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KileyB
Newbie Joined: September-21-2010 Location: Salem, OR Status: Offline Points: 19 |
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Its a 92 Excel. It's does have the grease zerk but I think my mechanic greases it each year when he pulls it out of layup. I'll have to shoot some grease in there and see if that's it. It's like it binds up due to the force of the prop wash. |
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'92 Excel
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8122pbrainard
Grand Poobah Joined: September-14-2006 Location: Three Lakes Wi. Status: Offline Points: 41045 |
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I feel this is the cause of your problem. Are you sure the helm isn't the cause of you're hard steering? If the cable rack is slipping on the pinon in the helm box, that's not good!! |
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oldcuda
Senior Member Joined: June-22-2010 Status: Offline Points: 474 |
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X2 on that, steering box has to go
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KileyB
Newbie Joined: September-21-2010 Location: Salem, OR Status: Offline Points: 19 |
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Steering box/Helm is a problem but not the problem. I can steer with 1 finger while at a stand still. When i'm running any faster than an idle it's a two handed effort which is when the cable starts so slip due to the force required to get the rudder to move. It only happens while under way. I can't do anything more than about a 1/2 or 3/4 of the steering wheel then it binds up.
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'92 Excel
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KileyB
Newbie Joined: September-21-2010 Location: Salem, OR Status: Offline Points: 19 |
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...also has anyone documented pulling the steering head apart? It seems that in 1991/1992 Nautique used the Morse Teleflex Rotary steering head. When I opened it up last week there was a white plastic piece that was chewed up (I just remembered this....that's what I get for driving boat non-stop at church camp last week). Anyhow I think the rotary gear in the back looks okay but it may be moving too much due to some sort of shim or spacer that's now missing. I hate to spend $150 when it may be something really cheap and simple.
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'92 Excel
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KileyB
Newbie Joined: September-21-2010 Location: Salem, OR Status: Offline Points: 19 |
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Regarding the alignment of the prop and rudder I'm not real sure. I took a couple of pictures and it seems that the nut on the prop is not dead center but off to the right of the rudder.
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'92 Excel
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KileyB
Newbie Joined: September-21-2010 Location: Salem, OR Status: Offline Points: 19 |
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This one is a little better. Also, I had my wife turn the steering wheel in the driveway just now. It moved freely. I then pulled on the rudder as if there was prop wash going against it. It was hard to turn and the steering started skipping on her. The rudder has a little play in it. I'm thinking it's binding up under load and needs to be adjusted. I'm sure noeone has messed with it in the last 4-5 years or more so I figure that it's time to repack it. Unfortunantly my trailer doesn't have a removable prop guard so I'm going to have to tow it down to the boat ramp and lets the back end hang off the trailer. Thankfully I live 15 minutes from the river so it's not to much trouble.
Is there anything else I should consider doing while I have the rudder out? I've heard people shave the rudder but I have no idea why. |
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'92 Excel
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GlassSeeker
Grand Poobah Joined: November-26-2008 Location: Elk Grove, CA. Status: Offline Points: 2421 |
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from what you describe I think you just should throw out the old helm and cable and go to a new rack and pinion system- new cable and helm.
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This is the life
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Gary S
Grand Poobah Joined: November-30-2006 Location: Illinois Status: Offline Points: 14096 |
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+1 I wonder when the rudder gets loaded if the helm binds and then slips. Why not disconnect the rudder taking that out of the equation and see if your problem is still there by holding the cabel end?
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Dreaming
Platinum Member Joined: May-21-2010 Location: Tacoma, WA Status: Offline Points: 1870 |
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if the helm is the problem, Kroundy may have one if the parts are interchangeable from a ski to an excel. check out the parts section
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Gary S
Grand Poobah Joined: November-30-2006 Location: Illinois Status: Offline Points: 14096 |
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One more comment is that the newer boats seem to have problems with steering systems, what has changed? Certainly not the rudders they are about the same for the last 50 years. The cable? yes and the failure rate has gone up too. The helm? made from stamped steel compaired to the castings of the older ones. |
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oldcuda
Senior Member Joined: June-22-2010 Status: Offline Points: 474 |
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I just replaced cable in my Resorter and was actualy cheaper to buy cable with the rack housing(helm)with all new bolts everything you need for silky smooth steering. Teleflex about $160 and worth every cent in my opinion.I know my cable was bad but for $25 less and an extra 1/2 hr no brainer.
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SNobsessed
Grand Poobah Joined: October-21-2007 Location: IA Status: Offline Points: 7102 |
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Yes, it looks like the prop is off to the right. Have you done a shaft alignment lately?
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“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”
Ben Franklin |
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Bri892001
Grand Poobah Joined: September-27-2008 Location: Boston MA Status: Offline Points: 4947 |
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Kapla went through this with his 92 ski Nautique.
Nautique Parts has everything you would need to get a new rotary helm. I know Kapla just changed over his whole system, of course he was in Argentina and didn't have as ready access to parts. His old helm had pretty much disentigrated. You're right about it being a rotary system, and a little different from a lot of others. Just 91 and 92 had that it looks like. |
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BuffaloBFN
Grand Poobah Joined: June-24-2007 Location: Gainesville,GA Status: Offline Points: 6094 |
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Looks like the strut and rudder port have been removed as well. |
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BuffaloBFN
Grand Poobah Joined: June-24-2007 Location: Gainesville,GA Status: Offline Points: 6094 |
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Filing the rudder is for fine tuning. That comes way after the helm and strut...if at all. |
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KileyB
Newbie Joined: September-21-2010 Location: Salem, OR Status: Offline Points: 19 |
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Do you mean to say removed and replaced again? |
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'92 Excel
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KileyB
Newbie Joined: September-21-2010 Location: Salem, OR Status: Offline Points: 19 |
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I've never done one. Sounds a little scary even for someone who isn't too afaid to do their own work. I've considered calling the local boat shop to see what they would charge to do it. have you done it yourself before? |
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'92 Excel
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OverMyHead
Grand Poobah Joined: March-14-2008 Location: MN Status: Offline Points: 4861 |
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For thousands of years men have felt the irresistible urge to go to sea, and many of them died. Things got better after they invented boats.
1987 Ski Nautique |
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BuffaloBFN
Grand Poobah Joined: June-24-2007 Location: Gainesville,GA Status: Offline Points: 6094 |
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Yes, the sealant doesn't look factory. |
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8122pbrainard
Grand Poobah Joined: September-14-2006 Location: Three Lakes Wi. Status: Offline Points: 41045 |
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I really don't feel that alignment is the cause of the hard steering. Maybe some but that would be in one direction only. You need to focus on that bad helm box.
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Tim D
Grand Poobah Joined: August-23-2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2641 |
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Several years ago on my Mustang, I noticed hard steering to the right and it was fine turning to the left. What happened is the thick spring on the helm end of the cable that the gears grab hold on was broken. Turning to the left was pulling the cable. But when I turned to the right which pushes the cable out of the helm, the cable was bunching up between the gears because the thick outer spring the wraps around the cable was broken. Well it finally broke one day. I took the helm apart and there was a big "hairball" of broken cable fibers in the grease.
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Tim D
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