My boat's steering wheel wont turn left?

[samocamo123]

I have a 1986 Ebbtide Montego with a 1985 Stringer 400 3L OMC engine (302sthrcom) and it steers fine to the right but if i turn the wheel to the left even slightly it locks up and I cant do anything but go straight or turn right. What could my problem be? I believe this boat has tru-course (non-power) steering.

 

[Scott Danforth]

pull the drive and look at the steering gear. with the drive off, you can also check if its your cable and helm

 

[fhhuber]

Check back at the engine for something in the way of the engine turning one way. Like a previous owner being not so bright about installing a ladder or something.
(yes, people are that dumb)

Could also be as simple as the steering being mis-installed. If they had the engine centered and the wheel hard over when they put it back together (after lube or some other service) then you get one way steering.

 

[samocamo123]

Check back at the engine for something in the way of the engine turning one way. Like a previous owner being not so bright about installing a ladder or something.
(yes, people are that dumb)

Could also be as simple as the steering being mis-installed. If they had the engine centered and the wheel hard over when they put it back together (after lube or some other service) then you get one way steering.

I haven't had time to look at it, but it was working fine and then it randomally wouldn't turn left. It does the same thing out of water.

 

[fhhuber]

That would mean something broke and you have to take apart the steering to find it.

 

[samocamo123]

That would mean something broke and you have to take apart the steering to find it.

The steering helm spins the cable and the cable moves on both ends and when it locks up it can move a tiny bit in the direction it cant turn on the wheel and the cable moves too but the drive won't move. I got it to go past it a couple of times but now it locks up when i go right and the boat is constantly slightly turned left and wont even go to center.

 

[fhhuber]

sounds like you chipped a tooth on a gear and its slowly moving along the rack.

 

[samocamo123]

sounds like you chipped a tooth on a gear and its slowly moving along the rack.

I opened the upper unit and the gear was slightly chipped causing tons of tiny fragments of metal to be in there binding the gear, it seems to be working now but I will eventually get a new gear. By chance do you know how much oil to add to the upper unit, I know its 80w90 but my dipstick must have been lost as it its now just a ground down bolt

 

[fhhuber]

You'll have to look up the maker's lubrication specs for that unit.

You won't get far with it just cleaning out chips... the gear is going to keep chipping.
Maybe 1 or 2 trips to the lake... maybe less than 5 minutes.
I would not even try.