ski centurion falcon

bclongdrive

Recruit
Joined
May 23, 2015
Messages
5
Hi, new to the forum and looking for some advice. I have a 1988 ski centurion falcon. I just installed a brand new steering cable and helm, replaced the pivot ball connector at the back and redid the rudder stuff box, the boat always tracked perfectly straight at any speed with the old stiff steering cable but now as soon as I hit 32mph the boat zig zags like crazy. I haven't even tried skiing behind it yet because of the darting all over the place. Have done some reading on rudder tuning but don't even know where to start... the boat does have slight pull to the left at speeds below 32mph but as soon as I hit that speed the wheel starts moving left and right and I zig zag.

The tiller arm is tight and no play and there is no play in the rudder.

Of not the boat does have an older mastercraft rudder on it.

Any advice is truly appreciated!

Brett Cleverdon
 

rallyart

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Jun 7, 2008
Messages
1,175
The size of the rudder is really important. That could be the problem if it's not original. If all the connections are correct and snug and the steering rack or coil at the wheel (depending on which it has) is snug you should be able to steer the boat with one finger at any speed and have it be stable.
Does your hull have tracking fins at the centre of the keel? If not, install a couple. If yes, perhaps they are bent.
Rudder tuning is putting a load on the rudder so that it will always want to steer one direction as the speed goes up. This is a slalom course trick to make it easier for the driver to keep the boat really steady when the skier is going through the pylons. If you want the boat to be loaded into a left turn so that you are always putting tension on the wheel by pulling it to the right some you would file off some of the left rear of the rudder making it a bit more like a wing on that side instead of the usual flat rear edge. You do this in increments as it is tough to put material back on.
 

bclongdrive

Recruit
Joined
May 23, 2015
Messages
5
Hi thanks for your reply. A few things I left out of the original post. The boat SHOULD be trying to go to the right when I let go of the wheel yet it was going to the left. I very slightly shaved the leading edge of the right side of the rudder and it now does drift right when I let go of the wheel which Is correct. It does track straight at all speeds now. There is 3 tracking fins under the boat yes. The last remaining issue now is a very twitchy darty feeling it gets when you turn left, almost feels like it's turning on the back of the boat when going left.. the rudder it came with had actually fallen out of the boat and is in 100 feet of water. To get a replacement from centurion was $1,000 shipped to me in Canada and I got this mastercraft one for a couple hundred so really hoping I can get it to work.

Any further advice appreciated
 
Top