Bravo 3 steering slop

I did some searching here at it seems that most of the time the slop is caused by a worn gimbal ring. Is it possible to look up at the bottom of the swivel shaft (drive removed) and see if the glimbal ring and swivel shaft have slop? Reason I ask is that I can detect no slop at all between those two parts, they move together like one solid piece, yet I have a few degrees of steering slop between the steering lever and the gimbal ring. Could my problem be as simple as a loose steering lever pinch bolt? I'd hate to pull the engine and remove the transom assembly only to discover I had the perfect candidate for drilling and plugging...

Re: Bravo 3 steering slop

Want to add, I have approximately 2.8 degrees of slop. It's enough to be aggravating when using trim tabs to keep the bow down in rough water. The boat will not remain level and tends to list to one side or the other as the drive flops from one side to the other with the tabs down. If I adjust the tabs to level the boat, it remains level for a second or two and the flops to the other side. Otherwise, the slop is not much of an issue.

Re: Bravo 3 steering slop

The gimbal bearing has nothing to do with the steering, that is what the driveshaft of the drive goes thru into the engine coupler.
There is a bushing in the upper part of the transom shield the the steering shaft attached to the GIMBAL RING and there is a ubolt that clamps the gimbal ring to the shaft. If there is slop there, that is a problem.
If that is tight, then that slop is just normal. They are not solid like car wheels. There is slop in the cable, and PS parts when you just move the drive by hand from the back of the boat.

Re: Bravo 3 steering slop

The best thing you can do is measure the play with the wheel tied off and measure it in inches

There is slop when there brand new




Tommays

Re: Bravo 3 steering slop

Thanks for the replies thus far, I appreciate the quick response.

I never wrote "Gimbal Bearing". I wrote "gimbal ring" and that's precisely what I meant.

I have checked the torque on the U bolt, it's nice and tight and will nbot move with 55 ft-lbs (or whatever service manual 11 called for) applied. I have a few quality torque wrenches.

The slop measures 1.2" total at the rear of the ventilation plate. There is a slight amount of slop in the steering cable, but the majority is between the steering lever and the gimbal ring. I have carefully verified this with the steering wheel held stationary.

I have checked brand new B3s for similar slop and found them to be very tight in comparison. I know 2.8 degrees or 1.2 inches does not seem like much, but on my boat, it's bothersome.

Unless someone can tell why it's a bad idea, I plan to drill, tap, and plug the gimabl housing so I can see if the steering lever is loose. I have the tools and the kit is cheap enough.

Re: Bravo 3 steering slop

Hey MM,...... It's still Pretty Early in the AM up there in Ketchikan,.......
Once Don rereads that,.....
He'll probably wish he'd had another cup of coffee before responding..........

Anyway,.......
Whether your drive is a candidate for the Punch,+ Plug,... Or a Yank,+ Rebuild is up to You,......

About the Only Thing I can think of to Help is,......
You could Disconnect the Tiller Arm from the steering Cable,+/or the P/Steering,......
Then you Should be able to tell if All of the Slop is In the Tiller Arm, as you'll be able to wiggle it with your fingers..............

Re: Bravo 3 steering slop

Thanks. I have done one better, I laid on top of the engine and watched the steering lever closely while the steering wheel was held stationary and the drive was moved from side to side. Other than a tiny amount of slop in the clevis pins (almost none), the measured slop is most assuredly between the steering lever and the gimbal ring.

Everything I've witnessed thus far says the slop is between the steering lever and the swivel shaft. These two items that seem to never have problems when steering slop occurs, at least none that I could find reported on the 'net. I am reluctant to think I have an exceptional drive so I am second guessing my troubleshooting.

The plug kit is on the way ($2.99
+ $2.48 shipping on eBay!!!). I'll know for sure soon.

Re: Bravo 3 steering slop

Hey Raymond,
I have 2004 Regal 2665 Commodore..

I have a similar problem with excessive slop... I have not measured it as you did, but the boat is out of water right now for some maintenance... so I will check it this weekend...
I know there is an adjustment tool for the shiftcontrols to adjust it properly... not sure what if any adjustments can be made to steering...
I find the boat is difficult to keep level when on plane, in rough water... I am going to change my trim tabs to the model that has an indicator... Still shopping for the correct brand I want...

interested to see what happens.

Re: Bravo 3 steering slop

I'll post my results after I do the work.

Re: Bravo 3 steering slop

I drilled the housing this weekend and took a peek at the steering lever and swivel shaft. Just as I suspected the slop is between the steering lever and swivel shaft, not the gimbal ring. I loosened and re-tightened the steering lever pinch bolt and that made no difference. I'll be doing more disassembly as the weather warms.

My Bravo 3 was new in the 2000 model year ( do not have the serial number handy). Anyone know if I have a sqaure opening in the steering lever or some type of splined opening? Just curious. Service manual 11 shows a square opening but I recall hearing that Merc changed to a splined connection at some point.

Re: Bravo 3 steering slop

I'm not certain,.....

But I believe the Change you're talking about happened Before the Bravos were introduced......

Re: Bravo 3 steering slop

I have a Crownline 262CR with B III. I'm having the wandering problem when coming up on plane. I also have a problem backing which is a hassle at the dock. The durn thing will back fine one direction and not hardly come over in the other direction. When I run it out in open water and do backing excercises, the problem side will switch depending on which way I steered the last time.

Any ideas where to look? (I don't resemble a boat mechanic in any way)

Re: Bravo 3 steering slop

(I don't resemble a boat mechanic in any way)

Click to expand...

Ayuh,....... But If you'd stayed at a Holiday Inn,.... You'd Already Know the Answer...........

You probably should Check for Play in the steering connections as noted above,.....
But,........
My Guess is,......With the limited Info here,.......
Water is a Dynamic Surface, Unlike Blacktop,.....
Just because you Turn the Wheel,.....
Doesn't necessarily mean the Boat is going that way, Because of Wind,+ Currents.......


Btw,.......... Starting your Own Thread will result in More,+ Better Answers,.....
Rather than Hy-Jacking MM's thread.......

Re: Bravo 3 steering slop

Sorry about that. I'll make a new post with more info.

Re: Bravo 3 steering slop

DonMerz,

Mine backs nicely to port but not to starboard. Hard over to starboard, and it'll back in a straight line with the boat canted a little sideways. Hard over to port and it pretty nearly spins like a twin engined boat. I don't think it's got anything to do with steering slop. I'm used to it.

Re: Bravo 3 steering slop

Howdy,

I have not bolted my Transom assy into the hole yet. (Still 2 holes to drill)

Mine is a 1997 model year unit.

The "slop' you're describing is possibly a worn gimbal ring where the Swivel Shaft connects to the Gimbal Ring. This happens when the Locknuts and U-bolt are not kept tight (Service Manual #11 indicates 55 ft-lbs) Since the Gimbal ring is aluminum "slop" causes wear and more slop! It appears that the only fix is Gimbal ring replacement or repair: http://www.mercstuff.com/rebuiltgimbalrings.htm
These people claim their modification is better than new

There's instructions on how to remove/replace there also.



I looked mine over VERY closely and it's in good shape. It appears that if you keep it tight and take steps to prevent corrosion it'll last a long time.

Take a look at slop in your rack & pinion too.

Edit: I re-read your original post. Are you talking about play in the steering wheel or play in the actual lower unit?

Steering wheel play will be the sum total of the rack & pinion, actuator to steering lever play and slop in the actuator. Lower unit play will be in the gimbal-ring bearings, actuator to steering lever. There'll always be *some* play.



Regards,


Rick

Mischief Managed said:

DonMerz,

Mine backs nicely to port but not to starboard. Hard over to starboard, and it'll back in a straight line with the boat canted a little sideways. Hard over to port and it pretty nearly spins like a twin engined boat. I don't think it's got anything to do with steering slop. I'm used to it.

Click to expand...

Re: Bravo 3 steering slop

Finally got the shrink wrap off and got the problem sorted. The steering lever pinch bolt was never lubed from the factory, and was torqued dry. When I lubed it and torqued it, per the manual, the slop disappeared. Simple, cheap fix. SO glad I did not pull the engine.