out drive play

rickasbury

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
753
So I have been threatening to do something about the out drive play, bravo III. Rebuilt the transom assy including a new steering pin and the old one was just a little pitted and not worn but replace while I had it apart. The drive does not move side to side at the pivot point of the steering pin but swings like there is slop in the cable. The boat is a 2006, only had 100 hours on it when I bought it 4 years ago.and it was the same then. Is there any adjustment to the steering at all? Hard to imagine it has stretched with as few hours on it.....everything seems to be tight otherwise....
 

Mad Props

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Jul 8, 2016
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When you are "swinging it", are you physically moving the drive left and right by hand, or are you feeling slop at the steering wheel? Some slop at the steering wheel is pretty normal, but if the drive is moving freely left and right a bit before you feel any resistance would make me think the arm where the power steering ram mounts to the transom could be wallowed out a bit.
I'd set your phone in the boat pointing at this spot and move the drive back and forth and watch the video and see if theres slot in that joint. If not, I'd trace back further to the power steering hydraulic unit itself and investigate there.

I'm not an expert on bravo drives so this is coming from my alpha experience, but I assume they are very similar.
 

Bondo

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Apr 17, 2002
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The drive does not move side to side at the pivot point of the steering pin but swings like there is slop in the cable.

Ayuh,....... 'n just how did you come to this ^^^ conclusion,..??..??

It really takes 3 people, to find steerin' slop,.....
1 at the wheel,....
1 at the drive,.....
'n 1 to look at All the connections while the other 2 either wiggle, or hold,......
 

rickasbury

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
753
I have a new steering pin in the transom asy so that takes me down to two......I do have play in the steering wheel...a lot so that is where I'd look first. About 300 hours on the boat. Going on plane it's fine...slow speed she is a wanderer... like driving a car with a wore out front end....
 

Bondo

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Going on plane it's fine...slow speed she is a wanderer... like driving a car with a wore out front end....

Ayuh,...... That may not be slop, but instead V-hull wander,..... they all do it,.....

The best cure I've found is less operator input,..... let it wander, 'n it'll come back,.....
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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Jul 23, 2011
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As Bondo said, all v-hulls with a single motor wonder like a drunken sailor below planing speed

Also, there is a bit of "slop" in the actuator where the steering cable is connected to the actuator. This is normal too. Its the pilot shuttle of the power steering
 
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