Steering wheel hard to turn left than right

Sea Rider

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 20, 2008
Messages
12,345
Is the swivel bracket well greased with fresh grease as to turn freely with hand to both sides while steering cable is disconnected ? If so, seems old steering cable has had its Waterloo Time long ago, proper time to install a new one...

Happy Boating
 

Watermann

Starmada Splash of the Year 2014
Joined
Jan 12, 2013
Messages
13,747
I asked OP what type of helm he has in his boat but I guess he didn't see the post or know what I was talking about. it's always nice to know such info in order to give proper advice about 'steering'.

What type of helm do you have? Rack and pinion, rotary other?
 
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tavacska

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jan 21, 2017
Messages
244
I asked OP what type of helm he has in his boat but I guess he didn't see the post or know what I was talking about. it's always nice to know such info in order to give proper advice about 'steering'.
It's a rotary helm.


Is the swivel bracket well greased with fresh grease as to turn freely with hand to both sides while steering cable is disconnected ? If so, seems old steering cable has had its Waterloo Time long ago, proper time to install a new one...
It's well greased. Pretty smoothly rotating with hand. A little bit unnoticeable uneven between right/left.
Yeah, I should change the cable now. It's outside coat has cracks in many places.

My best guess now, is that the OP's biggest issue is his lack of experience....
I must admit it is absolutely true. This is my first boat and I go out boating just less than ten times.

There have been many replies stating your cable is the culprit,have you removed it and checked for any burrs/frays or kinks ?
I didn't take off the cable and check. It's a rotary cable and many cracks on outside coat. I should change it now.
 

Old Ironmaker

Captain
Joined
Dec 28, 2015
Messages
3,050
Hey, guys,
Thanks all for the inputs.

On sunday, I checked again on the issue.
What I did is to loosen the support on the trailer and make the boat free to roll a little bit on trailer.
What I found is that the boat is not weight distributed balance. It roll to the starboard side because it is a side console - boston whaler Newport 1970's. And this is why the tail of engine tends to turn to starboard.

When I managed to push the boat to port side on trailer, the problem is solved or not noticeable. When sitting still in water, I believe this will be the same issue.

I such case, I guess I have two options. 1. to balance the boat, 2. to replace a hydraulic steering system, which is expensive

You said " 2. On water, this situation is more obvious. One hand to turn right, and two hand to make it turn left, I mean the wheel"

?????? Again, what does sitting on the trailer have to do with pulling one way or another in the water? Every heavier O/B I have ever seen will flop over to one side when traveling on the trailer, small engines too. The transom saver solves that problem. Steering while on the trailer had nothing to do with how it steers in the water. My cable was so stiff eventually I couldn't move the O/B by hand while on the trailer, steering almost as hard, you are trying to move the entire weight of the O/B, when in the water much of the weight is suspended by the water itself.

Change the cable. Rotary can be as easy or easier as Rack and Pinion to change because you may not have a tight 90 degree turn at the gunnel to the engine. The cable may go through a raceway under the floor. As long as it is clear just tie a proper fish cable on and pull it through.
 
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Watermann

Starmada Splash of the Year 2014
Joined
Jan 12, 2013
Messages
13,747
I upgraded my helm from an old rack and pinion to the new Sea Star 4.2 NFB rotary and love it. The helm accepts no feed back from the motor end of the cable so when getting on a plane I have no torque getting to the wheel before I get the motor trimmed out.
 
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