Tight steering

[heycods]

Unusual to me, on my pontoon, steres like a dream at low speed,but under full throttle its hard to turn, I greased the motor zerks, havent pulled the stering cable from the motor to check if motor is free yet, will do that in the am. any other ideas?

 

[ray estep]

Re: Tight steering

Unusual to me, on my pontoon, steres like a dream at low speed,but under full throttle its hard to turn, I greased the motor zerks, havent pulled the stering cable from the motor to check if motor is free yet, will do that in the am. any other ideas?

 

[ray estep]

Re: Tight steering

I've been trying to remove the steering cable from my 1977 monark with 85 hp evenrude. I've take off the steering wheel and pulled out the cable from that end. I assume this means the cable broke off inside. I need info on how to disconnect the cable at the other end. I have a manual on the way but would like to get to work. thanks for any help!

R&R in the Ozarks

 

[ray estep]

Re: Tight steering

I've been trying to remove the steering cable from my 1977 monark with 85 hp evenrude. I've take off the steering wheel and pulled out the cable from that end. I assume this means the cable broke off inside. I need info on how to disconnect the cable at the other end. I have a manual on the way but would like to get to work. thanks for any help!

R&R in the Ozarks

 

[ray estep]

Re: Tight steering

Unusual to me, on my pontoon, steres like a dream at low speed,but under full throttle its hard to turn, I greased the motor zerks, havent pulled the stering cable from the motor to check if motor is free yet, will do that in the am. any other ideas?

 

[ray estep]

Re: Tight steering

8)I'm still thinking on what could be causeing your problem. Mybe pontoons are just that way I dont Know. It may be in the mechanizim under the dash. By the way I checked my motor for stiffness by disconnecting the rod that goes from the end of the cable to the motor that will save a lot of trouble. I ended up haveing to remove my motor to get my cable out. used my basiket ball goal and a come along. I'd never removed a boat motor before but it worked like charm. I'm just waiting to get a new cable now. I've seen some one recommend pulling the cable out far enough to spray in some pb. I don't know what pb is so I don't know. Someone let me know what pb is if you could. My dad swears by marvel mystery oil and he's been a diesel mechanic all his life. hope you fine your answer!

Ozarks R&R

 

[KYHunter2]

Re: Tight steering

Improper trim angle and trim tab adjustment , can cause steering torque , also.

It would be gradually worse , as rpm's increase.

If its a new condition , and nothing , as far as trim angle , or tab adjustment , was changed .

Then your probably on the right track.

PB, is PB blaster, a penetrating oil, similar to liquid wrench.

Available at most auto parts stores.

But, IMHO, much better.

Just try to keep it off painted surfaces, as it removes paint , very well.

KYHunter

KYHunter

 

[heycods]

Re: Tight steering

stering tube was clean, regresed with lubriplate. Disconected stering arm, Motor is free as a goose, With stering arm disconnected stering wheel moves freely. Cable is good and free travling. Motor is free to rotate, stering tube is clean and lubricated.
took it to the lake for test run, steering free up to 2000rpms starts to stiffen after that, takes gorilla mussles at wide open throttle still. \
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[heycods]

Re: Tight steering

^ ^ ^

 

[F_R]

Re: Tight steering

Is it hard to steer in both directions or just one way? If it's just one way, it's caused by engine torque.

But, being it's a pontoon boat, I rather suspect you probably have too many bends, or too sharp of bends, in the steering cable. A little bit of friction at the motor is greatly multiplied by extra/sharp bends in the cable. For example, on a conventional boat the cable makes one bend after it leaves the helm and turns aft. Then it makes one more bend at the rear as it heads toward the motor. But install a cable that's too long and you have to pull it back to connect to the tiller, causing a sag in the cable, and it will steer like an old dump truck.

If your trouble is indeed caused by unavoidable bends in the cable, and you get a belly-full of it, then bite the bullet and install hydraulic steering. Oil doesn't care how many corners it has to go around. (This advice offered by a retiree from a hydraulic steering manufacturer) That would be me.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Tight steering

Interesting problem/troubleshooting. Possible that cable was kinked during installation and the kink was removed (from external appearances) but the center rod retains the kink. Putting it under load is where the kink binds.

I think if it's a trim tab issue you have steering torque in only one direction as mentioned by KY.

If it's a kink in the cable, it should move easily when the cable is being retracted as the kink is under tension in that direction.

The confusing part could be if you have both problems and one affects you in one direction and the other the other direction.

Your problem getting worse at higher rpms surely points to a trim tab adjustment, but higher rpm's mean higher pressure against the steering cable too so it's confusing.

What's the position of your engine with respect to the water's surface. Is it perpendicular or tucked way in?

Mark

 

[ray estep]

Re: Tight steering

Whats too much slack? I just pulled my motor to replace my cable on my 16.5' monark. I originally put in a 10' cable but found it to be a little less than a foot short. I reordered a 12' cable just to be on the safe side. I left my original cable at the parts place so I didn't have it to campare to the new one. I remember thinking the boat steered weird when I first took it out. It seemed like the boat did the oppasit of what I expected in tight turns. Could this be from a cable that is too long? Thanks

Ozarks R&R

 

[F_R]

Re: Tight steering

Ray, I don't know exactly what you mean by "wierd". If it means harder to steer, that probably is the problem.

 

[mikesea]

Re: Tight steering

If the steering is ok when not under power ,in both directions,tends to make me think its the package as a whole.Size boat,under load .IHas it ever been easier,?As mentioned a hydraulic system will take the problem away. But I think the No Feedback steering system might help. It has a little more gearing in it and perhaps the size of the pontoon boat would benefit from it.How big is the steering wheel/a larger diameter would help too.

 

[mikesea]

Re: Tight steering

Help ME out here.Are there a few guys asking questions on this thread.Pontoon boat ,I posted already,different helm,like no feedback,larger diameter wheel,perhaps one of those wheel knobs for extra leverage. For the Monark, to remove the cable at the engine side,disconnect the steering on the port side,the cable nut on the starbord side,the cable should pull out.but assuming it is stuckyou might want to put a large vise grip plyers on the cable ,on the starboard side and while 1 or more guys pull it ,hit the jaws of the vice grips,DONT hit the end of the cable where the steering connects,you will only mushroom the end of the cable end and it wont go through the tube.You might want to grease the steering bar (the side with the hole)If you get the steering bar into the pivot tube of the motor ,you can then tap it through using a bar and hammer.You dont want to mush the side that needs to go through the motor,or it WILL BE putting a square peg in a round hole.

 

[heycods]

Re: Tight steering

:'( stiff both ways, Cavatatuion plate level with water, as pontoon dosent plane out I presume the cav, plate is at water level at all times. Motor has tilt and trim, dosent make any difference on wot, steering problem.
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[Joe Reeves]

Re: Tight steering

With the engine NOT running, are you able to forcibly move the powerhear somewhat back & forth (front to back) or quite a bit sideways without moving the steering arm?

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Tight steering

My steering with my new cable works excellent.....but I have NFB rack and pinion and you can't move the wheel by trying to turn the engine; at least my setup won't turn.....that's the essence of NFB isn't it? So if he has that he can't.

Just a note.

Mark

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Tight steering

heycods, I think you just eliminated the trim tab as the culprit cause pressure should change with different tilt positions.

Something just occurred to me. A toon is a long sucker and has a lot of keel.....both toons. Just think about it. When the engine is at WOT you have a lot of whoopie from the prop and when you decide to turn, that torque is fightinig the resistance of the toons to turning.

You know, since boats push rather than pull, the engine is having to push against the toons sideways to cause the boat to change course. At low speed there isn't much force, but at WOT it's different.

And, like you said, you are not planing, you are essentially a displacement hull type thing so you have a lot of force fighting the direction change.

I don't think you mentioned what's the hp of your engine or how long your toon is. It may be that you are just experiencing a normal phenomenon if you have a big engine on a long toon.

In that case maybe hyd steering is in order......but is your transom bracket up to it?

Mark

 

[heycods]

Re: Tight steering

The toon is 25' with an 88spec johnson on it.

Question: With the engine NOT running, are you able to forcibly move the powerhear somewhat back & forth (front to back) or quite a bit sideways without moving the steering arm?

No slop or ware in the motor in any dirrection. Some one said I should be able to turn the motor by manually grabbing the motor and turning it by hand." I cannot"
The stering is not rack and pinion.