Boat pulling to the right?

[legend602]

I have a 2001 Nitro NX 882 w/Merc 150 OB engine. When I'm going slow, it's perfectly fine, but once I get up on plane, it pulls really hard to the right. I have a trim tab on the back below the cavitation plate (And above the prop). I turned it all the way to the left) Making it pull to the right more) and all the way to the right (Making it pull to the right less) but still pulls to the right quite a bit. Once on plane, I can trim the engine out a bit, and it quits pulling, but once I start hitting waves, it starts pourposing(sp), and it just gets worse, and worse untill I trim the engine way back down (Making it pull to the right again) and then trim it back up again. When I'm on plane, the engine is facing straight when it pulls to the right, and the prop seems fine. The skeg is bent a little bit (From the previous owner) but it's bent towards the right (In an angle that would push the engine more to the left). I had someone look while I'm on plane, and the cavitation plate is sitting right ontop of the water. I couldn't see anything on the boat to cause it to produce more drag on the right-side, either. The only other thing I can think of, is it's a single-console boat, so is it possible that the added weight of the console to the right side of the boat could put that much more drag on it?<br /><br />Any ideas or insight would be tremendously helpful...<br /><br />Thanks,<br />Mike Carlson

 

[trevorcday]

Re: Boat pulling to the right?

The trim tab on the motor will produce neutral steering at a given throttle setting only in one trim position. When the motor is trimmed up or down from that position it will always pull one way or the other. It sounds like within the range of adjustment of the motor's trim tab you can't get neutral steering without the boat porposing. Maybe you could try raising the motor one or two holes to reduce the porposing. Another approach might be to add some small trim tabs to the boat to reduce the porposing. We have had great results with tiny trim tabs only 8" wide by 1" long.<br /><br />Another way around the problem is to install a no-feedback steering system or better yet hydraulic steering.<br /><br />Good luck.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: Boat pulling to the right?

Check out Bobs Machine Shop at www.bobsmachine.com and look at the torque tamer. It should explain whats happening in very good detail. Or call Bobs tech line at 813-645-3966. This will cure the problem and not just mask it.<br /><br />Good luck!

 

[tufftango]

Re: Boat pulling to the right?

If your boat is turning right and you moved the fin to the left then you made the problem worse.<br />Start over again and turn the fin in the same direction the boat is turning a little at a time.<br />I know it sounds werd, but that is how it works.

 

[legend602]

Re: Boat pulling to the right?

Thanks for the help... The boat was pulling realy hard to the right, and when I would turn right, the back of the boat would kick out from under me if I turned too sharp (But I wasn't really turning very sharp at all). I put on the trim tab fin (Just below the cavitation plate). and that helped it alot, once it was trimmed way out. But then the boat would start bouncing REALLY bad (To the point to where it got really scary). So I dropped the engine a notch on the jack plate, and that solved all of the problems. Even with the fin turned all the way to the right, it still pulls to the right when the engine is trimmed all the way down, but once I trim it up a little, it corrects itself....<br /><br />Thanks again for all the help!