Rack & pinion steering "rattle"

[lakelover]

My rack & pinion steering is brand new. I'm running a 50 hp 2-stroke Johnson on the boat that vibrates quite a bit at low rpm's as 2-strokes will do. When running slow, is there enough play in the cable, and is it normal for the unit to make a rattling noise under the dash? This is even when I am holding onto the wheel. I didn't expect it and don't know whether it's a problem or not.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Rack & pinion steering "rattle"

To answer your question, turn the helm in one direction or the other. If the rattling stops it's just tolerances in the system which you must have. What it can do over time is to wear out your gearing in the steering unit. Not much you can do to stop it.

Back in the days of cables and pulleys, the cables were anchored to the boat with springs which absorbed the thing you are talking about because most all engines but Mercury only used 2 cylinders and did that. OMC used to flaunt the fact that they had super soft rubber engine mounts to absorb the vibration and keep it off the boat. Later on, as engines got more powerful and boats faster, they had to firm them up so that you had better control over your engine at high speeds.

Mark

 

[lakelover]

Re: Rack & pinion steering "rattle"

Thanks, it does stop when I turn the wheel. My first thought was that it would eventually wear out the gears inside the rack over time.