Suzuki DF140 has too much torque?

[MNCroc]

I just bought a new boat (Alumacraft 17') with a DF140. First time out, went through the manual-prescribed "break in" process...slowly advancing engine RPMs over a number of hours. The boat seemed REALLY stiff to steer to the left. It got better as the day went on and as we got into higher RPMs.

I took it back to the dealer to check out and they said it was performing normally. They said it was just a factor of the direction the prop turns and due to the high amount of torque from that engine through the midrange. They water tested it, but didn't adjust anything. They suggested I could experiment with the trim tab but suggested it probably wouldn't make much difference on that setup (it doesn't have hydraulic assist steering).

Just wondering if this sounds normal to others in the forum or what else I might try.

thanks in advance,

Croc

 

[JB]

Re: Suzuki DF140 has too much torque?

Sound normal to me, Croc. Torque steer is a fact of life with outboards. You can reduce it by turning the trim tab in the direction it wants to turn, but it is very hard to get rid of it altogether.

 

[gsyfishy]

Re: Suzuki DF140 has too much torque?

JB is right on, the trim tab can be adjusted slightly, but with my DT-150 SS, I have the same problem, of course I also have a slight bend on my skeg. And as far as too much torque, there is no such thing in my book.