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1986 Sea-Ray seville, sloppy steering at helm

R

Roy86

New member
At slow speeds I have 180 degrees of slop in the steering wheel trying to drive a straight line and the issue seems to be at the helm. It has a rack style steering system. Is there any way to adjust the play out of this type of system?
 
yes it does, I believe it is either a cable or the steering mechanism. the cable moves freely , when I move the wheel I can watch the cable at the outdrive and it is more responsive than when I 'm underway. The boat is only 18', so the helm is pretty close to the engine. It is almost as if the cable was stretching, that is kind of how it feels when underway, the steering feels mushy.
 
Next.....If the drive is swinging free you need to look at the gimbal ring. Get another person to help, let them move the drive back and forth while you look at the steering arm on the transom assembly behind the engine inside the boat, if the drive moves and the steering arm doesn't you need a major repair.
 
I finally got a hand to look at the steering arm, I have 1/2" swing on the outdrive before the arm moves. When I moved the steering wheel there was only about 2" of play on the wheel before the outdrive started to move. One thing I did notice ,and I don't know why I didn't see it before, but the little steering tab, on the cavitation plate, I believe it is also a part of the anode system, is almost gone. Is that enough to give me the problem I have?
 
Seems like you have a little wear here and a little wear there. The trim tab on the lower unit will not cause the boat to wander.


You may just have some excess bow steer at lower speeds.
 
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