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AQ131A / 275 Steering issues...

maine1963

maine1963

Member
Took the "new to us" boat out on sea trials today after timing belt, electronic ignition installation, along with numerous other tune up items.........

Ran GREAT, thanks all for the help here!

Well, bringing it back to the dock the steering got jammed/stuck whatever you want to call it, hard to PORT. Luckily I was right close to dock. The Morse control cable looks fairly new!!!

I was wondering if anyone else ran into this and if they have some trouble shooting ideas. There were NOT any steering issues until I cut the helm hard to port and it never came back! I can not budge it all all.

Well, thanks in advance - I would love to take boat out again tomorrow!
 
You may want to disconnect the Morse cable and move the steering arm from hard to port to hard to starboard, and vice versa, a few times. If OK (it likely will be OK) the problem will be either at the steering helm or the Morse cable. If not, you may have to check what is jamming the outdrive.
 
The outdrive, when disconnected, moves freely from port to stbd...

I then disconnected the morse housing that attaches to the helm gears and loaded it up with PB Blaster the best I could. I am hoping that it will free itself up??

When you order a new morse cable does this 18"x2" aluminum housing (with the gear tread in it) come with the cable? I suppose I should be looking for a new cable??

Thanks,
Greg
 
That's a "rack" steering system and yes it is part of the cable. If I were you I would get a complete system, less wheel, and put it in. Might try a rotary, they take up less space and will work fine. Whatever you get the cost between a complete system and cable only is not much at all. I won't install just the cable only in my shop, it gets the system or nothing from me. I don't make a dime more but I sleep better knowing the customer got all NEW parts.
 
Gary,

Do I simply take the rack system and cable out and bring it to a marine supplier?? Or does the Morse number (located at the end of the cable nearest the outdrive connection) get me what I need?

Sorry, this steering thing is new to me as far as having to order a new one. I agree with replacing the entire system.

Thanks,

Greg
 
You buy them by the foot length and most systems are the same price untill you get up to 20' I think. The cable you have will have markings on it if you can still read them. Sometimes they get rubbed off, but it WILL have a length either in feet or inches. I think the red morse cables are in white and have the inch measurement. When you figure it out let me know what length it is, I have a rotory that I misordered and if it will work you can have it at my cost if you want it, I didn't bother sending it back to the supplier. Normally the length is after all the other jarble on the cable. Steering cables are the hardest as you can't have to little and it's hard to hide to much.
 
14' is what the inches label converts to. Let me know if your rotorary one is the same. I have a local shop checking on getting one for monday. He quoted me a price of $128.

Thanks! Greg
 
IMO, the Rack and Pinion is superior to the Rotary steering. I'd stay with that if that is what you have now.
The R & P unit is also capable of being disassembled. You may find that you can clean it up, lube it and get it working well again.

.
 
Well, I installed the Rotary style steering cable, and it does act differently then the Rack style - that is for sure. But boat was back in water today! Yeagh... but new problem with overheating after 2-3 hours. We even anchored for an hour and then on way back to dock it overheated. I am going to search the forum for answers.

Greg
 
Check the raw water hose connector in the outdrive. If it is corroded/perforated, the raw water pump will suck air when the boat is on the plane.
 
Found a small tear right at where the raw water hose connects to the outdrive. When I pull the boat out of the water I saw water leaking from outdrive around "hose area". There is a smaller hose about 2-1/2" but can't find it on the douglas marine schematics. I took the thermostat out and it looks like it needs replacement, will check it out in a pot of boiling water with a thermometer. Heat exchanger looks great! Hoping it is simply just the thermostat and perhaps that small tear on the raw water hose.

Can I run this engine on land to test, I assume with just ear muffs on outdrive?? Thanks again EP.

Greg in maine
 
Greg, I would be surprised if the thermostat is bad, unless the engine has been run with water rather than with coolant.

Where did you find the tear, in part 24 or in part 51? Part 24 is the exhaust bellows and it has a pinhole at the bottom to drain the water from the exhaust. So if you see water pouring from that punhole, that is the way it is supposed to be. The part that normally goes bad is part 53.

http://www.dougrussell.com/partscat...,1919,1934,1935,1920,1936,1921,1937,1938,1940

which is part 28 in the following link; and also the beaded gasket part 29 in the link below.

http://www.dougrussell.com/partscat...,1919,1934,1935,1920,1936,1921,1937,1938,1940

Yes, you can run the outdrive on ear muffs, but better if you use a drum or a large pail where you can immerse the outdrive at least up to the cavitation plate level.
 
The tear is on pc #24 on this link

http://www.dougrussell.com/partscat...,1919,1934,1935,1920,1936,1921,1937,1938,1940

It is directly under the hose clamp. Why would pc #28 (Hose Connection) cause the engine to overheat? Is it because of air suction? PC @28 is aluminum, so is it that this piece deteriorates due to corrosion? This boat has not seen salt water, to the best of my knowledge anyways... From what I have read - this overheating problem is quite the troubleshooting process. Is there a particular order in which I could do this troubleshooting? I would like to save the removal of the exhaust manifold for LAST, since I just know the possibility of breaking studs off!

Thanks,

Greg
 
Part 24 is the exhaust bellows, not a cooling hose. That should not be your problem, unless it has a flapper that happens to be stuck.

The water neck (hose connector, part 53) gets corroded and eventually perforated, allowing the raw water pump to suck air when the boat is on the plane.

In your case, I would start troubleshooting the overheating problem by first looking at the raw water strainer by the heat exchanger; then I would look at the raw water pump impeller; then at the raw water hose connector and beaded gasket; then at the exhaust manifold; then at the circulating pump belt (alternator belt, but also moves the water circulating pump); and last at the heat exchager itself.
 
As far as the raw water strainer, I replaced it when I first bought the boat, as well as the raw water pump impeller. I also replaced the alternator belt and ensured it had proper "deflection".

So, going by your process of elimination - I need to replace the water neck hose (53), and replace the raw water hose connector and beaded gasket. Test motor, putting the out-drive in a big drum.

If that does not work, then I investigate further into the heat exchanger. I assume I get it boiled?? or is that the exhaust manifold. I did not see any junk or gunk in the heat exchanger. I am familiar with indirect shell and tube heat exchangers as I worked on them in the Navy, allot! I will remove the copper connecting tube from the exhaust manifold and check for gunk at both ends as well.

Thank you so MUCH E.P. for your help and guidance - you are a very nice person to be helping not just me, but all those on this forum. Your help is invaluable indeed.

Greg in Maine
 
You are welcome Greg, and thank you for your kind words.

The neck hose 53 seldom goes bad (but seldom is not "never"). If you install a new hose connector, I suggest you coat the surfaces where it mates the hose and the beaded gasket with aviation gasket, or Loctite sealing compound, or Quicksilver perfect Seal. Hopefully, this way it will last longer. Also, I would coat both sides of the beaded gasket as well as the surface on the intermediate housing around the water tube where the beaded gasket seats.
 
Used the Aviation sealant, waited 5 minutes before mating parts together (new hose connector - as the old one was quite corroded, new lower bellows, new raw water hose, checked and verified heat exchanger was not clogged, replaced and properly tightened alt. belt, verified exhaust manifold was not clogged (it actually looks newer than the rest of the engine), checked impeller, checked strainer...

Took boat to nearby lake and she ran great! Thank you el_Pescador!!

The oil pressure ran about 80psig at 4500rpm, but I assume that is normal - as it came down to around 40-60psig at cruising speed??

Great Forum, Great input! Thanks so much again, people like you are far and few between el pescador!

Greg in Maine
 
You are welcome, Greg.

Yes, the oil pressure will be higher when the engine is cold, but it will come down after it warms-up when the engine has been running for awhile.
 
el_pescador said:
You are welcome, Greg.

Yes, the oil pressure will be higher when the engine is cold, but it will come down after it warms-up when the engine has been running for awhile.
Click to expand...

The oil pressure I understand will be higher when engine is cold (Viscosity), but it is Constantly higher at 3500-4500 RPM. and engine has been running for 20minutes plus.

Greg
 
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