Tug of speed :)
 

Hi!

Merry Christmas from Norway to all at OSO :)

I have noticed since I bought my Verado 350 Sci that its very important to bleed the power assisted steering properly. I need to do it every year. If not my narrow Phantom 25 (5,5 feet wide) will be a handful to drive and I loose bowlift due to crabbing. If done properly I gain 2-3 mph instantly. However, there is still a little backclash. Approx 1/2 - 1 inch, Is this common to the Merc power asisted steering? The reason for asking is that when I used SeaStar Pro hydraulic steering on my Promax 300, I did not have so much backclash. However, the good thing with the powerassisted Verado steering is that there is no tug in the steering wheel whatsoever. Even with the engine jacked high. With the Seastar Pro a torquetamer was a must.

Then we come in to the next issue :) When I owned the Promax 300 I used a Torquemaster lower unit with an built in torquetamer. The boat drove as on rails. Top speed that time was approx 75-76 mph, With the Verado 350 Sci the top speed is 81-82 mph, but the gearcase is a little more tricky to handle at wot. The gearcase is bigger both in diameter and lenght. And the skeg is deeper as well.

So the questions are;

1. Is there something I can do to make the Merc racing power assisted steering more exact and with no backclash? Replace tubes, etc
2. Is there a better helm I can buy and still use the Merc electrical pump and Verado steering cylinder?
3. or does it make sense adding a torque tamer in a system with no tug in the wheel. The tug normally gives you a instant "need" to counteract, and due to this you get crabbing. Your lower unit will not be straight and you will loose speed.

I also plan to buy a bigger Merc when it arrives. Not in 2015, but in 2016. Hopefully they will deliver a Sportmaster lower unit in 2016. If not I will approach blow out - but thats a different tread to come :)

Thanks for your help.

Cheeers, Toffen

Why not go with a hydraulic helm. With a hydraulic helm the engine or outdrive is absolutely rock steady. There will be NO side to side movement of the engine or outdrive.

Hi!

The engine is rock steady. No slack what so ever, But its a little play in the wheel before the engine reacts. I have a Electro-hydraulic Power steering standard with Verado 350 sci.

Cheeers, Toffen

I am not the expert about Verado's but follow a tab bit of Merc training on them. These are a app I would never see being inland & lake boating use. First have to ask if you are using the correct fluid that's needs to go into the units. If I recall you need to use SAE 0w- 30 power steering fluid in these apps. If you do not use the correct fluid, the oil used that's not correct will foam up causing air in the system. You CAN NOT use the Sea Star hydraulic steering fluid in these apps and expect to work correctly. It won't.

I do have a lot of the OEM in class training manuals on the Verado's but not to sound stupid, I have never even looked at them. I can not waste my time on stuff that I would not see to work on. I will see if something in the current manuals will list why to your problem(s). Once again, I do know about using the correct fluid like I mentioned. I will have to double check to make sure that is the correct fluid SAE 0w-30 power steering fluid to use in your app.

HI!

Thanks BUP. I will check if my dealer use the correct fluid. Thats essential.

Cheeers, Toffen

Please check and let me know if that fixes it or not. if not I will look for any parts and or service bulletins along with the class training manuals if they have problem solvers mentioned about the steering systems. good luck with it.

Hi Toffen
I have several mates with the 350sci on 21' deep v ski racing boat applications.
They are certainly a handful compared to a 300xs and cable/bat wing steering systems. I can't say I noticed a huge amount of play in the helm however I noted that on all of them you had to walk the wheel left to keep the boat going straight when running full trim. This annoys the sh!t out of me! Makes it very hard to drive at speed in large choppy water.
I personally think it's probably not designed to handle the torque loads on the steering in our application and is having to go over relief when at full trim.
I would try peterunwin on here. He designs and builds his own hydraulic steering set ups and is one smart dude.

Sorry to derail. Your boat is 5 1/2' wide?

What's with the two cryptic posts??

Hi!

Yes, its 5,5 feet wide :) 25 feet long.

Cheeers, Toffen

While the boat isn't running can you tur the wheel about an inch until it grabs then let it go and it will return?

Hi!

I will check next time if the wheel returns. I beleive so.

Cheeers, Toffen

Hi Kurt,

When I am 3 people in the boat the boat is easier to drive than me alone since the extra weight settles the boat more. The topspeed is only 1-2 mph less than me alone. The combination of the big lower unit and the steering system demands for some extra efforts, than my former SeaStar Pro and Torquemaster gearcase (Promax 300).

I do not use much positive trim at WOT, just a tad more than neutral. So the balance of the boat is better than before. There is no torque in my wheel at WOT. There is no slack in the steering sylinder either, but this summer I could not get the wheel to be as precise as it was the year before. And I need to work the wheel much more than to keep the boat running straight. And it steals speed. I have also learned that the helm itself has a leak rate that causes the wheel to need to be rotated left constantly to go straight. But if its rocked back and forth gently, it does not leak as much. I did not know that.

Maybe a weird question, but would be be possible to replace the helm with SeaStar Pro hydraulic pump (1,500 psi), skip the Merc electrical pump aft in the boat - but keep the steering sylinder on the engine? The SeaStar Pro is strong. Maybe I get torque in my wheel, but if I remember correctly I beleive this pump to be more precise.

Cheeers, Toffen