Steering problem, Any advice?
 

As im sure you all know by now I got my tub out on the water for a test drive for about 15 minutes or so on Sunday

As I backed off the trailer I noticed that my steering was majorly tight.
I checked the fluid and topped off with PS fluid
No help
I went from side to side back to side to side to side to side
It turns but is VERY tight
Is there some adjustment or just grease the rod that slides in and out of the steering box on the transom?
Grease the cable from helm to transom?
I dont know what to do on this one, any suggestions would be helpful since I really could use some easy steering
Thanks
Jason

Dude.....Glad to see you got it running!!! I wasn't out on Sunday, but will be out Wed. after work.

Does your power steering fluid lines run through the oil cooler? are those lines hooked up right? Sounds like the fluid isn't getting back to the arms. Can you check (reach) back there for fluid?

yeah it runs through the coolers
I can reach the cooler although a pain but not impossible
does it matter which way the fluid goes through the cooler ?
or should it be either way ?
There is only one high pressure line that goes from pump to box, then out of box returns to cooler back side, then front side to return on pump
That is how I think it goes if I remember correctly.
Does it matter that i put power steering fluid in there instead of the trans fluid that was in there?
Jason

Your steering fluid should go the opposite direction of the water.

Jon

YO J, glad it is coming together!!!!!!!

Did you have the caps off the steering cylinders?? I would pop them and bleed the system real quick by turning the wheel side to side a few times. YOu never know and it only takes about 30 seconds. Put a rags over the hole, that s*** will shoot all over.

Also, I assume, just like any other cable, that if it gets rusty/dry (no grease) it will not function right and eventially break. May want to think about that like you mentioned above. May be better to just replace it if you are certain that is the issue. Good luck humpo, hope you get it finished.:D

Try the steering cables. Your system should have the standard Teleflex rack system with dual cables. Remove the cotter pin holding the end of the cable and unscrew the large retainer nut on each of the actuators. Thenk try to turn the steering wheel. If it's still stiff... replace the cable system and steering rack.
Did the same to my single engine Baja earlier this year, although after the dealer told me it was the actuator ($400), then the pump ($400). Steering was still stiff. Replaced the entire steering system from the helm to cable end myself in about 2 hours for $120. There's no servicible parts to the steering cable system. Replace only.
Good Luck!

Jayl13,
Was the steering this tight before you did the rebuilds? Could you have possibly kinked one of the cables?
Dan

Tight relative to what? If you are not used to a twin engine setup it will feel "heavy" at no wake speeds. How does it feel at WOT?

BT :cool:

well she has the standard power steering like a car does
When on my test drive I dont remember it being this tight
But the marina earlier in the year replaced the swivel shaft and gimbal ring on the starboard side so maybe I need to hit the grease nipple on the top of the transom assembly, also Ill get some PB breaker on the shaft that goes into the assembly and i am going to take off the steering cable that goes to the back and see if that is the problem or not.
I remember it being looser than this
when I tell you guys it is TIGHT I mean TIGHT
Imagine trying to turn the front wheels of an F350 with no power steering
There ya go
Im hangin on the wheel to get it to turn
like the PS pump is helping 0%
at some speed it is a little looser but still way too tight in my opinion
Ill have to pull that apart and see whats up
I did move the steering cable and put in the vent tubes for the blower motors behind it, I think ill move them to the front of it and let the cable sit against the side (moved it about an inch or two out from where it used to sit)
but hey all in all
SHE RUNS WOOHOO
Jason

Ok I thought about this last night and this is how I think you should tackle this problem. Before you move the cable around I would take the end of the cable off the drive and valve assembley and see if it moves free all on its own. With the engine off/not running. If that moves easy then jump outside the drive and move the drives side to side. DO they move easy? Hard? If hard take off the tie bars and move the drives individually. Did you take off the lines going to the valve body from the actually piston? There are two lines. If you reversed them when putting it back together then you can have VERY hard steering like you said or you can even have it turn uncontrolably from side to side. Taking the cable off the drive stuff is not hard and will help you quickly narrow the search for the proble. With the engines off you should be able to easily turn the wheel from side to side. Good luck and keep us posted.

Jon

Okay
I never took the lines off the steering box at the transom no
I took them off the cooler, and too the PS pump and laid it off to the side of the engine before I yanked them out.
when I was idling, I went side to side to side to side to side to side in case there was air in the lines, I figured I could bleed it out by going back and forth
Did that what felt to be 100 times and no luck
still tight
Ill yank the steering cable off and take it from there
Now to make the video of the run
Jason

Well I tried yesterday to take the cable off the Power assist unit
Had no luck
I took the retainer plate off and then tried to back out the cable, the threaded piece on the end of the cable does not turn independantly of the cable itself so it wanted to turn the entire cable.
That cant work cause it is not moving up front. so it would have twisted the whole thing.
So I greased the shafts up with PB breaker and reinstalled the retainer plate.
I did notice that the one sleeve is connected to the other sleeve with a rubber boot that looks to have grease in it.
It wiggles a little bit but is attached pretty solidly.
I took apart the whole dash panel and steering wheel assembly and could not find anywhere to grease up the helm unit at all.
I did spray some pb breaker inside the steering hub through the sight glass and just worked it back and forth about 100 times.
seemed with no engine running it was a tough as when I was out in the water with it while the engine was running.
It did free up a little bit with the PB breaker spray but not that much but I cant tell you if it will feel different if engine is running.
Did not start engine last night.
if I have to drive it tight then I have to drive it tight.
wont thrill me but Ill deal with it.
I dont think im going to replace anything on this, if I do im going to move to a hydraulic steering system and can this power assist crap from 1965 model cars.
will feel more comfortable with twin ram steering anyway rather than trying to control 1000 HP with a stupid cable anyway.

Any thoughts or advice???
Thanks
Jason

And you though that risers were expensive!!!!:eek: :eek: External steering will run ya upwards of 4 grand by the time you are done with it :eek: :eek: Anyhow disconnect the steering at the drive tillers then you will be able to narrow were it is binding. That should help out with your search. My guess is that it is a cable issue because if it was a drive issue the power assist would take over and make it move easily. However it is a simple thing to test by just disconnecting the things at the tillers.

Jon

Like Audiofn said disconnect steering cable from power steering control valve clevis .On mine when I bought it someone I guess when they installed the motor must have let the motor down on the steering cable guide tube and bent it and I could not even get the cable out,had to cut cable and replace guide tube.When I got the cable end out of the guide tube rolled it on a steel table and it looked like it rolled true but all it must take is being out a C hair to bind.Good luck :cool:

Well I was going to tackle this and the oil changes yesterday afternoon after I got home from work but the wife had a siding salesman show up and he parked his ass on my sofa for about 3 and a half hours rattling on about how good his siding is and blah blah
house siding surface (half is stone and stucco) so 22 sq of siding needed was 27000 bucks
Hell I could get blowers, new trailer, new canvas cockpit cover and new paint, new gauges with anodized bezels, new steering wheel, new Kiekhafer shifters, and www.ultimatemarinepanels.com setup on there with new tv, dvd player and a small small generator
:D
27 grand
Get the HELL out of my house

So now lets see if I can take this apart tonight with no salesman around
Jason

Jayl13,
At that price it must be "MARINE" siding:rolleyes: :D :D :D
Unless siding skyrocketed in price , three years ago I had mine done + removing 2 old rooves and a new roof put on along with some wood replaced and paid 15K. And I'm only across the river from you.

Well here is the latest
I was poking around and around yesterday and I found that the port side tiller arm is really loose
I undid the tie bar and the drive moves by itself a few inches side to side
I know the gimbal ring and swivel shaft were replaced not that long ago cause it used to be tight
The tiller arm moved up and down with ease so this is NOT GOOD.
I am going to pull the plastic plug on the side of the transom assembly where they drilled to replace the gimbal and swivel to get the nut out of there, See if I can get to the bolt that tightens up the tiller arm on the swivel shaft that way?
You guys know if the bolt on the tiller arm is in front or behind the swivel shaft?
can you get to it from that plug hole?
Has to be a way to tighten it up.
When I bought the boat it was tight and it has been out for 15 minutes, no way it can go south that fast.
Audio, any ideas?
I want to take it out tomorrow and need this crap to work
thanks bro
Jason

Jay man you are right on the correct track. Take out those plastic plugs and you will see the bolt you have to tighten right there. I can not remember the torque specs on that. HOWEVER that is not likely why your steering is so thight however. So you still have some searching to do on that problem. Good luck

Jon

Cool man, thanks
That is what I was thinking, if you grab the tiller arm on inside of port side, and you can move it up and down about an inch and swing the drive with the tie bar off about 3 inches each direction.
It is possible the engine hit that tiller arm when dropping it in, so it may have come loose, no huge deal
Hey You get pics of Kurt's baja?
I really want to see it,
Granted I love the cig dont get me wrong, but that put me on same plane as another member until he upped himself to a cig.
just wanna see what his looked like.
Thanks man
Jason
Ps that swivel shaft was replaced with the gimbal ring about 2 yrs ago so I know it is just loose
Jason

Look in there very closely and see if the tiller arm is moving on the upper steering shaft or the tiller arm and upper steering shaft is moving on the gimbal ring. The gimbal ring to steering shaft is the usual culprit and the u-bolt nuts need to be tightened regularily to keep from wiping out the gimbal ring square.
Tom

the u bolt nuts on top of the gimbal ring are TIGHT
they are not moving at all
but the tiller arm moves UP AND DOWN not side to side
The drive itself does not move up and down with play, the play is side to side.
seems weird I know but that is the situation
the gimbal and swivel on this side were replaced recently (I know this cause there is the hole drilled in transom assembly and plastic plug is in there.
Jason

Jay,90% chance your steering cable is seizing.If you can move the drives by hand,then you can move them by cable even without power steering so I doubt that your power assist ram or brazil valve are at fault.As for Audio's suggestion of reversing the lines on the valve,nope,cant,different size SAE fittings.Just disconnect the cable at both ends,haul it out and replace it.The last thing you need now is to hit something because you cannot make an emergency avoidance turn.