Help, Bravo has too much side to side play
 

have noticed that the outdrive is sloppy when you are standing behind the boat or when in the water. You can move it side to side quite a bit before it hits the point where stops and forces the steering wheel to turn. What part is it that needs to be replaced or adjusted to correct this. I hope this is enough info for you to understand my problem. It just seems too sloppy. It works just fine as far as the mechanical running aspects.

What do you think?

Thanks

Let me know if you need more info.

Sounds to me like the tiller arm is loose. If you have some funky tools you can tighten it in the boat and see if that works. If not you have to get a kit from Mercury. What you do basically is law the template on the side of the transome assembly outside the boat and drill two holes in either side. Then you will have access to the bolt that tightens the tiller arm and you can retorque it. If the tightening does not work then you will have to replace the pin and tiller. This is a lot more involved.

Jon

CHECK THE SQUARE TANG OF THE STEERING PIN IN THE GIMBAL.YOU CAN TIGHTEN THE U BOLT(TOP OF GIMBAL RING)TO GET MORE SQUEEZE ON THE TANG.MERC RECOMENDS DOING THIS EVERY 50 HOURS.THE STRESS ON THIS AREA IS WORSENED BY HIGH HP ROUGH WATER USE.I WOUD REMOVE THE NUTS AND RUN A TAP THROUGH THEM,WIRE BRUSH THE U-BOLT THREAD,AND GREASE THE NUT BEFORE RETIGHTENING THE NUTS.I KNOW OF PEOPLE BREAKING THE U BOLT FROM THE NUT BEING SIEZED ON THE U-BOLT.DO NOT BREAK THE U-BOLT OR YOU WILL BE HATING LIFE.I HAD THE SAME PLAY IN MY 257 MIRAGE AND THOUGHT THE PARTS WERE WORN, BUT AFTER CLEANING THE THREADS AS STATED ABOVE I COULD NOT BELIEVE HOW EASY IT WAS TO REMOVE THE PLAY.AS IT TURNED OUT I HAD TO CHANGE THE STEERING PIN DUE TO A LEAKY STEERING PIN SEAL.NOT A FUN JOB EVEN WITH ENGINE OUT. PS GET YOUR ASS UP TO THE HARRISON LAKE POKER RUN NEXT YEAR.ITS ABOUT A THREE HOUR DRIVE FOR YOU.

Do you have any recommendations for torque on these nuts? I sure hope this is it, that would be super.

Thanks

JUST LOOKED IN THE MANUAL. 40LB.FT. IT ALSO SAYS TO RETORQUE ONCE A YEAR OR EVERY HUNDRED HOURS.I ALWAYS TIGHTEN MINE WHEN I PULL THE LEG OR WHEN PLAY IS DETECTED.DON'T RUN WITH IT LOOSE OR YOU WILL WEAR THE GIMBAL AND PIN OUT.I JUST USE A WRENCH.YOU CAN FEAL IF ITS TIGHTENING.IF ITS CORRODED IT WONT BE SMOOTH.

Wow,
Thanks for the fast reply. I found this TSB on the web. This is what you are talking about right? I'll give it a shot.

Merc TSB RE:Gimbal


Thanks much

Jeff,

Correct on the power assist. But, my problem lies in play at the outside of the outdrive system. when you move the outdrive side to side, it has the "play" before you even move it far enough to make the inner portion (steering lever) move. This inner portion is connected to the P/S ram. This play is all outside.

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The nuts on that U-bolt are just brass with a nylon lock take them off clean the U-bolt threads and replace the nuts with stainless ones. I broke one of the brass ones retorking it this spring. Charlie

Harrison....

can you do this without the "fix" kit drilling the clearance holes to acess the ubolt and nuts, or did you drill the holes in the drive housing.

ie. can you get at it with an installed engine from the engine bay?


I have twin 1988 bravos with some slop, but if merc calls for maintenance every year. i better figure out how. also, i don't yet have a tie bar.....

Correct me if I am wrong but the merc kit you are talking about has you drill 2 holes on the housing on the back of the boat, then you can get to some bolts to replace the ring in the gimbal.

This is the only alternative if your gimbal wont tighthen up with the two nuts at the top of the gimbal.

I am hoping I can pull those nuts and clean the threads and replace them with stainless as I am told they are brass and get it tighten er up nice.

Am I right?

Yes they are on the out side of the boat.

Thanks for that awesome picture.


So how tight have you set yours to? I see that you doubled up on the nuts for the LOCK effect being that ther is no nylon in them. Cool.

I need to pull one of the factory ones off and go match it up at the hardware store.

I always thought they were stainless stock since they were silver.

Ya I did to but when I pulled them of and took them to the wire wheel ( MY boat has seen some salt its hole life) I found they were brass. Thouse are just cheep nuts from the hardware store I had to go to a Specilty store (Tacoma Screw) to get some good ones and just havent got around to putting them on (thats the reson for double nut). When I did it I had not seen the Merc Service bulitin so I was just flyn by the seat of my pants (cause I new something was loose). I just made them almost has tight as I could get them with a 1/2 drive ratchet. You can see it squizen the aluminum tight on the steal shaft. Hope this back yard fix helps you. Charlie

Any Ideas on what the bolt portion is made of? Being that it is really cold up here now, I wonder if that will affect the brittleness of the bolts while tightening. I'm pretty confident that with a little care, I can cinch it up pretty good.

How much play did you have before you did this?

My guess is Stainless and that is why the nuts were brass just like an exhast manifold to Y pipe on a car. (you now the hole like metals thing) A lot! That is a great picture of the Space Needle:cool:

I never had noticed you were local. Cool. So where do you usually go and how often? The closest water to me is Lake Tapps but the lake is so small you cant really open it up for long. And TOO MANY jetskis ("circus seals" as we call them).

L-dub AKA Lake Washington is a nice place to stretch the legs a little. But if you don't mind the salt, the sound is the biggest playground but it's kinda sketchy having to watch for things floating all the time.

Anyways. Just my .02 cents

I live just up on top of Lake Forest Park hill so I am usualy in Lake Washington I have a couple of freinds that live on the lake. Do strech it out a couple of times a year in the sound. The last time I was out I swerved to avoid a dead head at WOT and when I went buy it at about 15' I relized it was not drift wood it was a SEA LION:eek:

WOAH. That was close. I have had my fair share of WOT near misses. Its always fun watching for rollers from the ferry. They always seem to sneak up on you.

He, I got it to tighten up nice. I went to 40lb and it was still pretty loose. Took it 5lbs at a time up to 60lb and it was TIGHT.


I went and got new Ubolt nuts from Merc and they are stainless.
I went to Tacoma Screw and they were closed then West Marine and they were closed too.

Bottom line. It is tight and ready to go.


Cya and thanks a bunch for all the info and tips.

Will