Stearing question

[andrewk]

Hi
I tested a Galeon 530 fitted with a 90hp Merc 4 stroke outboard a couple of week ago, I am no expert by any means, but it went well, getting up on the plane easly at about 15mph it did 33 top speed.

However at speed it became very stiff turning left, whilst fine turning right. When i questioned this they said it was the stearing working against the prop and was quite common.

I have heard of no feedback stearing, how does this work, is it whays required and can it be added.

Any opinions or advice on this would be welcome.

Regards
Andrew

 

[andyball]

NFB steering won't reduce the effort needed to turn the wheel, but it stops the engine trying to turn the wheel for you & saves you having to apply any effort when at a constant wheel angle....I have it , with a 6.5m boat + 4T 115 & it's excellent....it's just another helm, same cable (usually), so fairly simple/cheap to add.

Your prob. sounds more like the leg was trimmed in too much- our steering is very light (4 turns, lock to lock), but you still notice the extra effort required to turn with the leg in.

 

[byron]

Re: Steering question

There will be some resistance to prop throw but not so much as to make you comment on it. I assume the Steering is Teleflex on this boat and this would take out most of the throw.

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[aztec]

mines the same, on microplus 501 with 40 hp, cable over pulley steering, fine at low speed but hard to turn right when going faster. i think it's to do with the rotation of the prop. hydraulic steering so i'm told is the way to go, but as i only use mine as a tender, i won't be fitting that.

regards,steve.

 

[andyball]

We tried a beneteau witha 50hp, and steering way too heavy for my wife- looked into hydraulic (like you, were advised as best way to go), tested current boat with 115hp & 4-turn mechanical...must be less than 1/2 the effort of the beneteau we tried, can't praise it enough.

Only downside is 4-turns (like many hydraulic ones) so a steering wheel ball makes it quick/easy to get full lock when needed.

Presume some element of poor fitting/lubrication on heavy steering one, but the nfb does make it very,very easy/relaxing to use, while not costing a bomb.

 

[David2452]

Probably help a lot if the steering balance fin (annode) is set up properly as well.

Note that when setting it up if the boat turns right easier then you turn the fin to the right also (you are using it to steer the outboard not the boat)

 

[andrewk]

Could you explain a little more about this stearing balance fin ?

 

[jfm]

Pwer trim and engine off centreline

Andrew:

You will often feel the steering pull one way or the other when accelerating, say. But when you are at a constant speed you should be able to alter the power trim up or down so that the steering feels balanced. Did you try this? If you cannot do this, something is wrong, and there are two things this could be:

First, the steering trim tab may need reseting. This is a small fin above the prop, hanging down from the cavitation plate like an upside down dorsal fin. You loosen a bolt to move it. See the little black thing just above the prop in this pic:

Second, the outboard might not have been set up properly by the dealer. The engine should not be on the centreline of the boat, it should be offset to the right (if the prop is right handed, which yours is). The distance depends on the boat/engine combnation, and doesn't have to be precise. I would guess about 1.25 inches on this boat. Had this been done?

Beware of zero feedback steering. This masks the symptom without curing the problem at source. You should get the rig balanced so there's no pull on the steering, rather than fit a mechanical device that stops you noticing the pull, imho. Also, being able to feel the pull helps you set the power trim correctly, imho

 

[David2452]

The fin is a combined annode and steering torque ballancer , sited just behind the prop on the cavitation Plate. If the boat pulls to the right or steers much easier to the right than left you slacken the retaining bolt from above the cav plate and gradually turn the fin to counteract the pull. The trick is to turn it the same way as the pull, I know this sounds the reverse of what one would expect, but remember, you are steering the outboard with it not the boat.



David

 

[jfm]

Not an anode

BTW, on the Merc it's a pure fin, not an anode. The anode is separate, above the cav plate. See pic above.

On older mercs, it was a combined fin/anode

Apols for the pedantry of this post

 

[coliholic]

Re: Pwer trim and engine off centreline

Cor, clever flash git. Like the piccy job, jfm, well done. But you're still a flash git.

 

[andyball]

Re: Pwer trim and engine off centreline

NFB steering doesn't stop you noticing the effects of trim etc....you can still "feel the pull" when you try to move the wheel, it just stops the engine turning the wheel.

at least that's what mine does...