Steering Alignment

[Portland Billy]

The wheel of my Sealine S41 is about 5 degs to port when the outdrives are amidships. Does anyone know how to adjust this ?
It aint serious but a bit of niggle !

 

[jct1981]

Might be worth re-posting in the Motor Boat section, as will have a wider audience of people who may be able to advise.

 

[oldgit]

The wheel of my Sealine S41 is about 5 degs to port when the outdrives are amidships. Does anyone know how to adjust this ?
It aint serious but a bit of niggle !

Would seriously suggest that you merely take off the cap on the steering wheel boss. Remove the nut underneath and move wheel round a spline or two.
Unless of course it has single woodruff key, it which case you may well might just want to put up with it, cos it means adjusting the steering arm on the outdrives.
Could also suggest that 99% of boats have this irritating little niggle.

 

[Portland Billy]

Would seriously suggest that you merely take off the cap on the steering wheel boss. Remove the nut underneath and move wheel round a spline or two.
Unless of course it has single woodruff key, it which case you may well might just want to put up with it, cos it means adjusting the steering arm on the outdrives.
Could also suggest that 99% of boats have this irritating little niggle.

 

[Portland Billy]

Thanks Oldgit.
I seem to have had this niggle on most of my boats, but thought it would be nice to cure it.
I'll take the centre plug out and see what lies beneath.

 

[scottie]

Thanks Oldgit.
I seem to have had this niggle on most of my boats, but thought it would be nice to cure it.
I'll take the centre plug out and see what lies beneath.

Assuming that the drives have a link bar with a connection to the steering system then you should be able to adjust it there
Starting with the drives centralised and any play in the steering system split moving the connection pin should work
With single prop drives they have trim fins which may affect steering neutralising the propeller torque so worth checking first

 

[oldgit]

My pair outdrives had either a toe in or a toe out, cannot remember which, so doing it visually by peering over back of boat might be an interesting exercise.
This might not apply to duo props. ?

 

[scottie]

A

My pair outdrives had either a toe in or a toe out, cannot remember which, so doing it visually by peering over back of boat might be an interesting exercise.
This might not apply to duo props. ?

Correct but what I am suggesting should not affect this

 

[oldgit]

A

Correct but what I am suggesting should not affect this

Just thinking out loud,if autopilot rudder feedback sensor fitted perhaps this will need adjusting as well if steering arm adjusted and what about rudder direction indicator ?

 

[scottie]

Just thinking out loud,if autopilot rudder feedback sensor fitted perhaps this will need adjusting as well if steering arm adjusted and what about rudder direction indicator ?

Would the feed back not be connected to the tie bar which remains unaffected?

 

[oldgit]

Would the feed back not be connected to the tie bar which remains unaffected?

On my shaft boat the feedback sensor arm rod was attached to one of the rudder arms not to the connecting bar.
Feedback sensor failed last summer while on a trip to Ramsgate, was foggy and vitally needed to find a little gap between a couple of bouys marking sandbanks.
Suddenly noted that we had turned hard to starboard and were heading for shore.
Water had entered the body of the device and had corroded the bits inside.
Discovered the remains of a previous sensor which had obviously failed some time in the past.

 

[No Regrets]

Couldn't you make a good one out of the two?

 

[oldgit]

If I said the bit that failed and rendered both U/S, was exactly the same in both cases, would you believe me ?
Water had seeped inside a encapsulated PCB.
A combination of salt water and electricity does not work well.

This little bit of Raymarine Treasure retails at £275.00.
Ebay was my friend......bought one in Florida.