Steering quadrant - should these bits move?

[concentrik]

When the quadrant is turned cw and ccw by the cables, should the rubber sheathing (held by jubilee clips as shown) move too? Or should this whole assembly be static and only the shaft move? As it is, moving the quadrant twists the rubber sheath and makes the steering stiff! If I loosen the lower two clips the steering moves freely.

I don't remember it being like this, although it was stiff to stbd but greasing the cables seems to have solved this.

She's been on the hard for a couple of weeks - should this assembly 'run wet' and if so might the fact that it's dry be the problem?

 

[NorthUp]

The rubber assembly should not move with the shaft. Under the quadrant you should find a packing gland, possibly similar to what you may have on the propshaft.
I suspect the packing will have gone hard, and needs to be replaced.

 

[nigelmercier]

Or the outer part of the lower bearing could be rotating.

 

[savageseadog]

That's a piece of fairly stiff looking hose which doesn't look like it would twist. I suspect it covers some kind of gland assembly, keeps it clean and would provide some protection against gland failure.

 

[concentrik]

.

Thanks all, I'm about to lift the quadrant to reveal what's beneath, hoping it is a re-packable gland..... more later.

 

[concentrik]

.

It does indeed appear to be a stuffing gland...it is dry as a bone. Should water be the only lubricant (it's below the waterline)or is grease meant to be involved? If I need to take the stuffing out can I just hook it out?Or should wetting it all do the trick?

 

[NorthUp]

The packing itself was impregnated with lub when made, but it will dry out over several years.
If you can get it locally, go for white coloured packing, with a PTFE lubricant, otherwise the ordinary stuff will still last for years anyway.

Tease out the top turns with small screwdriver, the lower ones by screwing a woodscrew into then and pulling with pliers.

Fit new turns of packing with the joints staggered 180 degrees- if you have to reuse the old ones, lubricate with stern tube grease, or at a pinch whatever grease you can find will be better than nothing.

ps
if its been turning inside the rubber, better have a look in there as well, the 'hose' may be damaged..