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How to adjust Echelon steering wheel


barefootdiver2000

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Hi,

I have a 1995 Echelon. Had it in a couple years ago to put a new steering cable on. Since then in order to go straight, I have to hold the steering wheel to the left in about the 7 o'clock position instead of straight up. The local boat shop has since gone out of business so I'd like to adjust the steering wheel so that it is in the correct position instead of cocked to the left.

When I take the large bolt off in the middle of the steering wheel, I still can't get the wheel off and I can't figure out how to remove the steering wheel to adjust it.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

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There should be a cap in the center of your wheel, remove that. Should be a nut under the cap, remove that. You will probably need to borrow/buy a steering wheel puller kit. I have never removed one on a boat, but several on cars and trucks. I will look at my 98 Sporty tonight and let you know.

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There should be a cap in the center of your wheel, remove that. Should be a nut under the cap, remove that. You will probably need to borrow/buy a steering wheel puller kit. I have never removed one on a boat, but several on cars and trucks. I will look at my 98 Sporty tonight and let you know.

Every Malibu I've ever changed steering cables on the steering wheel was bolted down with 6 allen screws...but I've never played with a rotary steering setup.

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Unless you changed it, you probably don't have rack and pinion. But if you do you can just loosen the rack and move it to a differen't spot. Thats fairly easy.

I don't know how the older (non rack) systems adjust.

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The adjustment sleeve is on top of the HDS box, just ahead of the rudder. It's the aluminum threaded tube with two stop nuts on either side of the pivot block. Screwing it away from the rudder would effectively lengthen the housing, which shortens the cable, which adds more left rudder, bringing your left-of-center steering wheel back to the middle. Adjust it a little at a time till you get it where you like it.

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The adjustment sleeve is on top of the HDS box, just ahead of the rudder. It's the aluminum threaded tube with two stop nuts on either side of the pivot block. Screwing it away from the rudder would effectively lengthen the housing, which shortens the cable, which adds more left rudder, bringing your left-of-center steering wheel back to the middle. Adjust it a little at a time till you get it where you like it.

My boat doesn't appear to have an HDS box. Should it? But I did find the aluminum threaded tube but mine has a round "ball" in the middle of it. I was able to unscrew the piece that held it onto the tube and with a hammer and screwdriver the ball comes apart in half. I then moved it down a couple threads on the tube and will see if that does it. Haven't had time to take it out yet, but will let you know and try to post a pic as well of what mine looks like without the HDS box.

Thanks for the help and I didn't have to crawl under the dash and mess with the steering wheel or rack and pinion.

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Your echelon *should* be on the SV23 hull, IIRC, so it *should* have an HDS, but I'm not entirely positive on that. But what you did sounds like you were headed in the right direction, although I don't know what you mean about splitting the ball, but hey... if that's what works for you... don't let me stop you!

The HDS box is where the driveshaft passes through the hull, its kind of a "bulge" up into the bilge in the bottom of the boat between the packing and the rudder, with a plastic cover screwed to the top of it. It's a real monkey-bump deal if you ask me.

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Your echelon *should* be on the SV23 hull, IIRC, so it *should* have an HDS, but I'm not entirely positive on that. But what you did sounds like you were headed in the right direction, although I don't know what you mean about splitting the ball, but hey... if that's what works for you... don't let me stop you!

The HDS box is where the driveshaft passes through the hull, its kind of a "bulge" up into the bilge in the bottom of the boat between the packing and the rudder, with a plastic cover screwed to the top of it. It's a real monkey-bump deal if you ask me.

They didn't have HDS in 95 even though it was a SV23, they had shaft logs. 96 was the first year for HDS

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I'd like to add a couple pics to show everyone the 'ball' I'm talking about but I can't figure out how in the hell to attach an image to a reply on this site. When I try, it asks me to enter a URL instead of just attaching a pic.

Any ideas on how to post a pic here?????

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