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Difficult Steering: Cable or Rudder?


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Not having much luck with the new boat this year.

after a few hrs the steering went from (stiffer than normal to near impossible)

its equally difficult in both directions which leads me to believe its not the cable as i thought when the cables go bad its harder in one direction.

i looked online and the cause could be the rudder or the rudder packing / grease, although seems very odd after only less than 50hrs that would happen?

today i then got under the boat and it seems i can push the rudder UP about 1/2", so my question is: is the rudder suppose to have vertical play about 1/2" i would not think so, i understand maybe a hair worth so its not tight and can turn freely but 1/2" in seems quite a bit fro the rudder to be able to go up/down?

and if thats the case would you think its the rudder-packing/grease?

i tried putting some grease into the rudder but it only got a tiny bit easier to turn the wheel. which makes me belive its the rudder not the cable.

thoughts?

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I'd disconnect the cable, if it's still hard it the cable, if it's easy then it's the rudder. It shouldn't be moving that much vertically though.

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Run some WOTs. That will fix it :)

Just kidding, someone may have over greased the rudder. Look at the grease zerk on the inside of the boat. Does it look recently greased?

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After flooding the boat with the water from your disconnected water line the cable may be seized. As said earlier. Disconnect the cable and try to move the rudder by hand.

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When mine seized, it was difficult to turn both ways. Like two handed turning difficult. Not sure where you read a seized cable is only difficult to turn one way.

I doubt the rudder would have bound up 'after a few hours', but I can see the cable doing that. It did for me. One day normal, the next week stiff and the next week impossible to turn without two hands. And they are notorious for seizing at the beginning of the season after being layed up for a few months, which I think was the case with yours. Also, they absolutely do not like to be submerged in water for any length of time.

I have no knowledge of whether your rudder shoud have vertical play.

I hope your season goes better than it has been so far.

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Not having much luck with the new boat this year.

after a few hrs the steering went from (stiffer than normal to near impossible)

its equally difficult in both directions which leads me to believe its not the cable as i thought when the cables go bad its harder in one direction.

i looked online and the cause could be the rudder or the rudder packing / grease, although seems very odd after only less than 50hrs that would happen?

today i then got under the boat and it seems i can push the rudder UP about 1/2", so my question is: is the rudder suppose to have vertical play about 1/2" i would not think so, i understand maybe a hair worth so its not tight and can turn freely but 1/2" in seems quite a bit fro the rudder to be able to go up/down?

and if thats the case would you think its the rudder-packing/grease?

i tried putting some grease into the rudder but it only got a tiny bit easier to turn the wheel. which makes me belive its the rudder not the cable.

thoughts?

Should not have any vertical movement. At least mine does not. Sounds like the rudder has slipped down and the splines that hold the tiller arm from swiveling on the rudder shaft may be rubbing on the inner plate which is binding the rudder shaft. Definitely need to take the rudder assembly apart from the inside before using anymore to determine what is going on. Disconnect cable first and make sure it is free moving. Then with cable off, move rudder back and forth. This will confirm whether its rudder shaft or cable. Best of luck.

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After flooding the boat with the water from your disconnected water line the cable may be seized. As said earlier. Disconnect the cable and try to move the rudder by hand.

Funny, that was my first thought before even opening this thread. Just based on reading the title and seeing the OP

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  • 1 month later...

Your user name is The Hulk and you can't turn your steering wheel. Something is wrong here.

hahah....well i could turn it but i was scared to rip the wheel out of the dash!

anyhow dealer took care of it good to go now...

Rudder still has about 1/2" vertical play which i find strange they said its normal though, ....not sure as i checked other boats out and non had any play so i will see if they can raise the rudder and re-tighten the arm this winter...so far so good.

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hahah....well i could turn it but i was scared to rip the wheel out of the dash!

anyhow dealer took care of it good to go now...

Rudder still has about 1/2" vertical play which i find strange they said its normal though, ....not sure as i checked other boats out and non had any play so i will see if they can raise the rudder and re-tighten the arm this winter...so far so good.

What did they do to fix it?

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