Steering Wheel Adjustment, 94 Malibu Echelon

[CoronetBu]

My steering system suddenly shifted. The steering wheel is no longer centered while going straight. I'm not sure if the rudder system changed from previously, but I do now see that the rudder does not rotate from side to side the same amount. I see some previous posts where some alternatives are given. One says to loosen the 4 bolts on the steering box behind the steering wheel. Is this in reference to the box in which the two cables go into. My plate on the back of this box has 5 fasteners. 4 at the corners (two phillips head screws and two nut/bolts) and 1 phillips head screw in the middle. I removed the 3 phillips screws and loosened the two bolts/nuts. I pulled the plate back slightly and see the "disc" that the cables wrap around in the box.

Am I supposed to be able to pull this disc back (towards the bow of the boat) until the steering wheel is released, then rotate the wheel to the center position, and then push the disc back on? I tried to pry this disc back but did not want to force it until I make sure what I am doing is correct.

Do I remove the fasteners at the 4 corners, leave the middle phillips head screw in, but slightly loosened, and then pry the plate back, forcing the phillips screw to pull the disc back?

What happens if I rloosen or remove the 4 bolts/nuts just behind the fiberglass where the steering wheel assy interfaces with the fiberglass?

I also removed the steering wheel nut but could not get the wheel to pull up off of the shaft by hand. Is there a snap ring of some sort behind that I need to remove so that the wheel will pull off?

Thanks in advance!

[oldjeep]

If this happened all the sudden then the first thing to check is that the rudder arm is 90 degrees to the rudder. Sounds like you may have sheared the key. If that isn't it then either your helm gear slipped in the rack or the rack internally slipped - either one of those means that something is worn out or damaged.

Removing the steering wheel requires a steering wheel puller - about $20 at any auto parts store.

Edited July 17, 2015 by oldjeep

[tvano]

be warned; that rudder can get sucked into the prop given a bit of bad adjustment and/or too much reverse throttle

[toddthelineman]

There's a bracket that holds a ball on the steering cable if yours is like mine. I believe it is. The bolts on mine vibrated loose once and it caused some interesting and sudden steering changes. I'd check that. It's towards the rudder arm under the floor/backseat.

[JasonK]

Or sometimes the rudder will rotate past the 90 degree turn and be reversed. You may need to just turn the wheel while someone turns the rudder past the 90 deg. to get it back where it was. I think my gallery has a pic of the tiller arm setup.

[Woodski]

@CoronetBu: a clue in your problem description is the non symmetric movement of the rudder from lock to lock. That is mainly controlled at the ball index attachment just ahead of the tiller. Check to see if that moved, then check to see if the tiller arm on the rudder is still attached properly. Look at the tiller arm when the rudder is centered, it should be at a perpendicular position relative to the boat longitudinal axis. The helm adjustment does not really control the lock to lock location of the rudder (unless for some reason it is limiting the cable travel).