Boat pulls to one side, wheel alignment?

[stunod]

Hi Everyone,<br /><br />This might sound strange but when I'm driving my boat, it leans to the right. Its as if there where 4 adults all to one side. If I let go of the wheel, the boat makes a hard left turn.<br /><br />It even looks like it sits in the water to one side too.<br /><br />Its a 21 foot mark twain 470 merc/190 HP<br /><br />Any suggestions??<br />Thanks,<br />Lou

 

[C17LoadSmasher]

Re: Boat pulls to one side, wheel alignment?

Trim it properly and it should level out. You are experiencing the effects of the torque on the boat itself. You could also have an out of alignment trim tab on the motor itself.

 

[DJ]

Re: Boat pulls to one side, wheel alignment?

stunod,<br /><br />It is natural for a boat with an out board or I/O to pull to the right-(prop torque).<br /><br />There is a fin directly above the propeller on your I/O. Loosen this fin and turn the back edge in the direction of your pull. It will help, but may not completely eliminate the concern.

 

[stunod]

Re: Boat pulls to one side, wheel alignment?

Hi Again,<br /><br />Where is the trim tab located? Outdrive or motor?<br />The boat has power steering..if that makes a difference<br /><br />Thanks,<br />Loi

 

[DJ]

Re: Boat pulls to one side, wheel alignment?

Stunod,<br /><br />As said previously, RIGHT above the propeller. On the outdrive.

 

[FlyBoyMark]

Re: Boat pulls to one side, wheel alignment?

Unless it fell off......

 

[blifsey]

Re: Boat pulls to one side, wheel alignment?

Fell off? That would be bad because it might not run straight then <br /><br />As said above, it should be on underside of cavitation plate just above the prop. To me, it looks like a "mini skeg". Mine is raw metal color instead of painted black. Is that for galvanic corrosion whateveryoucallit?<br /><br />BL...

 

[stunod]

Re: Boat pulls to one side, wheel alignment?

Ok i'll look for it. The only thing I remembered was a Zinc tab above the prop which looked liked a shark fin...

 

[rwjacobs]

Re: Boat pulls to one side, wheel alignment?

I think that is the one that they mean here!. You might want to do this when you're close to the water, so you can test it out. Check the fin also, to make sure that it is not bend or unevenly corroded.<br /><br />Hans007

 

[nnosker]

Re: Boat pulls to one side, wheel alignment?

you cant miss it. looking at the outboard from the back, it is directly in front and a tad above the prop.<br /><br />Could be worse, you could get zilch for water time. Less money on sun screen then.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Boat pulls to one side, wheel alignment?

Some people remove the trim tab to allow for clearance of a larger prop, some trim tabs just rot away, some are forgotten to be re-installed and then there are the ones that are just never noticed.<br /><br />It should be above the prop below the cavitation plate. If it is rotting away replace it. It only has a single bolt holding it in. Easy to adjust just take the adjustments a little at a time.<br /><br />Good luck, Bob

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: Boat pulls to one side, wheel alignment?

Just a note on the Trim Tab. I found out last week that mine did indeed come loose and fall off. I went to my local reliable Johnson dealer to get a new one and found out something I did not know about the tab. The tab,at least on my 1991 70 HP evinrude, if you look at it while off the boat has a scoop like hole in the front top and a hole on the bottom that directs water to the prop. I was told by the mechanic that this scoop directs water to the prop to cool it during operation and also prevents cavitation while underway! He said running without the Tab is a very bad idea, and it will reduce the life of the prop(Overheating Prop) and the motor from unnessary cavitation. Not to mention your boat may not track right if it is missing! Just when I thought I knew it all!! Rick PS- When mine came off, it tore up the prop also! Thought I hit something submerged. Glad I was going slow! Did'nt even think about the Tab being the reason that I got that big clunck when I was trolling in open water. Check the bolt that holds it on often and use loctite when installing!

 

[stunod]

Re: Boat pulls to one side, wheel alignment?

Hi Again,<br /><br />Well I did have a zinc tab (that looked like a shark fin) just above the prop, then I replaced the prop with a new one but the clearance was less than 1/8 inch (which the old one had 1/2) so i told the mech at the Marina, and he said he would put a flat one on.<br /><br />NOTE: Before I took the old one off, it did pull to the right, so it's as if the "old one" and the new "flat one" didn't make a difference.

 

[lepper]

Re: Boat pulls to one side, wheel alignment?

I would say loctite is a must for the trim tab......

 

[Hooty]

Re: Boat pulls to one side, wheel alignment?

Boats with I/O's tend to lean or twist more than O/B's because the engine torque is horizonital where O/B engine torque is vertical.<br /><br />c/6<br /><br />Hooty

 

[stunod]

Re: Boat pulls to one side, wheel alignment?

Well today I spoke with the mechanic and he told me that it won't make one bit of difference on my boat because its 20 years old and has no power steering.HE said that there is a lot of play in the steering . He said just hold on to the wheel. Maybe that's a cop-out on his part but I'm giving up on it.

 

[Down South]

Re: Boat pulls to one side, wheel alignment?

Stunod, The no difference in the orginal trip tab and the flat one probably was. The flat one offers no ability to correct steering problems and the orginal trim tab was probably set to the center position. Myself, I'm very scared of a motor that pulls hard in either direction. It can be very dangerous. Especially with a boat in the HP range as yours. I would see about getting a new trim tab installed and then correctly adjusting it. If you still have a problem, the motor may need to be moved a little to one side or the other to make the final correction. By the way, I think your mechanic is full of baloney.<br /><br />Good luck

 

[stunod]

Re: Boat pulls to one side, wheel alignment?

That's what i'm thinking!<br /><br /> The marina has just been sold this week to a new family so I am going to ask the new mechanic about my options.

 

[Hooty]

Re: Boat pulls to one side, wheel alignment?

Lets try this again.<br />Looking at your engine from the transom, it turns ccw, not the prop, the engine. The engine torque is what's causing your boat to pull to the port. What you need is trim tabs that mount on the transon, even with the bottom. These can be electrical or hydraulic operated. Applying starboard (right) trim tab will counter-act the effect of the engine torque pulling you to the left. You'll have to do some research to determine what size trim tabs you need. The small fin on the lower unit is to offset prop torque, not engine torque. The more dead-rise and/or horsepower a boat has, the more susceptible it is to engine torque.<br />Keep us posted.<br /><br />c/6<br /><br />Hooty<br />Keep us posted

 

[stunod]

Re: Boat pulls to one side, wheel alignment?

Hooty,<br /><br />Those trim tabs you're talking about are 400.00 before installation. This summer will be my last year with this particular boat,so I rather invest the money in any engine work that might be needed this summer(hopefully not) Buying a 20 year old boat is an up hill battle for me so next season I plan to buy a 3-6 year old boat ( see post BUY SELL STORIES)