I hate to add another thread about steering, but since this is the first time I've really started messing with the steering on a boat, I really need some help.
95 Mariah 350 Merc Alpha 1.
I got the boat last year and it had a lot of play in the steering as well as being fairly stiff. I figured it was the cable.
Well today, I started digging around, as well as reading this thread:
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=536697
I followed achris's instructions on thread #11. Steering feels the same at the wheel with the engine off, except there is even more play. The drive swings freely in both directions.
Before I did that though, I had a neighbor more the wheel back and forth while I looked at everything. The play seems to coming mostly from the cable itself. When he jiggles the wheel, I can hear and feel the cable making noise inside it's covering where it makes the bend at the transform. But when he moves from lock to lock, this is what I see.
Sorry for the bad quality, just grabbed my cell phone for the video. You can actually hear the slop on the cable. That just doesn't look right to me, and I wanted to let you guys tell me what you think.
I'm afraid the cylinder needs to be replaced, and most likely the cable as well, but before I go buy $800 worth of parts, I want to make damn sure that's the problem.
I'm going to disconnect the steering coupler next.
Thanks,
Steve
95 Mariah 350 Merc Alpha 1.
I got the boat last year and it had a lot of play in the steering as well as being fairly stiff. I figured it was the cable.
Well today, I started digging around, as well as reading this thread:
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=536697
I followed achris's instructions on thread #11. Steering feels the same at the wheel with the engine off, except there is even more play. The drive swings freely in both directions.
Before I did that though, I had a neighbor more the wheel back and forth while I looked at everything. The play seems to coming mostly from the cable itself. When he jiggles the wheel, I can hear and feel the cable making noise inside it's covering where it makes the bend at the transform. But when he moves from lock to lock, this is what I see.
Sorry for the bad quality, just grabbed my cell phone for the video. You can actually hear the slop on the cable. That just doesn't look right to me, and I wanted to let you guys tell me what you think.
I'm afraid the cylinder needs to be replaced, and most likely the cable as well, but before I go buy $800 worth of parts, I want to make damn sure that's the problem.
I'm going to disconnect the steering coupler next.
Thanks,
Steve
