Uneven steering port and starboard

[skydiveD30571]

2007 Seaswirl 210 br
VP sx-a drive

I wish I could say I am certain when this started but I cannot. I do have a good feeling that it started after I took the drive and gimbal ring off over the winter for maintenance. I noticed this summer that the steering wheel has to be held 1/4 turn to the left to keep traveling straight. Holding it where I used to will result in a slow turn towards starboard. Not a big deal, I got used to it. But this weekend I had to use reverse more than normal due to the docks we reserved and I noticed that turning full starboard at reverse idle the boat would pretty much not turn at all. Full port at reverse idle results in a quick swing around. I don't remember ever being limited to reversing in one direction on an I/O...

Removing and reinstalling the drive was pretty simple so I'm not sure what I could have misaligned to cause this. FYI, I've removed the drive a couple times but over the winter we had to change the gimbal bearing and to get better access we pulled the gimbal ring and pivot housing down. I don't remember there being anything to adjust on the steering arm but I might be mistaken.

If I remember right, it looks like the drive can't travel any more to the starboard side without hitting the trim pump there, so maybe I'm just crazy...

 

[skydiveD30571]

Re: Uneven steering port and starboard

Anybody experience this before?

 

[insttech1]

Re: Uneven steering port and starboard

Is the boat out of the water?
If not, maybe a blockage of weeds?

If it is out of the water, center up the drive and then measure the distance it can travel from centerline to each side.
Is there a significant difference?
Is the drive actually binding on something?

On my older SX, there is also a bulleting about the bellows clamp orientation; if the clamp screw is in the wrong place, the drive can hit it and inhibit travel from one side or another.

Have you tried adjusting the steering fin on the drive itself ( the small aluminum plate above the prop)? Minor adjustments to that are supposed to affect straight tracking.

I'm not an expert at this part, but was the engine alignment done? If that is way off, then it might be relevant?

Just some ideas.......

 

[skydiveD30571]

Re: Uneven steering port and starboard

I'll get some measurements today. It is trailered every time so I have easy access to the drive. I can see there are no blockages.

From the steering wheel position that results in a straight heading, there is much less travel counter-clockwise than clockwise. It's almost like something became misaligned with the drive off and the power steering ram is hitting it's limit. It's a solid clunk when I turn all the way port or starboard, which leads me to believe the ram is hitting a limit as opposed to a hose or other obstruction stopping the drive from moving further.

 

[insttech1]

Re: Uneven steering port and starboard

"From the steering wheel position that results in a straight heading, there is much less travel counter-clockwise than clockwise."

At what speed does the steering wheel /drive position result in a "straight heading"?

It almost sounds as if you have two issues:
1. Your steering is actually not symmetrical, and you do indeed have a problem with one of the rams, or both.

2. Your small steering fin on the drive itself is not tuned for straight tracking. Whether or not that tuning results in the steering wheel actually being "centered" while your under motion is a different matter. It may be off a bit.

But if your steering is so far off that your entire drive has to be turned off-center just to run straight, then is your entire boat out of balance and listing to one side of the other? Have you taken on water or added significant weight to one side?

I have not taken the pivot housing off of my drive; didn't need to to get to anything. However, I am curious if there is some manner of alignment position or master datum that aligns that pivot ring back in place. Perhaps you missed it from one side to the other and the pivot housing is biased and not centered back up? Might want to check a manual or a diagram on that....

 

[skydiveD30571]

Re: Uneven steering port and starboard

Thanks that's the plan, I'll check the shop manual about reinstalling the gimbal ring and pivot housing and see what it says. I used it to get it off but it seemed straight forward getting it back on.

Last summer the boat would track straight ahead with the steering wheel centered. No weight has been added since then. So it's something that has changed since last fall. It's got to be something with do with aligning the transom components like you said. I'll investigate and report back.

 

[insttech1]

Re: Uneven steering port and starboard

Here is one other thought, and it may be off base, but may be relevant:

When I take my drive off, my trim rams do not stay exactly where they were when I removed the drive.
By the following spring, when I put the drive back on, one had "drifted" outwards, or what would be toward the "up" position.

I had to adjust the trim until both rams seated back into the fully "down" position before I could re-install the pin
holding the rams on the drive.

Since your steering is hydraulic, perhaps one of the steering rams also "drifted" from the position that it was originally in when you removed the stern components.

If you then re-install those components at "center", and then the drive, with one of the ram/s already biased in or out, perhaps that can result in lop-sided steering?

Maybe there is a procedure on centering the ram/s before re-installation of any steering related components?

Let us know what you find....