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Thread: Help with tight steering...

  1. #1
    Scarab Jet
    Ok... here is the scenario:
    - disconnect the steering cable from nozzle while sitting on the trailer, I can turn the wheel back and forth real easy
    - reconnect the cable to the nozzle on the trailer, the steering gets tighter (obviously), but managable
    - put the boat in the water and steering becomes extremely tight...
    Is this normal... I mean really tight... to the point that I have to use two hands just to turn the wheel...
    I thought that it was the cable [being corroded] but correct me if I am wrong, but if it was the cable, then it would be tight even when I disconnected it from the nozzle, right?
    Any ideas/suggestions would be much appreciated...
    Mike...

  2. #2
    Cas
    does the nozzle move easily with the cable disconnected?
    There's a possibility that the nylon bushings are all warn out and the force of the water going through the nozzle is making it bind.

  3. #3
    Scarab Jet
    does the nozzle move easily with the cable disconnected?
    There's a possibility that the nylon bushings are all warn out and the force of the water going through the nozzle is making it bind.
    not sure how easily it should move... it moves, but I have to put some muscle into it... is it supposed to move without any pushing and pulling, i.e., just grabbing it with one hand and going back and forth? because if that's the case, no it does not...
    by the way, I have a hydraulic place diverter on it and it is only 2 or 3 seasons old... do the bushings in them go bad that quick?

  4. #4
    Cas
    with nothing hooked up to it, it should move very easily. Even with the steering cable and PD all hooked up, I can move the nozzle back and forth with little effort. As far as the life span of the bushings, I replaced all the ones on my pump a couple of years ago and as far as I know, the ones that came out were 20+ years old.
    I would disconnect everything to see how works. If it's free, I'd start bolting things back up 1 at a time to see what is causing the bind up.

  5. #5
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Posts
    2,626
    You should be able to swing the steering nozzle(with cable disconnected) using only light pressure from one finger. If you have to "muscle it", then its time to take it apart and find out why it is stiff. Could be worn bushings or maybe some got debris caught in there.

  6. #6
    robk
    Here's an interesting twist... My Carrera exhibits the same symptoms as Scarab Jet's boat, except the faster the boat goes the easier the steering gets. At idle speed it requires two hands, out of the water it doesn't require any effort. Any suggestions on what to look for when I tear into the pump?
    Rob

  7. #7
    BRAWNY
    i've had the same problem with tight steering.everything was good until the boat was in the water,then two hands were needed to turn the wheel.
    ended up putting new cable on and now its back to normal(easy).good luck
    brawny

  8. #8
    460 jus getn it
    Possible that you have the bolt that connects the cable to the knozzle to tight. I use to have the same problem and i found that if i didnt over tighten it would work just fine.

  9. #9
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Posts
    4,169
    Typical bad cable. Visualize it this way. With the nozzle disconnected, there's no load on the cable so the cable core moves with little friction against the inside jacket walls where it bends. Now, take the cable core out and lay it out straight on the ground. Try pushing one end of the core... what does it do? Bends, right? It tries to do the same thing in the cable jacket. When you push the cable, the outside of the bend exerts force on wall of the jacket to try to keep it straight. When you pull the core, it exerts force on the inside of the bend of the jacket. If the inside of the jacket walls have 20 year old grease, dirt, Elsinore water in it, etc, the core will not want to move smoothly, and the more force (causing it to try to bend more) you apply, the harder it will be. Take the nozzle off again (eliminating the load) and it seems to move fine.
    I have been able to make a cable useable again, but it takes a long time, and frankly I'd be more comfortable replacing it.
    I probably botched the explanation, but hopefully you get the idea.

  10. #10
    Wicked Performance Boats
    [QUOTE][I would disconnect everything to see how works. If it's free, I'd start bolting things back up 1 at a time to see what is causing the bind up.
    /QUOTE] Almost all steering cables will work easily when straight. But when bent like a snake, old cables drag. Make sure the nozzle flips back and forth freely disconnected. Then order a new cable, as that's about 85% of the tight problems. Budlight

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