Mechanical Steering heads up

stevej · Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2004 2:53 pm Post subject: Mechanical Steering heads up

Never thought about maintenance on my mechanical steering other than greasing the cable until last night.

In the process of removing the system (installing hydraulic steering) I had to pull the back off of the steering box and found that the two screws holding the plate that secures the cable were loose as well as the three bolts holding the planetary gears in place.
Had any of these screws or bolts backed out much more it could have jammed the steering.

Will try to post some pictures over the weekend of the problem area.

stevej

Butch · Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2004 6:42 pm Post subject: Thanks for the heads up!!!

I was on a bost that lost its steering.... 24" and about 300' from the dock. I tossed my oldest son overboard, threw him a line, and said.... SWIM, YOU AIN"T GET'N BACK ON THE BOAT.... unless we are at the dock and i have the truck keys!
He was 14 at that time and stood about 6' at 240 pounds and swims like a fish.

Butch

Captains Cat · Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2004 6:47 pm Post subject:

Man, this poor 72" kid was pulling a 24" boat and his dad was hollering at him.....

Ease up Butch!! Shocked

Luna C · Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2004 12:38 am Post subject:

I lost my steering last year in gale winds - just turned around to go back to make the wife happy. 2 feet from the float, the wheel was spinning and the boat was not turning! Had we tried to cross Roserio Straights..... Check those nuts!!

Pat Anderson · Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2004 9:26 am Post subject:

I would check the nuts if I had a CLUE where they are located. I don't grease the steering cables, either - I assume C-Dory does when the boat gets its 100 / 200 etc hour service, no? (You know "assume," it makes an ASS out of U and ME...) They would if I ASKED them to, right?

HOW ABOUT A ROUTINE / NECESSARY MAINTENANCE AREA ON THE SITE HERE, WITH LOTS OF DETAIL PHOTOS?

WadeV · Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2004 11:26 am Post subject:

Good idea, Pat

Sawdust · Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2004 5:53 pm Post subject:

Pat,

I'd sure check with C Dory on that! I doubt it.

I assume C-Dory does when the boat gets its 100 / 200 etc hour service, no?

Dusty

Butch

Charlie, to this day Todd (my oldest son) tells the story to his kids about how he SAVED "Dad" and "PawPaw" and his favorite greatuncle from being stranded in the water on a boat that had no stearing. We were at Palm Coast Inlet in Florida on a busy Saturday morning where all the cruisers (really big boats) were slipped and docked when this happened. Todd looked 20 yo and made a loud specticle of himself as he took his good old time pulling us (more like the line I tossed him) to a waiting dockhand. He had a great time trying to embarass the three old Farts on the boat. The air temp was about 85 and the water temp was in the low 80's, however once he got the line to the dockhand there were several, 3 to be exact, young ladies waiting with towels so he could dry off. My three grandsons can tell this story by heart and Todd still rubs it in on various occasions and prefaces his rendition with, "Dad do you check the sterring operations BEFORE you back from the slip these days?". This is what memories are made of... Butch

Da Nag · Posted: Sun Apr 25, 2004 10:44 am Post subject:

I thought it was a purdy darn funny story, Butch...

Think it would work on a wife? I realize the obvious answer is "not more than once"... Cool

Captains Cat · Posted: Sun Apr 25, 2004 11:05 am Post subject:

Butch, it would work on my wife but first she'd have me show her how. She's devious that way Twisted Evil

Great story!, should have had pictures.. Smile

Charlie