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35-2 Wheel Steering Adjustment

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
If you have the Yacht Specialties steering setup that Ericson installed on so many different boats (including mine), look for two turn buckles on the inside of the circular quadrant where you can take up each cable. Be sure not to over tighten and cause binding and wear on the sheave axles. A *little* bit of play is normal. And, you get to worm your way into unexplored regions of the stern of the boat! No telling what you may discover back there...
Have someone at the wheel to tell you how you are doing, and to hand you a sweat rag and a cold beer when you get done.
Loren
 

Brettcontreras

Junior Member
Thanks Loren.

There was about a third of a turn of play before, and when the wheel was turned hard all the way to one side, it jumped the pulley. When I reattached the cable, I noticed that there was a lot of play in the cable, so I adjusted the turnbuckle until it was maxed out.( the cable still wasn't tight by any means) I then went topside to check the wheel, there was no play, but I could hear kind of an abrasive sound when the wheel moved, and then it jumped the pulley again.

Based on what you've told me, I'd say I tightened it too much. I'll keep playing with it.

thanks,

Brett Contreras
 
RE: steering cable problems

I have a 1973 E-35 with the original YS steering set up. A few days ago I had a novice steering and she panicked and over-steered the wheel, something went "pop" and we had no wheel steering; luckily I had re-laminated the emergency tiller and quickly installed it. When I examined the problem I found the chain lying on the bottom of the boat , and one of the cables badly 1/2 broken where the cable exits the curved rod that attaches to the chain, also the attachment chain-link on that cable had popped it's cotter-pin and the cable had separated from the chain. I then took the steering hub apart and discovered several badly chipped teeth on the chain sprocket. I have no idea if this was due to the latest incident or just corrosion, etc. of the brass sprocket. I've replaced the damaged cable, and am having a steel-sprocket modified to replace the original brass one (YS parts appear to be extinct; so I'm using a Browning 11-tooth 1-1/8" sprocket).
The upshot of all this is two things:
1) caution/teach your crew not to panic and oversteer (i.e. if the wheel doesn't want to keep turning: don't force it!); and
2) that I highly recommend examining your steering sprocket...rotate the wheel at least one full turn when you do this; if more than a tooth or two are damaged, you should consider replacing the sprocket (maybe keep the original as a back-up).
I also suggest that you make your steering wheel easily removable as you will probably have to do this to replace the sprocket. Mike G. in Honolulu
 
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