Steering Wheel and Power Knob....Weird

[gran398]

So we went to gas up the boat tonight, got her up on plane, noticed the power knob was at the top of the steering wheel. Boat was running straight down the waterway. Get to the gas dock, spin the wheel this way and that...gas her up.

Leave the gas dock....power knob has reversed position....now at the bottom. Is it a function of end-to-end turn where it ends up?...or is it slipping internally on the spindle?...or something else?

Thanks!

[seabob4]

Scotty, if you were hard over, and leaning on the wheel a little, the internal check valve in the helm will release, the wheel will move but the engines won't.  That's the main reason you use equidistant destroyer type wheels with hydraulic helms.  If for instance you have a 3-spoke (like a car) wheel, the spokes will change position and it will bug the hell out of you!  With a destroyer, you don't notice.  

Guaranty you, if you didn't have the power knob, you would never have noticed...

[wingtime]

I have a suicide knob on my wheel and it changes position now and then....  Just like Bob says it's normal on a hydraulic helm.  After all it's just a pump not a direct connection like a cable system.

[gran398]

Thanks Bob and Bruce! I must say, it was freaking me out. And hadn't had a drop to drink, was sotally tober

[fitz73222]

180 degrees? Maybe 30 degrees is what I've experienced. I'd check the helm fluid anyway. But as long as it doesn't feel mushy and less responsive should be ok.

[gran398]

Yes...180 degrees.

Its not mushy, feels fine, no clicking.

Just moves around on its own, all over the board.

[seabob4]

Scotty, I'm in line with Farley on this one.  180 out is QUITE a bit, especially if you were at a hardover position for just a short period of time.  Do me a favor.  Go down to Miss D and turn the wheel very slowly while looking at the motors.  Note any lag time between when you turn the wheel and when the motors actually move.  In a properly bled system, the motors should move almost immediately as soon as you move the wheel at all.  If there is some lag time, re-bleeding the system is in order...

[gran398]

Yep, sure understand that 180 is abnormal, and therefore reason for concern. And it was really weird, almost like it was magic or possessed or something. Riding to get gas the powerknob was exactly at the top of the wheel. Riding back home it was directly opposite, at the very bottom of the wheel. Then it went to around 30 degrees off the bottom, and then switched sides to the other side of the bottom around 25 degrees off-center if that makes sense.

So will take your advice when get off and go down and check her, and report back, should be around 6:30.

For sure there is some slippage etc. going on if there is that big a move.

Thanks very much you guys!

[seabob4]

Just report back tonight Scotty.  Also check your helm fluid level (bring a pair of pliers with you in case the cap is really tight).  You want the fluid level just below the top of the fill port...

[flounderpounder225]

Thanks Bob and Bruce! I must say, it was freaking me out. And hadn't had a drop to drink, was sotally tober

 :|  :|  

[fitz73222]

Just thinking this through, do we need to make sure that the woodruff key was installed when your guy put the new helm in and that the wheel has been held in place only because of the nut torque against the wheel and taper. Sounds crazy but I'm sure its happened. Part of my 8D corrective action, root cause analysis upbringing. Man, Machine, Method! My fangs are starting to show!

[fitz73222]

You know, when I replaced the helm seal on my Baystar on the flats boat, I noticed that it looked like the wheel was bottomed out on the shaft taper,at the point where the shaft becomes straight again and was actually galled, like the tapers didn't match but I have key penetration, but not much. Mine is a knock-off Edson wheel so I attributed it to wonderful Chinese machining tolerances but it does make you wonder.

[gran398]

You just keep up that method of thinking Brother Farl....makes perfect sense given the way that knob moves all over the compass so to speak. It REALLY weirded me out. It works fine at the dock, but in the water under torque is a different story...giving more credence to your theory.

Didn't get to go down there tonight but will in the morn and report when get to work. I am planning on popping off that nut if everything else cks out

[wingtime]

yeah 180 is a bunch for a sudden move...  mine only shifts position just a little bit at a time.

[gran398]

Raining cats and dogs this morn...will ck it after work, thanks guys