SoCal Jet Boats

Tech Talk => Jet Pumps => Topic started by: 76NORDIC on May 13, 2008, 05:46:43 PM

Title: Steering Question....
Post by: 76NORDIC on May 13, 2008, 05:46:43 PM
When I went from stock to the PD, I kinda had to mickey mouuse the way the cable mounted the the diverter. I used a bunch of SS washers to shim it up. Is there something out there to un mickey it    Mark
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: COORS HEAVY on May 13, 2008, 05:51:19 PM
STOP DRINKING BUDLIGHT THATS KINDA MICKEY MOUSE. JUST JOKING :D GET A PIECE OF ALUMINUM ROUND STOCK AND DRILL IT OUT THE IN DIAMITER OF THE BOLT.
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: beerjet on May 13, 2008, 06:06:11 PM
Tom at www.jetboatperformance.com  ;D can propably get you a swivel like this one . The bolt has a sleeve so you can wrench down on it real good and it comes with a jamb nut on the underside to keep everything secure . Since it's sleeved , the swivel will move freely even though everything is tighter than a frogs ass .

(https://www.socaljetboats.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi29.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc290%2Fbeerjet%2FPump.jpg%3Ft%3D1210726904&hash=70c9f950c431dbe80532206c6edf353aa375ead9)

-beerjet-
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: GAWnCA on May 13, 2008, 07:03:34 PM
When I went from stock to the PD, I kinda had to mickey mouuse the way the cable mounted the the diverter. I used a bunch of SS washers to shim it up. Is there something out there to un mickey it    Mark

You can go to Lowes and in those drawers in the hardware area, they have some nylon bushings that will work.


(https://www.socaljetboats.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fgregaw.home.comcast.net%2Fpd-left.jpg&hash=974991f4cd5a72ff6aff6ec80fb45da1de464e3e)
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: FORKEDUP on May 13, 2008, 09:45:01 PM
i did the bushing on mine as well, but used a stainless one instead of nylon, ace hardware special that seems like it is going to work (boat hasn't hit the water yet)
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: GAWnCA on May 13, 2008, 10:31:56 PM
I just figured that the nylon would have less wear on the PD aluminum.  It seems to work fine.  I'll bet it was cheaper than the SS.   ;)  But still cheaper than you would get form a boat shop.
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: AQUAHOLIC on May 13, 2008, 10:50:20 PM
my steering was binding up real bad last year. it was fine until i went thru the same channel everytime it would get hard to steer. still have not figured it out. not trying to hyjack your post just thought i would let ya know you are not the only person with steering grief.
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: 76NORDIC on May 14, 2008, 05:57:54 PM
Hey guys thanks for the help, think I will go to homo depot see what they got, and as for that coors guy, when you are drinkin that rocky mountain piss water, I can see how your vision might be distorted, and your seein mickey mouse ;D ;D ;D  JK    Hey Aqua the only time I have some hard steering, is when im in the channel at park moabi, usually when the water is low. You have the grass and also that they need to dredge it for all the silt that has built up, even worse if you have a rudder on. Just my 02    mark
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: CP Performance on May 15, 2008, 04:08:57 PM
Swivel kits make it real easy http://www.cpperformance.com/detail.aspx?ID=113
Let me know if Home Depot doesnt work out  ;D
Brad
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: Jetaholic on May 19, 2008, 10:58:10 PM
Or you can make a spacer out of a piece of stainless pipe as well.
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: GAWnCA on May 20, 2008, 06:57:18 AM
I still think, for the 2 moving surfaces/contact points, nylon is the best bet and a heck of a lot cheaper than SS pipe or a kit for $34.00.  My steering is smooth as silk.  I don't remember what I paid for the nylon bushings but I don't think it was over $2.00 for 2 of them.  I can move the steering nozzle with almost undetectable restriction.
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: speedymopars on May 20, 2008, 07:23:15 AM
I'd vote for the nylon, stainless contacting aluminum will cause the aluminum to get eaten.
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: 76NORDIC on May 20, 2008, 08:29:24 AM
Thanks for the replies guys. Think I will go for the nylon, makes sense about wear and the money. Heck with 34 bucks that will get me a 1/4 tank of gas for my expedition ;D
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: Huklebuk on May 20, 2008, 11:27:50 PM
I feel your pain on the expedition.  I'm gonna have to start selling body parts to fill it up.
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: The Chaz on May 21, 2008, 10:31:52 AM
Try a Suburban...  I'm at $115 to fill it :mad:

Oh and I like the 2 nylon busing idea also, I guess you would need to get a locking nut though to keep the wear or just compression from allowing it to come loose
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: GAWnCA on May 21, 2008, 10:51:55 AM
Try a Suburban...  I'm at $115 to fill it :mad:

Oh and I like the 2 nylon busing idea also, I guess you would need to get a locking nut though to keep the wear or just compression from allowing it to come loose

SS Bolt and Nyloc nut.  Works great!!  Only one bushing is needed but I think mine came 2 in the package.  BTW, $70.00 to fill my small Explorer.
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: slow67 on May 21, 2008, 11:28:46 AM
SS Bolt and Nyloc nut.  Works great!!  Only one bushing is needed but I think mine came 2 in the package.  BTW, $70.00 to fill my small Explorer.

$35 to fill my '81 Chevy LUV!!!!!
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: GAWnCA on May 21, 2008, 11:30:14 AM
$35 to fill my '81 Chevy LUV!!!!!

But, can you tow a boat with it?  Other than a inflatable raft?   ;D
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: 76NORDIC on May 21, 2008, 11:42:24 AM
nah prolly a YAK ;D ;D
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: slow67 on May 21, 2008, 11:49:29 AM
But, can you tow a boat with it?  Other than a inflatable raft?   ;D

Actually it pulls my 16' boat better than my wife's 03 buick rendezvous
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: GT Jets on May 27, 2008, 09:54:17 PM
Hey guys, not trying to offend anyone, sorry if I do, but the nylon bushing idea is dangerous. Let me explain... with nothing but a soft bushing between the cable and the tiller, the bolt will take 100a5 of the side load from steering back and forth, this will eventually cause metal fatigue (modulous of elasticity) and the bolt could fail :o. The back woods fix which is bulletproof and cheap is to use a 3/8" fine thread (316 SS) bolt long enough to go through the cable eye, the tiller and two 3/8" nuts and have threads most of the way to the head. Run the bolt through the cable eye then run a standard (non locking) nut fairly snug to the eye, then run the bolt through the tiller and tighten the "jamb" nut to the tiller (not the cable eye) then cap it off with an aircraft nut (ny-lok) and you are Golden. This will even pass tech for racing as long as the boat does not require dual cable steering. Very sorry for the "Verbal Diarreah" :-[.
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: TrailerHo on May 31, 2008, 04:29:56 PM
Alright, I see kinda what you are saying about the nylon and everything else.  The guy I bought my boat from did the 10,000 washer idea and to top it off, he didn't use stainless so it was a big rusted bolt back there.  Anyways, this is where my problem comes in and I am curious to see if it's a common thing.
I just purchased a new steering cable for my jet.  when I put the new cable in I noticed that the shaft of the steering cable doesn't line up with the bolt hole on the jet pump assembly.   It isn't off by very much but it is off enough to where, when I bolt it up it pulls the steering rod to one side causing it to rub and restrict it's movement a little. 
So is this a common thing, or is my boat just a little messed up?

Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: Luckie Stiff on May 31, 2008, 05:18:22 PM
ditch the spacers and washers. your steering tube should be loose enough that you can pull the cable down to the tiller arm, problem solved.
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: TrailerHo on May 31, 2008, 08:53:41 PM
Is the nuts supposed to be tight or are they supposed to be a little loose?  When I got the boat, it was tight with no movement allowed so I assumed that is how it is supposed to be.  Is that not the case? 
Now that I look at a few, they do look loose.  Should I get a new rubber groment?
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: beerjet on May 31, 2008, 09:04:07 PM
$34 is cheap for piece of mind that one of the most important parts on your boat is done correctly . I'm just sayin .

-beerjet-
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: GAWnCA on May 31, 2008, 09:39:17 PM
Well, say what you will, I have absolutely NO play with the nylon bushing and the bolt is threaded into the control arm and the ny-loc nut is there just to fill in the space and hold everything there together.  All the nylon does is align everything.  This is my first season with that set up so I'll give the finial verdict later on.  It's just a spacer, not the controlling surface.
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: Luckie Stiff on May 31, 2008, 10:07:09 PM
Nylon= no good.
There's too much sheer force on the nut/bolt combo when you're turining your wheel and nothing to hold it in place, that bushing will give and your steering will get sloppy, ask me how I know.  If you've got access to a Lowe's you can find S/S bushings just like the nylon one you have, add some A/N washers to minimize the friction and you're shittin' in tall cotton.
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: 76NORDIC on May 31, 2008, 10:55:21 PM
Hey Skip you know from experience?  Fill me in bud
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: Luckie Stiff on May 31, 2008, 11:10:42 PM
Ok, first off, I just looked at your pic again, you've already got the swivel deal that Beerjet was refering to, take those washers out, loosen the swivel thing a bit and retighten the bolt in the tiller arm, then tighten up the swivel thing.

How I know is that I had the same bushing/spacer on another boat I had and each time I took it out the steering got a bit sloppier, not being in the frame of mind to think the bushing was failing I wrote it off to a bad cable and let it go for the time being, long story short, bolt broke in the middle of the freakin' lake, first day of a 3 day trip, I was pissed.
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: GT Jets on June 01, 2008, 11:52:07 AM
Here is how I know, this is a "pile" of a 1986 bubble deck Bahner jet. Broke the very end off of the tiller arm off and met with an unimpressed rock at about 40MPH! >:D Luckily it happened to my nieghbor and no one was hurt, but I bought the boat from him for $50 less engine and trailer and got some sweet bling! Never spend too little time in the area of controls...
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: TrailerHo on June 04, 2008, 08:15:41 AM
Alright, so I went and got the swivel kit for my pump and I still have to run washers to hook everything up.  It solved my alignment problem a little, still rubs the side of the shaft on the tube but not as bad.   
The thing is, when I go to hook up my swivel kit to my steering arm, the arm and tube are so rigid that I have to run washers under the swivel to bring it up and meet it with the steering arm.
So it brings it to my next question......  Is my steering tube supposed to be so tight that it causes the tube to be rigid or will the black bushing that comes with the kit, provide a water tight seal with the nuts being loose enough to allow the tube to move?   ???
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: GT Jets on June 04, 2008, 09:05:46 AM
The tube has to be able to move fairly free, the cable tube moves side to side when you steer, if the tube is oversnugged (word?) it could fatigue and possibly fail. :)

And that would suck! :P
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: TrailerHo on June 04, 2008, 10:35:32 AM
The tube has to be able to move fairly free, the cable tube moves side to side when you steer, if the tube is oversnugged (word?) it could fatigue and possibly fail. :)

And that would suck! :P

That helps alot, because when I got the boat... it was tight so I assumed it was supposed to be tight (the nuts on both sides of the steering tube).  So I will buy a new bushing and redo it. 
Will that bushing provide a water tight seal or should I put something on it to help it's water tight ablity?
And thanks for the quick response!!
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: GT Jets on June 04, 2008, 07:57:18 PM
The tube should seal up pretty well with just the seal, I don't use any sealants but dont know if anyone else does, I do however use some elastomeric silicone on the nuts that go over the tube, literally just a small dab, to keep the nuts from moving sot of like cheap thread locker, but thats it.

Don't use too much, or you will never get it apart.
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: TrailerHo on June 05, 2008, 07:51:10 AM
 ;D  Thanks!  I am off to Eddie Marine to get a new seal.
Title: Re: Steering Question....
Post by: TrailerHo on June 13, 2008, 06:54:22 AM
Well I put everything together last week and tested it out this Monday.  Everything worked great and it's amazing how good the steering works without a ton of washers in the back of it.
thanks for everyones help!
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