Need some help on stern drive steering bracket problem!

[ThePinkPanther]

I've got a Whittley Cruisemaster with an OMC 5.8 L petrol engine and believe (?) the stern drive is a Volvo Penta.

The entire leg assembly gets the shakes up when running on the dry stand and investigation has found that the steering cable bracket inside down behind the motor is very lose. I can take hold of the steering cable prior to it's entry to the assembly and actually shake the bracket up and down.

OK, I guess that either a) the bracket has a couple of bolts or something that hold it in place and maybe one of these has loosened or more the worry that b) the "thingo" that connects the actual steering controls to the bracket has some pretty serious wear and tear.

I am kind of lost in explaining the setup but was hoping that someone here might have some idea of just how these steering brackets are held in place.

It is hydraulically powered and the leg would be about 1994.
If necessary, I can always take a pic of it and post it here to make it a bit easier ..............

[bobbyb]

i don,t know much about it but i would guess you have some wear in your pivot points on your leg. as in up /down and side ways and the vibrations are shaking
your steering assemble to bits...........:-/

[BM]

I know Mercruisers better than the other sterndrives but one problem that besets Mercruisers is the tiller arm becomes sloppy. The tiller arm attaches to the gimbal mechanism and steering cable attaches to the tiller. The union between the tiller arm and the gimbal gets sloppy over time and you get increasing play in the leg. When they get bad you can rock the leg back and forth say 20 or more degrees and the steering wheel does not move.

With your head shoved in the back of the boat, get someone to rock the leg back and forth through the slack area and see where the freeplay originates.

Cheers