tiller steer questions

[ericcs]

put a picture up, side on to the keel and the cav plate. tilt the engine so the cav plate is parrallel to the keel. this will make it easy to see if it's too low!

[JEWIENEWIE]

Reckon i have found the issue. On closer looking at the motor positioning, it is not to low but have noticed the motor is off center to the port side by about 1.5cm. Would this do it....? The reason it is off i am presuming is that there is a electrical panel in between the two engine clamps which does not allow it to be centered. I have removed panel, centered motor, just need to take for a spin and see but presuming this is also why the anode is off center also, to try and compensate for the motor not being aligned right. Am i right in thinking this...?
Jewie

[Noelm]

It's common/normal for the fin to be turned, that's why it's there.

[JEWIENEWIE]

Yeah i understand that but now knowing the motor was not centered, the fin may not be in the correct position now i have centered it. Will need to go for a test run and see...
Thanks,
Jewie

[gazza2006au]

Jewie they make hydraulic tiller steer maybe a consideration? I'm not actually sure how the hydraulic steering would work on a tiller since there is no feedback i guess if u let go at full throttle it would maintain course, Could perhaps have some bad effects to being so easy and forgiving to steer with no feedback u may not actually feel something bad about to happen if your full bore and its feather light to steer and u give her to much....

but i donno i have never used any hydraulic steering before so i am only speculating on what might go wrong

i have owned a few little tinnies i can't recall which engines had a lot of torque but i can remember coming home after 4 hours fishing feeling like i done 10 reps 30 sets lifting 40kg on the one arm to the point u find it difficult to steer a car on your way home

[ericcs]

Yeah i understand that but now knowing the motor was not centered, the fin may not be in the correct position now i have centered it. Will need to go for a test run and see...
Thanks,
Jewie

If it doesn't fix it, as i mentioned before, don't be scared to lift it a notch or two. Even if you say it looks ok, there's nothing to lose, and you just might be surprised!

[Ah Me Ting]

Reckon i have found the issue. On closer looking at the motor positioning, it is not to low but have noticed the motor is off center to the port side by about 1.5cm. Would this do it....? The reason it is off i am presuming is that there is a electrical panel in between the two engine clamps which does not allow it to be centered. I have removed panel, centered motor, just need to take for a spin and see but presuming this is also why the anode is off center also, to try and compensate for the motor not being aligned right. Am i right in thinking this...?
Jewie

Ah ha ... "The ole not centred on the hull", said in best Maxwell Smart voice of course!

Mate, you're on your way to resolving this now... That little anode fin will end up pointing slightly off, but to find out how much, you'll need to do some trail and error testing. Set it straight, take it for a run. Then, move it a little to the starboard side and test again, and by little, like one notch only. Keep going until it feels best, you'll know when you go too far, or have gone enough.

Just make sure you have a good trim position (if manual set it to just push the bow down on flat water at WOT) ... That way when you back off for cruise RPM it sits up a bit and reduces drag for most efficient engine vs speed vs fuel use.

Test and trail different trim positions if electric, and at different speeds.

You'll soon feel what is best, better, and worse.

Just moving the motor that 1.5cm back to centre will give it a different feel.

That little anode fin will end up skewed slightly off straight, but it makes a big difference!

[JEWIENEWIE]

Correct 99, the old motor not centered trick.....you were spot on..! And as mentioned above, I reckon thats why the fin on the anode is at a pretty strange setting, trying to compensate. I just dont get why previous owner just didn't move the panel and center motor instead of what they had done as it felt like a pig to get her back in a straight line from port side....I have the weekend off from kids soccer, netball, surf comps etc so itching to get her on the water and see how she goes,
Thanks for your input mate!
Jewie

[Fed]

I seriously doubt being off centre by 1.5cm would cause you a problem.

[JEWIENEWIE]

Hmmmm....not what I wanted to hear Fed. Motor is not to low as others have mentioned. What is the ideal position for the boat to be in when WOT on the plane. It is manual trim and the motor is currently positioned 2nd last notch closest to the transom....? I just don't get why it is hard to get it back from port side to a straight line but from Starboard side to straight line no problem. Thought the motor, although only out by 1.5cm to the port side, would be it for sure.....

[Fed]

The most likely suspects are the trim tab trailing edge is adjusted too far to the right or the motor is trimmed out too far. Two holes out doesn't mean much because transom angles vary.
Put up a few pictures of the whole setup.

[Noelm]

It is also pretty normal for the tiller to be hard one way, just think of the prop as a paddle wheel, it wants to "paddle" the motor one way, turns nice, but to straighten up, you have to fight the paddle torque.

[JEWIENEWIE]

In saying its hard, I dont mean hard in pushing the actual tiller handle, more so in the way the boat does not want to respond to turning back to the starboard or get it in a straight line, boat wants to stay turning port side. Like driving in soft sand..........

[Fed]

Let's say you're driving along at 20 Knots in flat water with no wind are you saying you turn the boat to Port and then it's hard to straighten it up again?

[JEWIENEWIE]

Yep.....thats whats happening