April 26th, 2009, 07:16 AM. Re: Steering wheel has a lot of play. First determine if the helm has the play or the cable. I'm assuming the boat has a common single cable Teleflex or similar style ROTARY steering (not rack). Rotary helm has big round shape, Rack is long and flat. Turn the wheel back and forth just in the 'play' area. In short “Maybe”. Your steering system may be undersized, this requires much more effort to turn the wheel. SeaStar Power Assist will “help”, however if the cylinder is undersized your best option may be to increase the size of the cylinder providing more “force” to move the rudder (s) over.
Play in Teleflex steering - Moderated Discussion Areas Play in Teleflex steering AuthorTopic: Play in Teleflex steeringBlackduckposted 04:12 PM ET (US) Does anyone know how to get rid of the play in a Teleflex steering system. The sloppiness is not in the linkage connecting to the motor, but is in the helm itself.
![Play Play](/uploads/1/2/5/6/125600816/195604937.jpg)
Thanks, Walt17 bodegaposted 05:46 PM ET (US) I have the standard teleflex Safe T Helm on my 16/17. It's brand new (both the cable and the helm) and it has a bit of play in the steering wheel. There is no way to get rid of that small amount of play.
The only option is to get the NFB helm and cable as many forum members have done to their whalers. The results they post are good.ratherwhaleringposted 06:53 PM ET (US) I have a NFB helm on my Montauk, and there is still a good 1/4 to 1/8 turn, or play, in the steering. I think its standard in the rotary helm.Gene in NCposted 09:35 PM ET (US) Essentially new NFB in '87 Montauk has almost a 1/4 turn slack and is a PIA.
Am tempted to switch back to std. In the std there is annoyance to have a little bit of pull in whatever is the torque steer direction but easy to control and no need to constantly correct.With NFB the boat wanders within the slack range and when running straight courses like ICW there is near constant need to pull on the wheel to overcome the clutch and then correct the course.Anyone have recommendation on 'good' steering system?where2posted 10:49 PM ET (US) For a step above 'Good' get a Teleflex Baystar system. No more engine torque, no more slop.Installed it on my 15' Sport in the spring, never going back to a cable setup now. No Comparison.acseatsriposted 04:11 PM ET (US) I'll second the motion to go to hydraulic steering.
Easy as hell to steer and will hold a straight course in calm waters without batting an eyelash. Of course, it's a lot more expensive than cable unless you can find a used unit on Ebay.FISHNFFposted 03:16 AM ET (US) I have had a Baystar for over a year now. I could not stand the play in the NFB.
I changed it out twce in as many years. Always got worse as time went on, but no failure. Just annoying. I have a Merc 4S, and there is over 400#'s shaking as it goes down the road.Baystar is the only way to go (for me).FISHNFF Hop to.
Loose steering or play can be caused by an internal failure of the steering gear, or the rack-and-pinion unit. If the components inside are worn excessively, the input from the steering shaft may not be directly transmitted to the steering linkage and could cause play in the steering wheel. The steering rack is generally not serviced in the field and is usually replaced with a remanufactured or new unit. Observe movement of the steering shaft while a helper turns the wheel. If the input shaft to the steering gear is moving, but the tie-rods are not, suspect internal steering gear failure. Tie-rod failure can cause the steering to feel loose in a Honda Civic, which uses separate tie-rods for the left and right side that attach to the front-center of the steering gear.
If the tie-rod is loose, it will allow movement of the assembly before it transmits the movement to the steering knuckle, causing the loose feeling. Check the tie rods for up and down movement by grasping them at the ends, pushing and pulling straight up and down. Any movement in the ball socket is a sign of failure.
Also check the adjustment sleeve that joins the inner and outer tie rod together for loose bolts. The steering column contains a steering shaft with a universal joint that attaches the steering wheel to the input shaft of the steering gear. The universal joint may be loose, or the steering column may not be bolted tightly to the vehicle. Check the universal joint for loose bolts, and check for play or movement in the joints. This may also be accompanied by a noise when you turn the steering wheel. The steering column mounts to the body of the vehicle with two mounting bolts and nuts at the base of the column, which should also be checked for tightness.