Steering quadrant issues on 420 Passage CC

[Rick]

I have a couple of issues I need some advice/knowledge help on. Disclaimer. I am at home and dont have any pics to include so hopefully someone can look at what they have for me?
My steering rig is a Whitlock pedestel, Raymarine S3 smart pilot, and I believe, a Constellation rotary drive unit
So a couple of months ago when we should have been reefed but weren't, I heard a couple of "tangs" in the binnacle area coupled with alot of weather helm. We rounded up, reefed, and continued on. It was then I realized the wheel was not at its center position. I go down below and look at the drive and lower quadrant in gen locker. The mount bolts on the drive unit are loose and there is slack in the drive chain. Also, now the rudder indicator on the ST6000 control head does not indicate position in standby. The wheel is about a quarter turn off center when amidships.
To me it seems the loose chain jumped some teeth at the helm or the drive unit.
How can I recenter the wheel to line up with the rudder? Yes I could just move the alignment tape but...
How do I center the autopilot back up so it indicates rudder position in standby? It indicates fine with autopilot engaged. Does it see a conflict with the rudder position sensor because of the now misaligned wheel? Looking for some thoughts on this? TY

 

[Hydro Therapy]

I have an Edson pedestal and had to adjust mine over the winter. The chain on mine jumped a few teeth. For my setup I had to remove the compass on the post. Once I had access to the chain I loosened the cables at the quadrant. Lift the chain off the sprocket and in my case move it 2 teeth to port. Tighten the cables at the quadrant and secure the compass. I assume your setup is similar to mine.

I’m not familiar with the autopilot problem.

I hope this helps

 

[smokey73]

I'm a little confused so pardon my questions.
Are you saying that with your wheel centered (previous mark or tape on the wheel indicating the centered position) the rudder is not centered? When you do not have the autopilot engaged and are steering by hand with the wheel centered (by the mark) is the rudder centered (based on steering a straight course). If not, then the problem would seem to be in the actual chain/cable steering system, not the autopilot. My system is a Edson so maybe its a lot difference. The suggestion to check to see if you jumped the chain a few teeth on the steering chain/cables seems to be spot on. You might want to see why it jumped the teeth. That should not happen unless something is loose or misaligned.

As far as the autopilot is concerned, once you have the wheel steering system itself sorted (so its half way - lock to lock, which is where your center mark should be) then the autopilot should take care of itself (unless of course you bent your rudder position sensor some how too).

 

[Capt jgw]

I have no experience with the Whitlock but have owned Edson and Merriman pedestals. On those the cables should be tight enough that the chain can't jump teeth without something breaking. Is there free play in your system, ie can you turn the wheel more than a tiny amount without the rudder turning? There should not be. If there is the cables are too loose and may have allowed the teeth to jump. On my pedestals the cables are attached to the quadrant through adjusting screws. Disconnect those screws, pull the chain up off the sprocket (under the compass on yours?). Find and mark the center of the chain and put it back on the sprocket with the wheel centered. Then reattach the adjusting screws and use those to center the rudder. If the rudder position sensor was not tampered with it should also return to center. Adjust as needed. The cables should be tightened until there is almost no free play. If you can't get it to stay that way something is broken.

 

[Rick]

@ Capt and Smokey 73

Your responses are right on track with what I was thinking. It definately jumped some teeth. But at the drive or at the helm? Im thinking maybe both because of the RPS (rudder position sensor) confusion When I inspected it at the drive,the chain and bolts that hold the drive in place were loose on one side. The chain was actually clanking inside the pedestal shaft when healed in seas. Fixed! Now to recenter the wheel. Sounds easy enough. Remove compass and expose. Chain off sprocket and center. So the sensitive part. I know of no damage to rudder and inspected RPS on last visit and all is well there. The sensor works because it works when auto is selected. So your saying get the wheel centered... make sure rudder is centered and then reboot. I forgot I had a few pictures of RPS symptoms at the control head. All wiring at S3 panel is connected.

 

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