Help: Steering Wheel Locks Up When Hard To Port

catalanc

catalanc

.
Mar 23, 2015
259
Catalina 22 MK-II Dillon, CO
Hi,
I have a 1988 Seaward S24 with an Edson pedestal steering wheel. The linkage is on the outside of the transom (see pic). The linkage locks up when hard to port when the "steering bar" is at full extension. I can get it to release by shaking the rudder, which is of course a pain .. if not dangerous. Anyone else out there have this steering system and this problem?
cec
 

Attachments

NYSail

NYSail

.
Jan 6, 2006
3,146
Beneteau 423 Mt. Sinai, NY
Not familiar with these but my first though is that maybe the "stop" needs to be adjusted so the bar does not go that far. Again not familiar but just a thought...

Good Luck
Greg.
 
catalanc

catalanc

.
Mar 23, 2015
259
Catalina 22 MK-II Dillon, CO
Thanks, Greg. I have been staring but there does not appear to be any sort of stop. I am imagining fabricating one to do just that.
cec
 
D

dlochner

.
Jan 11, 2014
13,070
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
A couple of thoughts.

The problem may be inside the boat with something hanging up in the pedestal or the mechanisms below deck.

The steering arm may not longer be straight. It looks like it is being used to support the mast, that might have induced a slight bend in the arm causing it to bind. If there are cables between the pedestal and the steering arm, there will be idler pulleys. Edson pulleys are bronze and they sometimes develop flat spots. That could hinder the arms movement.

Have you taken the arm off the rudder to see if the rudder and arm move freely? Also check the arm for being straight.
 
  • Like
Likes: jssailem
catalanc

catalanc

.
Mar 23, 2015
259
Catalina 22 MK-II Dillon, CO
Dave,
Yes, that vertical bar was put on by the PO for winter storage. I did not think to check if the steering arm remains straight. I took the apparatus apart while on the water and cleaned and greased the ends, but no fix. All other parts (arm, rudder) appeared to be free. I will remove the entire arm and make sure it is not bent. Don't think it is the pulley, but I'll check that as well. My favorite hypothesis is that the end of the arm gets jammed into the rudder mount at full extension. Not sure if I can shave the end down a bit to minimize this or not. Will need to stare.
Thanks for the advice!
cec
 
D

dlochner

.
Jan 11, 2014
13,070
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
catalanc said:
Yes, that vertical bar was put on by the PO for winter storage.
cec
Click to expand
Find another place to put the mast support. Whether it is the cause of the problem or not, the steering arm is not intended to support the weight of a mast and cover. Moving the support to the cockpit with a larger base and secured to the boat with rachtet straps is more secure and avoids putting weight where it doesn't belong.
 
  • Like
Likes: jssailem
Ron20324

Ron20324

.
Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
I don't see any adjustment on the steering rod outside, but certainly there must be some under the cockpit? I wonder if the pivot pin for the (thru-transom) steering arm has bent or worn away some? Also, a problem on my larger wheel-steered B323 is when I turn the wheel to it's extreme port or starboard, the end of the steering rod (for lack of a proper name) Goes beyond the (say, clockwise) "12 o'clock postion", which means it overshot its farthest operation point. The steering mechanism is not designed to pull that rod back in the CCW opposite direction but now wants to pull it more CW, and you get the lock-up. My 2 cents, if you can follow this?
 
catalanc

catalanc

.
Mar 23, 2015
259
Catalina 22 MK-II Dillon, CO
Hi Ron,
Everything looks OK, inside and out. I think the problem is that there is no stop and the arm extends too far when turning to port, as you suggest. I am planning to engineer a stop of "some sort" to prevent this. Was wondering if anyone else had this problem as well and perhaps what they did.
Thanks for the suggestions.
cec
 
Tom J

Tom J

.
Sep 30, 2008
2,325
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
Everything seems to indicate that you have some sort of steering quadrant under the cockpit, and the steering stop has loosened, so that the quadrant goes "over center" as Ron suggested. My steering stop cable clamps on my Edson steering had loosened up shortly after I acquired the boat. It's a good idea to check all the clamps on the steering cables every season, of course.
 
catalanc

catalanc

.
Mar 23, 2015
259
Catalina 22 MK-II Dillon, CO
Appended is a pic of the quadrant on the inside of the transom. I greased/oiled the cables and tightened the cables in spring before I launched. No stops that I can see on the quadrant, inside or out, or anywhere else. :mad:
IMG_0796.jpg
 
Tom J

Tom J

.
Sep 30, 2008
2,325
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
catalanc said:
Appended is a pic of the quadrant on the inside of the transom. I greased/oiled the cables and tightened the cables in spring before I launched. No stops that I can see on the quadrant, inside or out, or anywhere else. :mad:View attachment 186731
Click to expand
I think the cables you see on the top of the quadrant are the stops. The steering cables themselves are mounted to the curved groove on the quadrant. A picture of the overall setup would help.
 
kloudie1

kloudie1

.
Nov 6, 2006
10,112
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
A quick check would be to disconnect the quadrant-to-rudder link bar and move the rudder by hand to see if it sticks. If it is good and smooth with no binding, then it is in the chain/drive or binding in the cables.. I see that the steering cables are in an upper and lower position on the sector and they bend around the end of the sector and go to the clamps.. I don't see the sector pivot bolt.. that may be a source of binding as well.
 
catalanc

catalanc

.
Mar 23, 2015
259
Catalina 22 MK-II Dillon, CO
Hey Tom.
Ladybug is under cover and will be a week or two before I can crawl underneath the tarps, but I will post some additional photos when I can. Basically, the wheel turns a sprocket that moves a chain that is connected to the cables. The cables are routed around the silver pulleys, around the outside of the quadrant and are cinched in with cable clamps you see in the pic. They are not really stops and I think that the "stop" is when the quadrant hits the transom. I need to verify this next time I am on board. Was thinking of affixing a rubber stop on the transom where the quadrant hits?
 
  • Like
Likes: Tom J
catalanc

catalanc

.
Mar 23, 2015
259
Catalina 22 MK-II Dillon, CO
Claude,
Rudder moves freely when disconnected from the arm and am pretty sure the arm runs free when disconnected as well. Pretty sure it binds at the end of the arm where it affixes to the rudder. I kinda like the bent arm hypothesis ... :huh:.
 
  • Like
Likes: jssailem and kloudie1
kloudie1

kloudie1

.
Nov 6, 2006
10,112
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
Interesting.. I note that as you go hard to port, you lose mechanical advantage over the rudder because the rudder-end bar pivot moves forward with respect to the rudder pintles, making it harder to move from hard over. Removing the bar at the sector end and moving he rudder by hand using the bar, held level, might give some hints.. Good Luck with it..
 
D

dlochner

.
Jan 11, 2014
13,070
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
And, when all else fails, give Edson a call for their ideas. Since they made it, they might have some suggestions. :)
 
catalanc

catalanc

.
Mar 23, 2015
259
Catalina 22 MK-II Dillon, CO
Ya, did once but not much help. Will probably try them again, though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom