hunter 49 steering quadrant

Gianni65 · Mar 6, 2022

Hello Craig.

I'm not next to my H50 so I hope these pictures are of some help.

I'm interested in your experiences ok 15000 nm with H49 and Atlantic crossing as I'm planed to do the same with my H50/2007 so I hope we can keep in touch here over PM.

Warmest regards,

G

SEMPERAVANTI41 · Mar 6, 2022

I think you may just need to tighten all the bolts & nuts on the "Mamba" steering system and secure with Loctite. A few months ago the nuts on the long rod shafts loosened on my boat and I lost steering on the port helm.

Tom J · Mar 6, 2022

The bolt through the rod end should be tight so that the rod end rotates around the ball.

artboas · Mar 6, 2022

Zencra said:
Hi, I'm after some more advice. after 15000 nm and recently crossing the Atlantic, I'm noticing that the stainless bolt attaching steering rods to the quadrant are wearing through the quadrant alloy. I'm sure that it's installed wrongly. Could another H49 owner give me a heads up as to how their rods are installed? mine seems to be a threaded stainless bolt where the thread is exposed to the alloy and actually turns in the quadrant causing wear around the bolt hole. surely the bolt should be rigid so as not to move in the quadrant?
thanks again in advance, this site has helped me no end during the ownership of this boat.
Craig View attachment 203190

There is something wrong with your hardware. I believe that there is a sleeved tube missing.
I’ve had this apart countless times.
To the best of my immediate recollection, there is a tube (sleeve) around the bolt that acts as a bearing surface in the quadrant.
The bolt is a shoulder bolt with its shoulder diameter bushing into the spherical beating on the connector rod.
Then, the sleeve fits into the quadrant.
Underneath the quadrant is a large fender washer, and a nylock nut.
If the sleeve is missing, the threads of the bolt will absolutely chew up the quadrant.
You are going to need to ream out a hole in the quadrant and install a bushing to get the hole round and straight again. You’ll need to remove the quadrant, and do this on a milling machine.
I’m sure the hole is a mess if it’s just been riding on threads.
The bolt bushing should be stainless.
As far as the press-in bushing to fix the quadrant, look up oilite bushings. They are sintered bronze, abs will work well in this application.
You may need to get one cut down to length in a lathe.
Pm me for more info

artboas · Mar 6, 2022

Gianni65 said:
Hello Craig.

I'm not next to my H50 so I hope these pictures are of some help.

I'm interested in your experiences ok 15000 nm with H49 and Atlantic crossing as I'm planed to do the same with my H50/2007 so I hope we can keep in touch here over PM.

Warmest regards,

G

Something weird with your photos
I’m looking at your connection to the quadrant,, and it appears as though you have a linear autopilot drive attached into the quadrant underneath. The setup from Hunter uses the integrated Mamba motor, which simply bolts onto the stbd bevel gearbox.
Was this done as a refit?

artboas · Mar 6, 2022

Zencra said:
Hi, I'm after some more advice. after 15000 nm and recently crossing the Atlantic, I'm noticing that the stainless bolt attaching steering rods to the quadrant are wearing through the quadrant alloy. I'm sure that it's installed wrongly. Could another H49 owner give me a heads up as to how their rods are installed? mine seems to be a threaded stainless bolt where the thread is exposed to the alloy and actually turns in the quadrant causing wear around the bolt hole. surely the bolt should be rigid so as not to move in the quadrant?
thanks again in advance, this site has helped me no end during the ownership of this boat.
Craig View attachment 203190

Hi
Looking at the photo you attached, and something odd.
You’re only showing one rod attaching to the quadrant. There are 2 rods with spherical bearings stacked above each other.
It’s a long shoulder bolt, with the shoulder the height of both bearings.
As mentioned , you are missing the sleeve that bushes the bolt into the quadrant.

artboas · Mar 7, 2022

Gianni65 said:
Hello Craig.

I'm not next to my H50 so I hope these pictures are of some help.

I'm interested in your experiences ok 15000 nm with H49 and Atlantic crossing as I'm planed to do the same with my H50/2007 so I hope we can keep in touch here over PM.

Warmest regards,

G

Hi,
I’ve looked at your photos again, and it looks like you have a Jefa linear drive. Am I correct on that?
Still wondering why this was done instead of the bolt-on mamba drive….. curious.

artboas · Mar 10, 2022

artboas said:
Hi,
I’ve looked at your photos again, and it looks like you have a Jefa linear drive. Am I correct on that?
Still wondering why this was done instead of the bolt-on mamba drive….. curious.

Ok,
I went aboard today, and here is the correct linkage attachment to the quadrant

sailcapt340 · Mar 11, 2022

Is there any type of grease on the ball joints your showing? I had a friend who never thought to apply a light coating of waterproof grease on his 1998 340 linkage arms and the friction from years of turning cracked the housing. He lost all steering that day.
This was one of the first items brought to my attention, at my commissioning, when I purchased my boat new in 2000. It’s been wiped clean and reapplied with fresh grease each year since. Top and underneath. And I’ve never had a issue with steering.
Maybe there’s a grease fitting we’re not seeing in the picture that would explain it. But it looks awfully dry to me.
Just a thought, suggestion.

artboas · Mar 12, 2022

sailcapt340 said:
Is there any type of grease on the ball joints your showing? I had a friend who never thought to apply a light coating of waterproof grease on his 1998 340 linkage arms and the friction from years of turning cracked the housing. He lost all steering that day.
This was one of the first items brought to my attention, at my commissioning, when I purchased my boat new in 2000. It’s been wiped clean and reapplied with fresh grease each year since. Top and underneath. And I’ve never had a issue with steering.
Maybe there’s a grease fitting we’re not seeing in the picture that would explain it. But it looks awfully dry to me.
Just a thought, suggestion.

I put light Teflon grease on them, although in fresh water not really required. There are no grease fittings on these.

artboas · Mar 18, 2022

Zencra said:
sorry Art, not my pic, just an internet pic to help explain what I was asking. I'll take a pic of my issue and send through.

I believe that Lewmar supplied these parts to Hunter.
It would be simpler to just get them from Lewmar.
If you need even closer photos of my setup, let me know. But, thus should be adequate for Lewmar to supply.

Boiler · Mar 24, 2022

The steering on the 49/50 is a Lewmar Mamba system

artboas · Mar 29, 2022

Boiler said:
The steering on the 49/50 is a Lewmar Mamba system

Yes, I 100% agree with you

Screen Saver · Mar 31, 2022

artboas said:
Ok,
I went aboard today, and here is the correct linkage attachment to the quadrant

Unless there was a factory change and with all due respect your pictures are not standard install either. I bought my Hunter new, so this part is as it came from the factory. I would suggest someone has made the changes on the fly possibly due to a similar problem as what I experienced . See here over a beer Oh shit what have I done | Screensaver (wordpress.com) when you have time and the washup here Home at last | Screensaver (wordpress.com) over your second beer. My only steering issue in 130,000 nm

A bit better picture attached, this also has less twisting leverage.

hunter 49 steering quadrant

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