Steering Alignment O'Day 37 CC

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gregorino

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Jul 23, 2011
4
ODay 37 Clearwater, FL
I just bought an 84 O'Day 37 CC and after hauling her out to do the bottom, she's got a serious alignment issue with the Edson steering - just like a car that's pulling hard to the left.

Anyone have any ideas what may have gone wrong?

Anyone ever seen the Edson schematics for this model?

Thanks!

Greg H.
Chapter Two
 
DeniseO30

DeniseO30

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Feb 26, 2009
716
Oday 30 Anchor Yacht Club, Bristol PA
Do you mean the wheel and rudder aren't centered? Assuming it's cable, it's a matter of shortening on and loosening the other on the rudder quadrant. I don't know if that applies to your boat being it's CC

OR?
do you mean it's pulling when your motoring? that's pretty common
 
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gregorino

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Jul 23, 2011
4
ODay 37 Clearwater, FL
Hey Denise - Thanks for the reply...She's only been motoring recently as she was way up St John River when purchased and I'm trying to move her around to FL west coast as quickly as possible. Did not notice the pulling when first motoring, then she was out on the hard for a month for bottom work. I pushed the rudder back and forth from the outside several times to gob paint in there and was thinking that may have thrown things off. I'm pretty sure it's a hybrid system with pull-pull conduits up front and then cables and radial wheel on the post. Still need to pull the binnacle to verify, but that assumption makes sense for the CC layout.

Greg H
Chapter Two
 
Peter Brennan

Peter Brennan

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Jun 10, 2004
94
Oday 37 World's Fair Marina, Flushing, Queens, NYC
It's not push-pull. There is a chain (bicycle chain type) inside the binnacle post that connects to cables that run along the port side to the rudder quadrant. The quadrant can be accessed through an opening on the aft berth. Check and see that the cable on the quadrant is OK. It's possible somenting was not tight enough and the chain jumped a link or two. Note there is also a grease fitting on the rudder post. In any case remove the binnacle so you can see what's there and pour a little oil on the chain. You should also have an emergency tiller that fits over the rudder post, latches into the quadrant. Try that and see what you get. Not sure what you mean by pullls to the side. Do you mean that to go straight you have to have the wheel turned? Or the rudder just can't be centered?
 
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gregorino

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Jul 23, 2011
4
ODay 37 Clearwater, FL
Thanks Peter! I have looked under the berth and the cable looks tight there - but it's not a quadrant; it's an entire wheel. And yes, to motor along a straight line I have to hold the wheel about 1/4 turn over from where it would naturally be at rest. I am going to check out the binnacle side of things on Saturday - thanks for the pointers!
 
Peter Brennan

Peter Brennan

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Jun 10, 2004
94
Oday 37 World's Fair Marina, Flushing, Queens, NYC
You are going to get that bias on the steering just from the propeller. The prop is always trying to walk off to one side (I never can remember which side) and you have to have a little opposite helm to go in a straight line. A quarter turn seems like a lot, though.

As for wheel or quadrant, haven't looked at it in awhile. It's a wheel but with stops as I recall and the cable does not go around the wheel but is cut and the two ends secured on the wheel, which might as well be a quadrant.
 
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gregorino

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Jul 23, 2011
4
ODay 37 Clearwater, FL
Hey Peter....i did not notice that about the cable and the wheel....It "appears" as if the cable runs around the wheel, but I'll get a closer look on Saturday. And the pull I'm getting isn't from prop walk - something happened while she was on the hard, probably caused by my back-steering the rudder while painting. Prior to having her hauled, the steering felt OK - definitely nothing like the pull I'm having now....
Thanks again!
 
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Richard9563

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Jan 22, 2008
28
Oday 37 Fernandina Beach FL
Last month my steering became very stiff. Cables and chain checked OK. Hauled out and could barely move the rudder manually. Removed rudder, cleaned & lubed the post, and life is good again. The autohelm 4000 attached to the helm did induce some friction. Not the same problem but related.
 
heritage

heritage

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Apr 22, 2011
922
Hunter 27 Pecan Grove, Oriental, NC

Here is a link to the Edson website: http://www.edsonmarine.com/marinestore/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=84_92_221. showing pull-pull cables and parts.

The pull-pull conduits are easy to see on the aft end of the engine compartment. My conduits have "greasers" installed for easy lubrication.

When I steered the O'day during sea trials, I was concerned with the amount of force needed on the wheel when motoring during a turn, especially at high power setting. And it was worse when turning in one direction than the other. It was explained to me that it is normal for a skeg hung rudder. It behaved normally when under sail. Pat
http://www.edsonmarine.com/marinestore/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=84_92_221
 
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