Seastar No Feedback Steering experts step inside

[phlipnstik]

Good morning gents, after 22 years of running glass boats and bleeding hydraulic steering lines, I am now in a tin sled with an outboard jet. Its a brand new boat and I have had it out twice. I have noticed that I can turn the wheel about 10 degrees in either direction before it will start to move the outboard. As you can imagine, I am back and forth on the wheel correcting and over correcting to keep it straight. This boat has the Seastar no feedback steering and from what I understand it is cable driven. Is there a way to tighten the cable either at the helm or at the outboard or maybe both? I'm pretty mechanically inclined but wanted to seek out the advice from people with knowledge of this system before I started tearing into it. Thanks Tony

[Ranger391v]

Things to check;

- Make sure the cable is 'pinned' in place into the back of the helm.
- Make sure the other end of the cable is snug into the tilt tube on the outboard's transom clamp. ...... I want to say it should thread into place on the cable side (typically the starboard side of the outboard) and protrude out the other side (typically the port side).
- Make sure the steering connecting rod between the end of the cable (again, assuming port side) and the outboard steering tab is tight enough to not wobble, but loose enough to freely pivot.

Hope it helps.
-391v

[phlipnstik]

361v, thanks for the reply. I have checked everything you suggested and everything is tight and looks to be rigged correctly. I did read that you will always have a little play in cable steering. Maybe I’ll switch to hydraulic in the off season but for now I’ll run it like it is.

[adchunts]

There is a bit of delay on the NFS system. I installed it in my old Xpress, and it did take a little getting used to. It’s like it “unlocks” in the first couple of degrees of turning and then begins to actually move the motor. After a while, I didn’t notice it so much.

[twitch]

I have no feedback system on my boat and notice no delay or trouble trying to keep it straight, I can actually let go of my wheel and she will run a straight line no problem at all.

[tj]

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[ng198elite]

I also have noticed the delayed movement with the NFB systems, and have found that the play in the wheel is normal.

[phlipnstik]

Thanks for everyone's input. I guess I am just used to over 20 years of hydraulic steering. My jet boat is no speed demon, 30 MPH tops so its not that hard to drive. It will probably just take more seat time.

[twitch]

Could it be because it is a jet drive also contributing to the delay or drivability of the rig?????

[phlipnstik]

I was thinking about that today while running it. Flat bottom with no skeg in the water to bite, so every little movement of the motor and the back end slide but with the play in the steering makes it more difficult to control. The faster I go and the less the boat is in the water the worse it gets. Just going to have to cruse at 4500 rpms and when it gets skinning then pump it up and then bring it back down