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Re: [Amel Yacht Owners] Steering Failure on “Aloha” SM72

James Alton
 

Bill,

   That is exactly the information that I was looking for!  Thanks so much for your help in reposting this.  I have added this to my permanent Amel files under “Steering System" for future reference.

   Bill,  I also caught your recent  helpful comment about the need to check fasteners in the steering system for tightness in another thread on coupling bolts.   I will be going through the whole steering system just in case some or all of the play that I am noticing might be due to loose fasteners rather than the need for an adjustment in the cable.  I have found that doing preemptive maintenance generally tends to work better for me than to wait for a failure.  Besides the fact that I can often improve the performance of a system, I also get a chance to learn how things are put together and perhaps notice other items that need attention on the boat.  Sometimes I will find seized fasteners or perhaps even break something in the process of making an adjustement which can cause a temporary new problem but I much prefer to encounter these little speed bumps in Port with access to more resources!   

Best,

James
SV Sueño
Maramu #220



On Aug 2, 2018, at 7:05 PM, greatketch@... [amelyachtowners] <amelyachtowners@...> wrote:

James,


Here is some more good information on the adjustment of the Amel steering system from Olivier in response to a question I posted some time ago...

The steering system doesn't need any lubrication, except where you see the steel rods at the end of the cables. These rods enter a tube and you need to keep them greasy.
There shouldn't be too much slack in the cables...What too much means is when you turn the wheel and the rudder shaft doesn't turn after 5 cm (2 inches) on the wheel's circumference, then you have too much slack in the cables.
Then, you need to ti ghten the cables ' housings (just like on a bike brake's cable).
This happens in the aft cabin. You first undo the big hex nuts that secure the housings to the threaded tubes.
Then you turn both tubes clockwise (when you face them looking towards portside). To know how much you turn, carve a little mark on each tube.
Start with one turn on each tube, then try to turn the wheel and watch when the rudder shaft starts to turn. if you can still turn 10 cm before the rudder shaft moves, you still have too much slack. Then turn each tube half a turn and check again.
Don't forget to tighten the HEX nuts at the end of the operation.
You're right to mention that with a loose cable system, the pilot rotary drive is working half the time for nothing.
If you really tighten the housings too much, you will feel it when you turn the wheel, it will be harder.

Good luck.

Olivier
Hope that blast from the past answers your question.

Bill Kinney
SM160, Harmonie
Annapolis, MD, USA
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