Good evening , when I took my newly aquired Chris craft 31 in its maiden voyage Saturday , I noticed I could turn hard port , but when I attempted a hard turn to starboard the steering got tight. I could barley turn it . I am afraid of snapping the cable if I apply anymore pressure to the wheel . The steering helm box and cable are original . I then looked at the rudder stems and lock nuts . The starboard rudder has some green galvanic corrosion on top of the stem where the gland nut is. I went to my local auto parts store and picked up some pb blaster and gave it a bath in that stuff . I’m hoping that as it sits with the penetrating oil it’ll wick its way down in there and help to free it up . The boat pretty much has sat for a year and a half without being used .hopefully things loosen up with use and all will be well again . Or else I’ll Be looking at a haul out soon. Has anyone here experienced this and had good results with a good penetrating oil on the rudder stem ?
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@mat Terrill
I'd first make sure there isn't an obstruction near either of the rudder steering arms and tie bar.
I've seen all kinds if things in that area like stored fenders, life jackets. Scrub brushes, beer cans, rags , lines, etc. It's certainly possible that the Corrosion you found could be the culprit too.
Sometimes the wooden blocks that support the steering conduit along the inboard port stringer can build up with debris and cause the conduit to bind. Also if one of those blocks becomes loose I've seen them bind or pinch the conduit in one direction.
Occasionally a rudder can be auctually pushed up into the boat's rudder ports too far to the point that the top of the cast rudder blade can rub on the portion of the rudder port that protrudes on the bottom of the boat.
Another common cause of being hard to move in only one direction is if the rudder end of a steering cable gets bent . They can easily be accidentally stepped on if you aren't paying close attention to your footing while standing in the lazerette area.
It is also a possibility that you may need a replacement cable or once in a blue moon even a new gear inside of the rotary steermaster helm unit.
Hope this helps!
Do replacement cables exist? Or do you have to replace the whole steering box and cable assembly ? The starboard rudder stem had green corrosion on top of it , so that’s what made me think it’s corrosion . The boat sits on lake texoma In fresh water so at least it’s not in nasty salt water
Up until about a year and a half ago they were being Made and I even stocked them but the NOS steermaster cable ends were all used up by EZ-Glide who had bought up the left over ends
I did work with a fabricator last summer on another defunct cable brand's cable ends on a Chris Craft with good success but at a much higher cost one off than the replacement steermaster cables were previously selling for.
The key to bring the cost down is of course to have the ends made in larger batches . Once that's done it's no problem to retrofit them on a modern cable brand's cable
Otherwise the alternative is to upgrade to a currently available cable steering or go Hydraulic.
My 1972 41 has hydraulic steering and the helm had become very stiff. I mentioned it to the marina's owner, who incidentally has been this boat's sole mechanic since it arrived new from ChrisCraft, and he said, "follow me." He sprayed WD40 on the rudder arm fittings beneath the aft head and told me to go up and spin the wheel. That's all it needed. Problem fixed. The next owner can repeat the process in 2072.