Yacht Specialties steering

[William Ennis]

Fellow owners,

We’re awaiting a Monday AM splash for our 1984 P40, hull 78, here on Raiatea, French Polynesia. Most of our commissioning has gone as smoothly as a commissioning can, but we’ve once again come up with a steering issue. Last year, in Fiji, the steering was completely frozen but a liter of Corrosion Block freed it and allowed us to be on our way.

The steering isn’t frozen this year, but seems very stiff. As we turn the steering wheel, we hear a squeak in the Yacht Specialties pedestal steering, and it sounds as if it’s coming from the forward end of the steering wheel shaft. An Edson system has needle bearings there but I have no idea why this pedestal has. Bearings? Plastic collar? What?

I’ve lubed what I can reach around the top of the pedestal and will await tomorrow’s discovery, but wondered if anyone knew if the steering had bearings. Even if it does, I’m not sure that I could free them at this point.

The problem does not seem to be the wheel brake since that’s as loose as can be. Most of the rest of the system has been lubed fairly regularly. Ideas?

Sorry for the intrusion but hope for some guidance.

Regards,

Bill Ennis
S/V Wings

“How inappropriate to call this planet Earth when it is quite clearly Ocean". —Arthur C. Clarke

[Bill Schmidt]

The forward end of the shaft has a plastic bushing. I cannot imagine it
binding, but, if you remove the compass, then the levers base, you can
expose the bushing housing enough to lube it. Grease the chain while
there. If that doesn't do it, look for trouble elsewhere.

Billy Manana

[Matthew Davidson]

I have completely rebuilt my pedestal after fire damaged. I have pictures and list of parts. The wheel shaft bushing I had a made out of UHMW plastic. Never needs lube as it is self lubricated. Send me your personal email and I'll send you PDF pictures of the whole process. Not difficult. Just takes time and a good machine shop. I can send you a chunk of the UMHW. If you need some.

[Danny Covington]

I know it has been a bit, but I have a YS steering and need some info

[Michael Moradzadeh]

On my YSI pedestals, these have appeared to be plain bearings, meaning just a plastic block.  I found that spraying a little WD40 seemed to quiet it down...

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[Kenyon Stewart]

Are you sure it’s in the steering gear and not the rudder binding?  With all of the issues that these boats have with the rudder bearing “tower”, that’s the first place I would look.

Kenyon

Sent from my iPad