Are all OMC Tru-Course really touchy?

[superbenk]

My 1980 Century 190 with OMC 400 has Tru-Course steering and it is really hard to keep a straight line when going really slow (no-wake zones). Trying to drive it up on the trailer for the first time last weekend was a nightmare! Are they all touchy like that?

Also it's really hard to steer in one direction sometimes, but easy in both directions other times. It seems to depend a lot on the speed. I've played with the trim at the speeds where it's hard in one direction, but it doesn't seem to make much difference. It almost feels like steering a car without power-steering. Is this a typical trait of Tru-Course as well?

I've lubed fittings, but I haven't tried removing the cable & dripping lube into it yet.

 

[NW Redneck]

Re: Are all OMC Tru-Course really touchy?

The low speed wandering is more an issue of hull design than the drive. V-hulls are notorious for it as I learned when I got my current boat. Mine wandered quite a bit before I put smart tabs on it. (It's a '75 deep-V hull with an OMC stringer 800) With the tabs it cut the wandering by half or more. Still wanders but not nearly as bad. You just need to get the 'feel' for your boat and anticipate teh wander without over-correcting. It took me a few trips to get the hang of it.

As for the steering effort, mine is the same. You need to adjust your trim (NOT tilt!) to find the spot where the steering force evens out. When I trim in for the hole shot it goes left easily but is very hard to turn right. As the boat gets on plane and I start to trim out the steering reaches a 'balanced' feel. If I trim out too far, it gets hard to go right again. If the steering is tight sometimes regardless of the trim position, it could be the cable.

 

[rs2k]

Re: Are all OMC Tru-Course really touchy?

My 18' tri-hull has tru-course. It works very well when lubricated and adjusted properly. I cannot tell what speed I am going at by steering force. It stays the same regardless of speed on my boat. In fact, I find the tru-course pull-pull setup to be better than the normal cable push-pull setup.

My service manual says if it's harder to turn one direction than it is the other at higher speeds then that usually indicates that your trim is off. In other words, you need to adjust your front motor mount up or down.

Here is what you need to do:
Verify that there is no slop or binding in the steering system. All you have to do is adjust the cable adjusters on each end of the cable. Make sure not to get it too tight.

Then make sure you do not have too much slop in the out drive itself. Just get out behind the boat and see how far you can push it side to side without moving the steering components.

 

[superbenk]

Re: Are all OMC Tru-Course really touchy?

My service manual says if it's harder to turn one direction than it is the other at higher speeds then that usually indicates that your trim is off. In other words, you need to adjust your front motor mount up or down.

Here is what you need to do:
Verify that there is no slop or binding in the steering system. All you have to do is adjust the cable adjusters on each end of the cable. Make sure not to get it too tight.

Then make sure you do not have too much slop in the out drive itself. Just get out behind the boat and see how far you can push it side to side without moving the steering components.

As far as I can tell, I don't have any binding or slop to speak of. Wheel spins pretty easy in the driveway from one side to the other (all the way to the stops). If I push the outdrive by hand I get less than 1/8" of slop... it's really pretty tight I think. Everything works great until under power.

I do intend to take the cables off at some point and drop some teflon lube in to it, but I haven't taken the time for that yet - being on the water is more fun than preparing for it

 

[rs2k]

Re: Are all OMC Tru-Course really touchy?

As far as I can tell, I don't have any binding or slop to speak of. Wheel spins pretty easy in the driveway from one side to the other (all the way to the stops). If I push the outdrive by hand I get less than 1/8" of slop... it's really pretty tight I think. Everything works great until under power.

I do intend to take the cables off at some point and drop some teflon lube in to it, but I haven't taken the time for that yet - being on the water is more fun than preparing for it

You just have a trim problem then. Be careful when taking apart the cables. They are considered a one piece item and are not designed to be disassembled, although the manual does explain how to do if it it's absolutely necessary.

 

[superbenk]

Re: Are all OMC Tru-Course really touchy?

What should I be trying with the trim to improve the steering difficulty? I'm still trying to get the hang of that. I tend to trim down at slow speeds & up at high speeds, but I don't really know what I'm doing yet.

I've been reading about these Smart Tabs & I really think I've convinced myself to buy them. They sound awesome!

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Are all OMC Tru-Course really touchy?

Your steering difficulty going at wakeless speeds has nothing to do with Tru-Course or trim. Is this your first boat? All deep V boats do this. Doesn't matter what stern drive you have.

 

[QC]

Re: Are all OMC Tru-Course really touchy?

Yes, to back up bruce58 we need to emphasize this. You are experiencing LOW SPEED V-HULL WANDER. Very typical, normal etc. and can really only be totally corrected with lots of small steering input.

Also the side to side steering effort difference at high speed (nothing to do with OPs question) noted by rs2k is the trim tab on the lower unit NOT the front engine mount trim adjustment.

Sorry to come on strong rs2k, but you are sending him off into fixes for high speed stuff . . .

Edit: In fact you want touchy steering to control wander better . . . heck, to control everything better.

 

[superbenk]

Re: Are all OMC Tru-Course really touchy?

Your steering difficulty going at wakeless speeds has nothing to do with Tru-Course or trim. Is this your first boat? All deep V boats do this. Doesn't matter what stern drive you have.

Yes, this is my first boat (well I had a 1960 Starcraft w/ 45hp outboard when I was 16, but that doesn't count). It is a deep-V hull. I grew up at a camp & drove their boat, but it was a heavy inboard which is an entirely different beast than an I/O.

Bummer that this is something that is just normal. My wife & dad hate driving the boat because of it. Will the Smart Tabs help with this as was hinted at earlier? They really seem like a wonder-part for boats my size/power.

 

[superbenk]

Re: Are all OMC Tru-Course really touchy?

Also, I assume newer boats with hydraulic steering are a bit easier to deal with in this regard? Someday I'll be able to afford something other than a freebie, 30 yr old boat & I'd hope it'd be a bit more user-friendly!

 

[QC]

Re: Are all OMC Tru-Course really touchy?

Yes, any tab, in the full down position will help. Quite a bit sometimes. No matter what, you all will get used to it. If it persists at planing speeds you've got issues . . .

You don't have "trim", right? Just tilt. Or does your front motor mount have an electric motor attached to a jack screw? Can you raise and lower the front of the engine from the helm?

 

[superbenk]

Re: Are all OMC Tru-Course really touchy?

Yes, any tab, in the full down position will help. Quite a bit sometimes. No matter what, you all will get used to it. If it persists at planing speeds you've got issues . . .

You don't have "trim", right? Just tilt. Or does your front motor mount have an electric motor attached to a jack screw? Can you raise and lower the front of the engine from the helm?

I do have trim. I mentioned earlier that I've been using it, but I'm not very sure if the way I'm doing it is correct. I trim down at slow speeds (bow down) and up at high speeds.

I may have been confusing earlier. The hard steering on one side is only at slow cruising speeds (not on plane, not in a no-wake situation, just slow). When on plane & no-wake steering is relatively easy in both directions. What I have a problem with at no-wake speeds is the wandering & the fact that I am constantly correcting (which usually turns into over-correcting), but that sounds like it's the result of the deep-V & nothing OMC-specific.

Would tweaking the small fin at the end of the cavitation plate help with any of this? I don't particularly notice the boat pulling in any one direction, just the hard resistance at slow speeds & only on one side (turning left, if I remember correctly).