TOPIC: Cable steering question

First time out with the 15' Starcraft with 75hp Johnson on it. I know the boat and motor were matched from the start.
Engine runs fantastic no problems at all....When I go full throttle the boat wants to pull very very hard to the left and I really have to use some muscle to correct the wheel to the right to keep it in line...It does not feel safe running at full throttle. This is the first boat I've owned with cable steering. Is this typical or is there something I need to do / change / modify to make it feel safer at full throttle?
Is it possible that the motor is too much for the boat?
Any advice is appreciated.

After thinking about it more it feels more like torque steer in a front wheel drive car. The boat is much easier to steer in a circle to the left as opposed to the right. The cables are free and not binding that I can tell. Perhaps something is just out of adjustment?

Have you adjusted the trim tab rear the motor behind the prop? If the boat is pulling to the left, adjust the rear the trim tab the same direction "left" to counter act it.

I read a little on trim tabs on various internet sites but my motor does not have a trim tab that is adjustable. 1964 Johnson 75hp.....Is there one I could add to it?

Yes you have the notorious torque steer. I had the same thing with my '59 Fat Fifty, on my 18' Wagemaker. It has cable steering also. I set steering to steer away from it at high speed. I just never let go of the wheel at high speed. I've since put a '67 80hp on it and it doesn't seem to have as much torque steer. I did put just a little torque steer adjustment into it but not much. Quite a few folks have taken care of this issue by switching to Teleflex steering systems. I'll let them chime in. I wanted to keep mine original so I kept the cable steering.

Bob

OH boy do I have a deal for you
Ditto with what Bob said. It really bugged me to not have the steering wheel centered while driving in a straight line, just me?? I would adjust the cables to center the wheel at running speed That being said, I just happen to have in my possession a used Teleflex steering wheel and cable that is listed in the glassifieds section that I took off of a 15' boat. It's cheap too and it's an easy single hole mount. Was mated with a 100 hp starflight.

Can you post a picture of your transom splashwell, inside the motor well? It'll give some indication of how the single cable will mount. This is what is on the cable now. www.discountmarinesupplies.com/Teleflex_15_Degree_Splashwell_Mounting_Kit.html?gclid=CNiR-ryf9sACFQoEaQodvVAATg
Cal

BLPen163 wrote:

I read a little on trim tabs on various internet sites but my motor does not have a trim tab that is adjustable. 1964 Johnson 75hp.....Is there one I could add to it?

Hold on a second here. From the looks that pic, you don't even HAVE a trim tab. Its not that exhaust fixed snout. That hole rear the cav plate is where it should be, or at one time was.
Would look something like this.

There is a hole but its not threaded?

BLPen163 wrote:

There is a hole but its not threaded?

Probably just could use a bolt and a nut. They have fin/anodes on Ebay. Why dont you ask this in the JEGO forum. Maybe someone there will know more.

just went out and looked at 5 or 6 v4's....58/62...all have that hole, most have a do nothing bolt in them but none have a trim tab....maybe something available as an option??

That is weird. I looked at the parts list and there was no trim tab shown. no doubt that hole was at least for an anode. If it has a fin on it like the Mercury's have it would work.

Another thing comes to mind. Is the cable steering rigged with pulleys to make it 2 to 1 wheel cable travel vs engine travel. I ran up on a guy at a boat show that had the cables going from the wheel drum directly to the motor and complaining of torque steer. The pulleys half the force you feel in the wheel. Plus many steering wheels have ways to adjust tension to make the wheel stay where you leave it. One of mine has a little knob on the mount you tighten.

My 1960 Wagemaker doesn't have that little knob. Tension is done through the corner tension springs.

Bob

No I mean at the helm, right behind the wheel in the escutcheon there is a little knob that tightens up a brake in the wheel mount adding drag. (On the wheel I have.) Not talking about cable tension.

Pulley cable or push-pull cable, you are going to feel some torque feedback in the wheel. Most gear boxes for the push-pull have one way magic in them to limit feedback.

You also may need to rig the cables with double sheave pulleys on the motor for 3 to 1 steering. This cuts the motor torque to a third. Plus a trim tab for for the WOT trim.