Steering piston rod disconnected from a tiller?

[pwojnaro]

Has this happened to anyone before (see the photo)? I lost control of my CB30 as I was pulling into a slip in Friday Harbor. She started turning hard to port regardless of the steering input - I freaked out a little, but was able to make it out of the fairway with in-and-out of gear and steering with a bow thruster. I discovered what happened once I was safely outside of the marina, and was able to put it back together. Needless to say I got a lot of strange looks 🙂.

 

[BradOwens]

That happened to me a few years ago. The nut apparently had no Locktite or lock washer and it loosened from vibration over time.
I've added that to my annual inspection.

 

[doke01]

Happened to me as well, many years ago, in Little Peconic Bay, with gusting winds and 2-3 foot seas in a channel. Let's just say it's the fastest repair I ever made.

I also check every year. An indicator is that steering gets soft at the extremes, rather than a solid stop.

I haven't had to tighten it since though, but I could only get the bolt to go in from the bottom with the nut on top due to access issues. Definitely would be safer to have the bolt come in from the top with the nut on bottom, but it works fine.

 

[knotflying]

Definitely an item that should be on the periodic maintenance list.

 

[BB marine]

This should be inspected at least once by the factory after installation, the dealer while commissioning the new boat and by the owner of the boat once. If it is done by one of theses parties once and found to be properly installed and the proper torque applied to the LOCKING NUT this will never happen. If you had this happen the holes of the cheese lined up. The factory installation was not done properly, the dealer did not do full commission inspections and you never checked it to make sure that the factory did their part and the dealer did their part.

Why did it come loose and fall off ? Uflex has explicit instructions explaining proper way to install this cylinder. The adjustable ball joint is used for fine tuning of the cylinder to tiller arm. There is a specified maximum amount of space between the ball joint and end of the threaded portion of the cylinder. If this specification is higher than maximum the joint connection could be compromised there is not enough thread contact. The results, it could come loose. The locking nut that shoulders up to the ball joint is there to insure the assembly does not come loose. There is a specified torque for the locking nut to be tightened to lock the ball joint to the cylinder. If the measurement meets the requirements and the proper torque is applied to the locking nut what you experienced will never happen. Why because the manufacture of that cylinder has a high liability in the event that if this fails and a boat owner looses control there could be undesirable consequences.

For this reason to eliminate some of the liability the Manufacture Uflex has a maintenance schedule for the cylinder and the components. Below is a copied statement from the manual with BOLD LETTERS ! WARNING

"Poor installation and maintenance may result in loss of steering and cause property damage and/or perso- nal injury. Maintenance requirements change according to climate, frequency and the use. Inspections are necessary at least every year and must be carried out by specialized marine mechanics. Check the cylinder fittings and the seals and the helm gaskets to prevent leaks. Replace them if necessary.
To keep a suitable oil level in the tank, fill and bleed the system as described in this manual in paragraph 3.5.
Check the hose and the entire system wear, the nut and bolt tightening every six months and make sure that they are not damaged."


The vibrations are high at this joint. The prop operating in the tunnel and the rudder location causes cavitation there are vibrations present at the rudder. A compromised joint (LOOSE LOCKING NUT) improperly adjusted ball joint and steady vibrations transmitting from the rudder is the perfect storm for what happened to you and to others that experienced the same Issue.

To all Ranger and Cutwater owners Inboard or outboard the liability is on you. Inspect the steering system helm to rudder box or outboard. If your not a DIY have a service technician inspect the complete system and confirm that full inspection of steering system is the description on the work order. If this failed happened in the wrong place at the wrong time it could be dangerous.

Cudo's to. pwojnaro for posting this thread.

 

[CruisingElvinRay]

Looks like the threads are stripped at the end of the rod. Is that what I’m seeing?


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[pwojnaro]

Looks like the threads are stripped at the end of the rod. Is that what I’m seeing?

No, the thread seems fine - see a zoomed photo below. However, I believe that it was hanging just by 2-4 threads - that nut was much closer to the the end of the rod when I discovered what had happened. I've been wondering if this might have been related to getting a dripless box installed over the winter. I believe that they had to pull the shaft and the rudder to get it done.

Either way, thanks for responses everyone, especially a detailed one from BB marine. I'm definitely adding this to the inspection checklist and will properly torque the nut before the next trip.

Thanks!
Pawel