Heavy steering on Tornado 5.4 with Johnson 115hp

[Chipmunk]

Even after replacing the helm and steering cable on my 2003 Tornado 5.4 with 115hp Johnson 2S the steering is still heavy. It's fairy free when the motor isn't running but once underway it becomes more difficult to turn. The cable does have a few bends to get around the 80l tank in the console / front seat which I can't change unless I take out the tank.

Is heavy steering normal for an older RIB with a larger engine or is the problem likely to be the steering cable routing? (there are a total of 4 bends in the cable - 90 degree at the stern, 90 into the console, 90 around the tank, and 90 up to the helm). Thanks

[Peter_C]

That is a lot of 90* bends. Hydraulic steering would have been a nice upgrade making it buttery smooth.

[Chipmunk]

Originally Posted by Peter_C

That is a lot of 90* bends. Hydraulic steering would have been a nice upgrade making it buttery smooth.

I didn't install hydraulics at the time as they were quite a lot more expensive however I realise now that this may have been a false economy. Sounds like heavy steering is a consequence of the current setup.

[smallribber]

Is your trim tab anode on the bottom of the cavitation plate rotated correctly

[Chipmunk]

Originally Posted by Easedalenovice

Is your trim tab anode on the bottom of the cavitation plate rotated correctly

Where is the trim tab anode / cavitation plate located?

[mickter]

Originally Posted by Chipmunk

Where is the trim tab anode / cavitation plate located?

Should be on underside of cav plate.

[smallribber]

Here you go. It is supposed to be angled so as to counteract the torque and trust of the prop. Needs a tinker on the water to get it right

[Chipmunk]

Originally Posted by Easedalenovice

Here you go. It is supposed to be angled so as to counteract the torque and trust of the prop. Needs a tinker on the water to get it right

Thanks. To be honest I’ve never noticed it. I’ll check when I’m next at the boat however in the meantime Ive extracted this picture from a video I took when I bought the boat. Seems to be correct but I will confirm.

[Peter_C]

Typically if the trim tab, rudder, doohicky was out of adjustment it will turn easier one direction than the other. It can be set to make the boat track perfectly straight but most would say it is best to have it turn slightly so you are driving the boat under some steering pressure, not working the slop back and forth.

[Chipmunk]

Here are a few pictures of the trim tab anode on my boat. It seems to be angled slightly to the right (when looking at the back of the boat) which seems correct to me. Looking at the back of the boat (from behind the boat) the prop turns clockwise, which would push the water to the left with a reactionary force to the right. The trim tab anode angled to the right would tend to counteract that.

Should I try increasing the angle? How sensitive are these trim tabs anodes to adjustment?

[Peter_C]

Adjusting the tab should be very easy to do, just make sure to mark it. Does it put more pressure on one side of the steering than the other? Is it extreme pressure? Otherwise I wouldn't adjust it trying to compensate for stiff steering both directions.