rudder bar hitting engine when sailing

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WhiskeyTango
Just Enlisted
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Jun 28, 2011 9:29 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 26M

rudder bar hitting engine when sailing

Post by WhiskeyTango »

My 26M has a Suzuki D60A outboard (great engine!). Have just noticed that when the motor is up for sailing and attached to the fixed point so it won't fall to the side (in other words the steering drives the rudders only, not the weight of the
motor) the arm that steers the motor (which is not attached to anything) will run up and hit the motor and electric cables at full wheel travel. It can even catch under the motor, locking the steering wheel. Is there an adjustment somewhere
that will prevent this interference?
DaveC426913
Admiral
Posts: 1912
Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2008 8:05 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: Toronto Canada
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Re: rudder bar hitting engine when sailing

Post by DaveC426913 »

WhiskeyTango wrote:My 26M has a Suzuki D60A outboard (great engine!). Have just noticed that when the motor is up for sailing and attached to the fixed point so it won't fall to the side (in other words the steering drives the rudders only, not the weight of the
motor) the arm that steers the motor (which is not attached to anything) will run up and hit the motor and electric cables at full wheel travel. It can even catch under the motor, locking the steering wheel. Is there an adjustment somewhere
that will prevent this interference?
You're detaching the steering arm from the motor?

I have a :macx: so I don't know the config of the :macm: , but on X's you detach the steering arm at the other end - the end that couples to the rudder yoke. It's just a simple cotter pin.

That way, it stays stationary with respect to the OB.

In this pic, on the far right, you can see a ring ding attached to the pin that joins the rudder yoke to the OB steering arm. That's where we disconnect.
(Oddly, this is on the port rudder. I think on almost all Macs - including mine - its actualy on the starboard rudder)
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tlgibson97
First Officer
Posts: 218
Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2012 5:33 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
Location: Marietta, GA

Re: rudder bar hitting engine when sailing

Post by tlgibson97 »

Mine will hit if I raise the motor all the way. I just raise it until right before it touches. Only the skeg of the motor is left in the water.
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