How Much is TOO Much Play Bravo 3 (side to side)

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I just noticed that I have 3 Inches of play in my B3 27'  captiva.     The season is almost over and getting it into the shop is 2 weeks out .  My question is the boat safe to use??    Whats the worst case here? 

GMSLITHO

I had the same problem its the steering pin and gimbal ring I used the boat for a season before I repaired it 

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GMSLITHO said:

I had the same problem its the steering pin and gimbal ring I used the boat for a season before I repaired it 

 How much did it cost you to fix?

McGarnicle

My understanding that requires a new transom assembly so a few thousand but I hope I'm wrong. 

Ian

I had that much a few seasons before fixing as I know I had a decent trip coming up. Cost me a ring and pin plus the oil seal and used the Merc kit method. Lots of discussion around here.

rasbury

Going to get me started again...hope @Alswagg maybe will chime in on this or others here that may offer opinion. In my mind there are two different movements under "side to side" it's a pretty simple set up for the drive to turn- basically a u bolt that pivots on the steering pin. So if your steering pin is REALLY worn with a lot of slop side to side and the top of the drive will move side to side without turning the drive then that is a steering pin/transom problem. If you turn the drive and it pivots properly on the steering pin and where it pivots on the bottom, that is slop in the steering cable and a whole different problem...which is what I still have after a new steering pin...just have not gotten back to figuring my issue out and might we'll be yours too.  

GMSLITHO

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GMSLITHO said:

I had the same problem its the steering pin and gimbal ring I used the boat for a season before I repaired it 

 How much did it cost you to fix?

I went the jr marine route replaced almost everything about 2000 with a stainless steel ring from hill marine . Knowing what I know now I would have replaced the whole assembly you can try to tighten the u bolt on the ring but if you do a search they really don’t recommend it it’s suppose to be torque down once on install and that’s suppose to be it 

reneechris14

U bolt is torgue to 55lbs.
If you look at the top of the ring on the inside you can see the pin. Move the drive and watch the pin they should move together if not thats is the play in the pin. Also lift up on the drive and see if there is play that way.
JR marine solution is to drill to gain access to the steering arm so the motor does not have to cone out.
Other options is to pull the motor and change the hole transom assembly ($2000~) with this option bellows trim cylinders are all new.

rasbury

Plus you have new trim Rams...hindsight I should have done that but on the flip side, I sure learned a lot.

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Is stainless a better option for the ring instead of aluminum ??  Also I have been told drilling into both sides to access the nut is the way a couple shops want to do it  instead of cutting the plate in the front method.         Anyone near Detroit that has any leads on shops to do this project would be appreciated 

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I tried tighting the two accessible bolts with no luck  they are already tight

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GMSLITHO said:

picturethis said:

GMSLITHO said:

I had the same problem its the steering pin and gimbal ring I used the boat for a season before I repaired it 

 How much did it cost you to fix?

I went the jr marine route replaced almost everything about 2000 with a stainless steel ring from hill marine . Knowing what I know now I would have replaced the whole assembly you can try to tighten the u bolt on the ring but if you do a search they really don’t recommend it it’s suppose to be torque down once on install and that’s suppose to be it 

What didnt you replace that you wish you had??

aero3113

picturethis said:

Is stainless a better option for the ring instead of aluminum ??  Also I have been told drilling into both sides to access the nut is the way a couple shops want to do it  instead of cutting the plate in the front method.         Anyone near Detroit that has any leads on shops to do this project would be appreciated 

I just had mine done and drilling both sides is what my shop recommended to do.

GMSLITHO

For the Money and time ,once I got into it I replaced everything but the transom assembly you can get a complete assembly for the same price but you need to pull the motor or move it forward .I probably didn’t need the stainless but it doesn’t pit like the stock Ill find the picture 

GMSLITHO

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Thanks for the pics.   Other then the looks whats the advantage of the stainless ring.  Also who sells them?

GMSLITHO

Hi hill marine the advantage is they won’t pit probably  a little overkill but I don’t think the price was much more than the omc and since I was doing it myself I went for it it is a little heavier though 

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Im about to pull the trigger here,  is a stainless ring a better option for strength over OE aluminum ??   Also what the suggestion for the swivel shaft?  Steel or stainless?   I want to avoid doing this twice

aero3113

Stainless on the swivel shaft. I would think a stainless ring is better for corrosion but is a lot heavier than aluminum. Also being stainless it will be much stronger so not sure if it would cause more damage in other areas if you were to hit something, where as the aluminum would crack at the ring.

GMSLITHO

Yep I agree with the weight I also went with the stainless pin 

rasbury

I got a stainless pin off eBay for 45 bucks...that was a deal...

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To the stainless pin guys ..did you go with an Merc aluminum ring?    I would think that combo would wear the ring quicker since the SS is harder then the aluminum

aero3113

picturethis said:

To the stainless pin guys ..did you go with an Merc aluminum ring?    I would think that combo would wear the ring quicker since the SS is harder then the aluminum

My ring didn't need to be replaced. If everything is tight, it shouldn't wear.

rasbury

There is a ss u bolt that connects the pin and the ring.. go with ss and there are seals on that pin to replace also...

GMSLITHO

Seals and bushings their is a bushing that the pin sits in top and bottom 

Ian

SS pin, Al ring, no issues. Yes, don’t forget the oil seal, found on the transom drawing, not the gimbal ring drawing.

SeaHare

Mine had a lot of play too. It wasnt the ring tho, it was a loose tiller arm on the pin. Luckily, my transom assembly was already previously drilled (merc method). Getting that top nut off and on using a screw driver was fun. I replaced the pin and tiller arm and all the bushings seals... I reused the u-bolt, hopefully that doesnt bite me in the butt. I think I had about $300 in parts... I got a good used oem tiller arm from ebay for like $40... and SS pin and quicksilver bushings/seals from NuWave

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Thinking I have the same problem you did with a bad steering arm. Did you have to remove your gimbal ring to get the arm out?. Also was the boat a 27 Captiva by chance?? thanks

SeaHare said:

Mine had a lot of play too. It wasnt the ring tho, it was a loose tiller arm on the pin. Luckily, my transom assembly was already previously drilled (merc method). Getting that top nut off and on using a screw driver was fun. I replaced the pin and tiller arm and all the bushings seals... I reused the u-bolt, hopefully that doesnt bite me in the butt. I think I had about $300 in parts... I got a good used oem tiller arm from ebay for like $40... and SS pin and quicksilver bushings/seals from NuWave