Steering Problem on the Tuna Boat! UGGG

[GPster]

A "crush tube" is like a piece of pipe that the bolt goes through. It is fastened to the inside of the rectangular sides of the frame so when you tighten up the bolt it prevents you from crushing the one side of the frame to the other. These are not always in the form of a tube but may sometimes be a pre-bent piece of metal that fits in the frame and circles(?) around the bolts in such a way that over-tightening the bolts won't cause one frame rail to get closer to the other. Using those access holes to help guess what's inside the frame might be a fooler. Remove the bolt that goes through the frame and use a wire in that bolt hole to see if there is something in the frame that would guide the bolt to it's target. If you can put the bolt anywhere in a conical direction and have to guide the bolt to the hole in the other side of the and the steering box then there might not be anything there to keep the frame form crushing. Feeling through the access holes might have been confusing if the bolt was still in-place but with the bolt removed you may be able to hazzard a better guess. I do have a few more ideas. If the bolt through the frame is not the proper bolt or the two bolts on the bottom are not right, you might be tightening the bolts til the bolt shank is bottoming in the threaded boss of the steering box. If that is the case then what you're feeling as tight might just be that the bolt ran out of threads. With it having the wrong bolt in the "rag joint" the assembler may have used what "looked right" and it might have been hidden until a problem like this developed. Also the washers are usually of a thicker stock than normal. I apoligize for the "WORDYNESS" but I try to cover all the bases. I'm not an expert but when I try to cover all the bases most people are left with the impression that I don't know anything. GPster

[brti]

This is what I enjoy about RRT. The help offered to members is outstanding.
         While you are under the hood checking out that steering box, you might want to bend that preasure line from the power steering pump so it doesn't rub on the steering box. Looks like it might be doing that when you take the boat out for a cruise. (you can see the marks on the box and hose) As far as that "floating feeling" are your tires inflated properly? How is the alignment? Tie rods? etc. Like the guys said, there should be 0% flex in the box.
         Thought I'd drop my two bits  

         Good luck.

[brti]

I have a stupid question....... :oops:  Is it me or does the spline on the input shaft of the steering box look striped or am I seeing things? The flex coupling is bolted to this spline.

I am old AND blind so maybe one of you automotive hawk eyes could check it out.  

If I am wrong I will kick my dog as punishment.