2019 242X Steering Issues

[CDENsomnia]

I thought I would report an issue I had just in case others run in to a similar problem.

The first couple trips out with the boat this season I noticed my steering was very hard especially turning to starboard. I compared with a few other yamaha's that are around and it was definitely harder to turn. You had to really lean in to the keel and hold the buckets tight to get them to turn the steering wheel. I dismantled the buckets to isolate the problem and it appeared to be the port steering cable.

It felt very much like I had gotten water in to a steering cable and it rusted up over the winter. We greased up the cables (even though the dealer said we shouldn't do that) and also found a place under the helm that I greased a few times as it seemed pretty dry. I kept working it in and was hoping over time the cable would loosen up. I was really bothered by this since its an issue with steering as I can't imagine having a steering cable break while under way. So I decided to get the extra tie-rod from Jeff at Cobra Jet. I installed that and along with the cables loosening up that tie-rod really made a world of difference. The steering feels much more "even" when turning and now that the cables have loosened up the steering hasn't felt this good since I got the boat. I am not sure why Yamaha didn't just include the tie-rod to begin with, it would help with redundancy if a cable were to break and frankly ease the tension on the cables, lengthening their life span.

Anyways, shoutout to Jeff at @Cobra Jet Steering LLC for the tie-rod. I would recommend anyone doing this mod even if you are like me...a purest when it comes to steering.

I will be taking the boat to get a new cable in the off-season. Dealer said they average about 1-2 cables a season but very rarely on a nearly brand new boat.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Thank you for the post as for the single tie rod question, remember I hold the patent on 2 tie rods and on a single interconnecting tie rod with a rudder attachment. Also one nozzle with 2 tie rods going to two rudders off to each side of it.

Anyone in the manufacturing business I am currently looking for a new manufacturer to build my stainless tie rods as the one I have been using is killing me, the parts are fine but their shipping department is the worst I have ever dealt with and it is a recurring problem that keeps getting worse.
Imagine shipping 30 to 35 one pound tie rods loose in a box with machining oil all over them and some shredded paper in the box, the oil soaked the boxes and even made it impossible to read the shipping label as well as the boxes being destroyed by the loose tie rods. I have no doubt that the post office had to pull these as they were leaking and oil soaked, this could harm other packages if they were left in shipping , this is not an isolated incident . Every time I order I have to deal with this sort of issue, it's terrible. I ordered 300 last order and received about 165 of those, 100 were not shipped and the others are lost forever. I do give the post office credit, I asked them to look for the missing parts as I only received 2 boxes of 35 originally and all the others were rounded up by them and sent to me. So I feel lucky that they were able to find most of the missing parts.

 

[Julian]

A steering cable rusted after one season doesnt sound right. I'd be making noise for a warranty claim on that.

 

[akparasite]

My wife and I took our 2019 AR210 out on the lake yesterday for the first time this season. Steering was stiff and progressively seemed to get stiffer through the day. Hard turning to starboard. Ugh. Went to the forum to see if anyone was having similar issues and saw this one...described exactly what was occurring with our boat.

The boat sat in a freshwater harbor slip for about 90 days last year...used almost daily, and then pulled out and sent to the dealer for winterization and stored covered in cold storage. I'm pulling the boat out of the harbor on Monday to get it out in the dry, double check the steering cables and make sure the stiffness isn't caused by something else (keel/nozzle stiffness at tie rods, etc.).

Needless to say that I was surprised seeing CDENsomnia's post so recent with my own issue - it scared me as if this is a particular problem with steering cables on the 2019 Yamahas, as it seems a bit too early for any of this. I bought brand new last May. I went ahead and bought the extra tie rod from Cobra Jet as was written above, as I had been considering it for awhile, but now seemed to be a requirement to relieve tension and salvage the 2020 boating season.

Question to CDENsomnia - when you greased up the cables were you using the methods described on this site with pressurized/gravity fed Mystery Oil/0W-20, or just applying oil/grease in certain spots?

We greased up the cables (even though the dealer said we shouldn't do that) and also found a place under the helm that I greased a few times as it seemed pretty dry. I kept working it in and was hoping over time the cable would loosen up.

 

[CDENsomnia]

A steering cable rusted after one season doesnt sound right. I'd be making noise for a warranty claim on that.

I will certainly be taking it in for the cables to get replaced after this season! After 1 season there is no way this should happen.

 

[Shady28]

Jeff,
You can use your tie-rods even if you choose to keep surf-point setup and don't use your other cobra products?

Thanks.

 

[CDENsomnia]

Jeff,
You can use your tie-rods even if you choose to keep surf-point setup and don't use your other cobra products?

Thanks.

Yeah You should be able to but I will say its not helping you at all. I took mine out to gain some hole shot and top end.

 

[Shady28]

Yeah You should be able to but I will say its not helping you at all. I took mine out to gain some hole shot and top end.

How would the extra tie-rod impact hole shot and speed? Just not familiar with the dynamics here.

 

[CDENsomnia]

Sorry, not the tie-rod the surf pointe. The theory is with the nozzles aimed inward you don't get quite the bite. Its not a noticeable difference though either way.

 

[Shady28]

That makes complete sense, I know many have straightened out their steering cables/nozzles out to improve speed and steering response. We love to surf, so we choose to drink the koolaid in regards to the toed-in nozzles making the wake better