@HELP Lost Lower Steering Bolt

[JBehrens]

@HELP 2014 SX190 I am currently on the water at Lake Powell, boat was having steering issues and looks like the lower bolt for the steering nozzle is gone. The boat has @JetBoatPilot Thrust Vectors and Lateral Thruster, the bottom bolt was from the Lateral Thruster kit and has backed out. We are back at the house boat and safe, trying to figure out if I can get the boat back up and running with anything we have here. I have a 2015 Yamaha FX SVHO, 2005 VX 1100 Deluxe, and 1992 Kawasaki 750 SX on the trip with us, would any parts off of these skis be able to be used to repair the boat? Are there any places on the boat that I could rob a bolt from? I'm thinking the bolt off the SVHO would be the same size in theory but would require the removal of the LT. We are currently 60 miles up lake so any repairs will have to be done with the boat in the water. I am open to any ideas anyone has.

Thanks

 

[tdonoughue]

I would try to steal one from someplace completely different and innocuous. I would start in the engine compartment. Like maybe one of the bolts holding the ECU to the back or one holding the air filter canister or something like that.

I think on mine, that bolt is secured by a nynut, so getting one of those is more likely the problem. Putting something in that spot is pretty trivial, actually. Even if it is not exactly the right size, it will basically work. But getting whatever you put there to stay is a much bigger issue. You are going to need thread locker or a nynut or something. Otherwise, every time you turn the wheel one way, it will loosen the nut and you will be right back where you are.

To that end, consider if you have some spare wire if you can wrap it. Or a really small carabiner, maybe. Again, none of those are going to be tight like the original and your steering will wander. But you will hopefully save the rest of the trip...

 

[AZMark]

I hope you got this fixed.

I never get these help notices anymore even though I’m signed up

 

[JBehrens]

I ended up going though the service manual for the VX 110 and found a M8 x 20 bolt holding a cable bracket to the front of the engine that would fit (I did have to take the bushing off of the jet ski, figured the boat was a higher priority). I removed the LT's and installed the bolt, I only had blue thread locker so that's what I used, I am going to keep checking it to see if it starts to back out. Don't have any nynut's or things to secure the bolt better. Boat is running fine and feels completely normal, I hope to keep using it normally until the end of the trip.