Boat pulling left

[datbasstho]

Need some help.

Ive had my 1991 Nitro 180TF for a couple years now and never had a problem with steering until now.
I noticed it the last 3 times I’ve been out.

My boat is pulling left very hard. I have to keep the steering wheel turned right just to keep the boat straight while driving and if I let go, it pulls a hard left.
It’s also leaning to the right while doing so. It evens out when I let go of the wheel as it pulls left.

I haven’t noticed anything different on the jack plate like movement etc.
I haven’t moved any batteries or anything else as far as weight being shifted in the boat to cause this.

I did lose the old hydrofoil that was on it and replaced it recently and thought maybe that could be causing it to do this so I removed the hydrofoil the last time out and unfortunately it didn’t make a difference.

It’s similar to when a car needs an alignment.

Here is a pic of how the wheel has to be turned in order for the boat to go straight:



would the prop cause this?
I have hit some rocks not too long ago and it did leave one or two of my blades with some bends:




Thanks in advance for any help guys!

[Dogfish_Jones]

Those bends can cause that.

[KCLOST]

Do you have a Trim tab on the motor lower unit? It should be just below the cavitation plate right above the prop...

[Pat Dilling]

See if you can find someone to borrow a prop from and see if it that fixes it. Then you know.

[Fishysam]

If you have hydrolic steering the wheel has no proper alignment, as there is always some slipping before the motor steers, if it's cables I do not know.

also if for some reason it is not trimming the same amount that may cause a pull as well.

[datbasstho]

Do you have a Trim tab on the motor lower unit? It should be just below the cavitation plate right above the prop...

I have not touched it since I bought the boat and it seems to be still lined up with that dark magic marker line.

[datbasstho]

See if you can find someone to borrow a prop from and see if it that fixes it. Then you know.

I can ask and see but I don’t know too many people with boats.
And wouldn’t a wrong prop cause some difference too?

[datbasstho]

If you have hydrolic steering the wheel has no proper alignment, as there is always some slipping before the motor steers, if it's cables I do not know.

also if for some reason it is not trimming the same amount that may cause a pull as well.

I have no idea if my steering is hydraulic or not.
As for the trimming, I think it’s the same as before, nothing seems out of the ordinary.

[C0MRAD]

My guess is it's a cable steer and the cables need lubed or replaced. My last boat had cables and it would turn left very easily but I had to use a lot of muscle to turn right.

[Jhenson86]

DO NOT OPERATE UNTIL CHECKED BY A MECHANIC!! Very dangerous situation! If this is cable steering and a cable breaks why you are on pad can result in ejection from boat and possibly being struck by prop! Something is not right don’t risk it! I have been a victim of this and was struck by prop nearly amputated my left hand! Always wear kill switch!

[datbasstho]

My guess is it's a cable steer and the cables need lubed or replaced. My last boat had cables and it would turn left very easily but I had to use a lot of muscle to turn right.

if that’s the case, is the repair expensive?

[datbasstho]

DO NOT OPERATE UNTIL CHECKED BY A MECHANIC!! Very dangerous situation! If this is cable steering and a cable breaks why you are on pad can result in ejection from boat and possibly being struck by prop! Something is not right don’t risk it! I have been a victim of this and was struck by prop nearly amputated my left hand! Always wear kill switch!

I wasnt planning on using the boat until I found out what it was but thanks for the warning!

[C0MRAD]

if that’s the case, is the repair expensive?

Not if you do it yourself.

[BMCD]

Prop needs to be looked at as well as the skeg. If this just started happening after bending a blade on your prop, well there is your answer. I bent a skeg on my motor and had a similar issue at slower speeds.

[KCLOST]

I have not touched it since I bought the boat and it seems to be still lined up with that dark magic marker line.

I have to agree with the previous posts that the prop and cable steering should be looked at. But looking at your photo of the trim tab, it is oriented to make the motor counter act a right side pull (so it will go more left). You could adjust it so it is more in-line with the prop shaft and see if that helps.

[CatFan]

I have no idea if my steering is hydraulic or not.
As for the trimming, I think it’s the same as before, nothing seems out of the ordinary.

Not sure what you are saying about trimming here. You are the one who controls it. Are you trimming up after you get on plane as far as you were before?

[datbasstho]

Not if you do it yourself.

I have no idea how to do that.

[datbasstho]

Prop needs to be looked at as well as the skeg. If this just started happening after bending a blade on your prop, well there is your answer. I bent a skeg on my motor and had a similar issue at slower speeds.

It’s hard to say if it happened right after I hit somethin .
I did however break a piece off my skeg maybe about a month and a half ago and installed a skeg guard right after and did not see any issues after.

And that goes for the prop, I believe I didn’t cause any damage to it until I broke the skeg so the boat pulling left would have happened right after for me to notice that was the problem and I’ve probably taken the boat out maybe 7 or 8 times after that and didn’t see any issues until the last couple runs.

[datbasstho]

I have to agree with the previous posts that the prop and cable steering should be looked at. But looking at your photo of the trim tab, it is oriented to make the motor counter act a right side pull (so it will go more left). You could adjust it so it is more in-line with the prop shaft and see if that helps.

so adjust it so it’s more straight?

[datbasstho]

Not sure what you are saying about trimming here. You are the one who controls it. Are you trimming up after you get on plane as far as you were before?

Yes sorry, I must have read it wrong.

The trimming seems to be normal.