E38 wheel now 180 deg off...

[Vtonian]

While hauled out for bottom paint a month or so ago I took the wheel off so I could bungle around the cockpit easier but when I splashed back in, the wheel was something like 120 deg off. It all worked fine though so I didnt scramble back into the slings, figuring it has to be due to something in the steering gear or pedestal thatd be easy to spot and fix later.

Oddly, after a few sails, I think it may have shifted to ~180 off, although I wasn't scientific about tracking it, thinking that's impossible...

All I can think of that I might have done to cause it is, when I found out how much easier it was to move the rudder by hand for sanding/painting, I moved it back and forth much faster than when the wheel was attached. Not banging hard lock to lock, just moving it through quickly, without the resistance/momentum of the wheel.

My thought had been, it's designed and built to NOT shift, so the problem has to be something simple or obvious. I have the compass off and nothing looks out of sorts from the top of the pedestal, and I havent noticed anything falling apart while peering back that way when spelunking in the lazarette.

Any thoughts/suggestions?

And, while writing this, I'm talking myself into it has to be that the dang key fell out, even though I am 99.999% sure I got it back in...

 

[Kenneth K]

Well, since you're gonna have to loosen the nut on the wheel to remove the wheel anyway, in order to check the key, pay attention to which face of the wheel is currently in contact with the nut.

When you put the wheel back on, flip it 180 degrees so the opposite face of the hub is contacting the nut. See what that does.

 

[Vtonian]

Oh, that'd be too simple... so good idea.

 

[Christian Williams]

Yes, if you have full rudder deflection both ways, it must be that the wheel hub is slipping on its spindle (shaft?). The keyway's the first check.

It is also possible that the chain gear inside the pedestal is slipping. It's probably held to the shaft by a drift pin. But much more likely, as you suggest, is the wheel hub key.

 

[Vtonian]

Well, since you're gonna have to loosen the nut on the wheel to remove the wheel anyway, in order to check the key, pay attention to which face of the wheel is currently in contact with the nut.

When you put the wheel back on, flip it 180 degrees so the opposite face of the hub is contacting the nut. See what that does.

We have a winner! ...although I have no idea why. It feels like that thing where a mirror reverses things left to right but not top to bottom. Happy to be mystified...

 

[Kenneth K]

The idea was 0.1% genius and 99.9% been-there-done-that. Glad it worked.