light24bulbs
E30+ 1984, San Juan Island, Wa
We did a wonderful 12 day trip in BC this summer, and one of the more perplexing things to go wrong on the boat was the alignment between the wheel and the wheel pilot. Rather, the part of the belt housing that attaches to the wheel suddenly started rubbing on the stationary part attached to the binacle, and at the bottom. So the two parts of the clam shell that make up the autopilot housing are rubbing.
Somehow, it seems, either the pilot shifted up or the wheel shifted down, and my vote is on the wheel shifting down, as the autopilot part looks pretty stationary. Now, it only really rubs when turning just to port, but I can tell it's too close at all points of turn. What is it inside the binacle that controls the wheel's alignment? Did something bend? I think if the wheel itself or shaft had bent, it would be wobbling. Instead it appears to just be always angled too far down.
I will happily take the thing apart and learn how it works, but I'd like to have some idea of what I'm going to find.
PS I also noticed that the giant nut which holds on the wheel had come loose about when I noticed the above problem, and I spent the rest of the trip just making sure it was hand tight every few hours. I'm sure that is an obvious clue. I will obviously tighten it back up.
Somehow, it seems, either the pilot shifted up or the wheel shifted down, and my vote is on the wheel shifting down, as the autopilot part looks pretty stationary. Now, it only really rubs when turning just to port, but I can tell it's too close at all points of turn. What is it inside the binacle that controls the wheel's alignment? Did something bend? I think if the wheel itself or shaft had bent, it would be wobbling. Instead it appears to just be always angled too far down.
I will happily take the thing apart and learn how it works, but I'd like to have some idea of what I'm going to find.
PS I also noticed that the giant nut which holds on the wheel had come loose about when I noticed the above problem, and I spent the rest of the trip just making sure it was hand tight every few hours. I'm sure that is an obvious clue. I will obviously tighten it back up.