H-212 steering question

[alaskabliss]

Have a hamilton 212 in my Tjet. I have sloppy steering and it pulls to the right. Been struggling with this for a couple years. Noticed that the bolt that goes through the end of the steering cable, into the steering arm is very sloppy as it goes through that cable end. Its a u with a pin in it. Can you replace just the end or is it time to replace the whole thing? Anyone else have this issue and find a fix? I tried a size bigger bolt but the threads were to big to fit. Maybe I need to try a Metric size bolt.

 

[Yukoner]

The grey pumps are all metric. Have you downloaded the PDF 212 manual from Hamilton? Tons of good info and schematics.
If you are pulling right, I'm thinking maybe a load distribution issue rather than pump? Sloppy steering linkage would contribute to that as the nozzle would have no resistance to the hull acting to drift that way.

 

[alaskabliss]

Its not load distribution. With the wheel straight, the nozzle is slightly kicked to the right. If you bump the nozzle it will center up and the slop is all at that cable connection. This is while the boat is on the trailer
I do have the manual but it doesn't say anything about that bolt. I think the design of the conection to the tiller is lacking. With the bolt in you can't tighten it to tight or the steering will be stiff due to the friction of the bolt and cable connection. I would of though a swivel or tie rod end would be more logical.
Thanks for the tip

 

[scraphound]

I have a Hamilton 212 on my North River inboard jet. When I purchased it the steering was extremely sloppy.... to the point of it being dangerous. In the process of solving the problem I encountered the linkage you speak of.

Apparently the bolts and linkage at the end of the steering cable wear and get loose over time. I found larger bolts that fit quite snuggly and was able to eliminate all the play in the fitting. I don't recall whether the bolts were metric or sae... I removed the fitting, took it to the hardware store, and found the bolts that fit best. Tightening up the fitting helped... but it did not ultimately turn out to be the solution to my problem.

There are lots of potential sources of play in the HJ-212 steering system. It usually takes two people to track them down. Clamp the steering nozzle to the side so it won't move and have somebody move the steering wheel back and forth. While they're doing that inspect everything... if you're lucky you'll find the culprit(s).

Important: In the process of fixing my problem I came across a product bulletin from Hamilton entitled "HAMILTON JET STEERING NOZZLE PIVOT CHECK" The nozzle pivot pins can get loose and fall out... resulting in a sudden loss of steering if this fault isn't corrected. Fixing the problem involves removing each of the pins, applying the right kind of loctite, then torquing them down. You should be able to google the document.

Hope this helps