Steering problem for a sled??

[dbuechler]

I have a older sled with a TELEFLEX steering system on it. SH 5023. Does anybody know of a good repair shop around Van. or PDX? It has about 3"-4" of play in the wheel. Or does anybody know of a fix for it? I would like to get the play out of the steering wheel. Thank You
DB

[fishkisser]

If its gear slop its best to replace the whole unit , if its the cable malfunctioning I would say replace it ...
I heard of one guy down at woodley island marina that by boring out the mounting hub for the steering shaft for a better bearing and turning a large bearing out of Delrin AF to fit , the shaft is supported over 2" of it's length instead of the original 1/8"...
The wheel is solid, no play, though a little remains in the system. The boat now steers with no drift, can go hands free for considerable time. And low speed is way better...
As for the Teleflex unit itself it would not be possible to adjust the gear mesh in that, it's fixed by the housing design, so if your gears are worn out you would need at minimum a new unit or some tricky rebuilding....
Barney ...:wave:

[budnate]

ebay has complete kits for $150.:meme:

[Klamanite]

I'm in the process of replacing mine,($104) it's a Teleflex also. The problem for me wasn't the gears themselved, rather the shaft the gear slips over. It has a flat on two sides that keeps the gear from rotating on the steering shaft. It has worn out and can't be replaced without changing the entire assembly, something about liability issues with steering components. Anyhow, the best price I found was at Jamestown distributors. Google it and call them, very helpful over the phone. If you need help figuring out exactly what you need, ask for Brian. If you need cables, they can help you there too.

[dbuechler]

Thank you for all of the advise. I check out the gear box, I took off the plastic tube and checked the cable and it looked very DRY so I greased it up and did better today but cut the problem in half. I think in the future I'll have to replace the whole system, its 19 years old. But have to get the parts for my cables that go thru the BERKLEY pump.
David B