Just purchased a 1996 2452-gctid816722

[kingfisher_11]

As the topic states I just bought 1996 2452 with the 5.7L engine. The boat was very well taken care of. The issue I am having and maybe its normal but, would like to get opinions? When driving at a low speed the boat always wants to go left or right and it seems like I have to turn the wheel quite a bit to correct it. My wife mentioned how it felt like the travel was to much in the steering? I played around with the motor trim and also the trim tabs. It seems to help some but, I never experienced this in my other smaller Bayliners with I/O? This boat is higher profile, the wind was not that bad. Usually my past boats stay reasonably straight and it just took a minor bump to get it back on course.

[CptCrunchie]

"kingfisher 11" post=816722 wrote:
As the topic states I just bought 1996 2452 with the 5.7L engine. The boat was very well taken care of. The issue I am having and maybe its normal but, would like to get opinions? When driving at a low speed the boat always wants to go left or right and it seems like I have to turn the wheel quite a bit to correct it. My wife mentioned how it felt like the travel was to much in the steering? I played around with the motor trim and also the trim tabs. It seems to help some but, I never experienced this in my other smaller Bayliners with I/O? This boat is higher profile, the wind was not that bad. Usually my past boats stay reasonably straight and it just took a minor bump to get it back on course.

Could you post some photos of it? Maybe we could see something that might be the cause .....like an all chain windlass being kept in the bow.

And welcome to BOC. Please fill out your profile so we will know what area you live and what your interests are. This will greatly assist us in any future questions. Just clink on your name, then 'edit'.

[Chief_Alen]

Tabs fully down except when on plane or on the trailer.

You can install larger tabs.

The loose steering ?

[kingfisher_11]

I have added the only picture I have on my avitar. Also added more info to my profile.

I guess the best way to describe my steering is you really have to turn the wheel alot to correct the direction, more so than other smaller boats? I am going to experiment more with motor trim and tabs. That sounds like it will correct much of it.

I have been a boater for 40 years but only owned 2 previous I/O's. This is the biggest boat by 5ft. Maybe it just something I have to get use to. I just know that none of my previous boats needed so much correction in steering to keep it straight. Thought I would ask here to see if this is normal.

[richardson]

The 2452 does tend to wander at slow speed. Tabs down helps. Also be careful not to over correct; as response is not as quick as a smaller runabout.

[CptCrunchie]

I agree with richardson. At really slow speeds on my 24'er, I am continually correcting, sometimes overly. But once on plane, I can set the wheel and the boat stays tried and true. Much of this has to do with trim and trim tabs.

Have any of your previous boats had trim tabs?

[vajim]

Welcome aboard! If you have the standard 12" x 9" tabs, change to the 12" x 12" drop fins. Think the Bennett number is DF1212 (?). Many have changed and it's an easy fix to replace. No need for hardware they just slip in to the original bracket. Keep them down and the wandering is so much less and you get on plane quicker. Good luck.

[kingfisher_11]

"CptCrunchie" post=816838 wrote:
I agree with richardson. At really slow speeds on my 24'er, I am continually correcting, sometimes overly. But once on plane, I can set the wheel and the boat stays tried and true. Much of this has to do with trim and trim tabs.

Have any of your previous boats had trim tabs?

No they have not. It appears not its just the nature of this specific model. Once I got everything trimmed out at slow speed I noticed over correcting was an issue. I just wanted to hear from the same boat owners if this was normal? It appears it is.

[rossi45]

My 2455 does the same thing. It got a lot better when I replaced the steering pin (the slot in the gimbal ring where the pin sat in was worn out so much, the steering pin had play in it = not good) I also had the steering cables adjusted. That all fixed any problems brought on by the steering mechanisms in my boat. The boat still wanders, though. There are other mitigating factors that will cause that. Currents, waves, etc.

One thing I did learn from my mechanic is that part of the design of a dual prop Bravo 3 setup is to correct for boat wandering due the force of the turning prop. The way I understood it was, that an Alpha/single prop set up will cause the boat to wander due to the sideways force applied by the prop always turning in one direction. The dual props on the Bravo 3 are supposed to counter that effect by counter-rotating to each other. I'm sure it does that, but again, my boat still wanders. Do you have a single prop or dual prop setup?

[Tabman]

"vajim" post=816851 wrote:
Welcome aboard! If you have the standard 12" x 9" tabs, change to the 12" x 12" drop fins. Think the Bennett number is DF1212 (?). Many have changed and it's an easy fix to replace. No need for hardware they just slip in to the original bracket. Keep them down and the wandering is so much less and you get on plane quicker. Good luck.

The part number for 12 x 12 Tabs only with Drop Fins is TPO1212DF, this assumes you are going to reuse the mounting plates.

Tom

Bennett Marine

[kingfisher_11]

I have the single prop.

[Aircraftbuilder]

Here is an excerpt from my Bayliner manual for the 2052. Maybe just an aspect of the hull design that it has a tendency to wander at slow speed.




Attached files

[aluxury1]

Try raising the outdrive trim. ALso, you may be overcorrecting because of the long lag time for response of the input of steering. steer less radically and raise the outdrive, its worked on every boat I've owned, I go up the Snohomish river many dozen times a year and tried many things. Tabs in neutral position.