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On my johnboat the tiller wants to torque left, and really makes it hard to run WOT on a long run. I had a 25 johnson that did this and now a nissan 30 doing it.
Does anybody have an idea what I can do to make it run straight?

Redbelly wrote:On my johnboat the tiller wants to torque left, and really makes it hard to run WOT on a long run. I had a 25 johnson that did this and now a nissan 30 doing it.
Does anybody have an idea what I can do to make it run straight?

You should have an adjustable sacrificing anode on the underside of your skeg that you can turn to adjust for torque.

Ahhh. It does look like a littl fin. Thanks I'll try it.

Pick yourself up a copy of Chapman Piloting, Seamanship and Small Boat Handling (my copy seems to have disappeared ). Cover to cover excellent information.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/10 ... .y=0&Go=Go

There is a section where they talk about just the sort of steering torque you describe and how it is caused by too much or too little trim of the motor, which causes drag on one side of the prop.

MudDucker may be right, but I wouldn't fiddle with the factory setting of the anode until I experimented with the trim.

The manual for my motor instructs you to play with that anode (trim tab) to adjust for torque. Turn the anode in the direction your boat is pulling. However, like Charles said, the trim, speed, load, and such will effect the boat differently. In other words, you can tinker with it to reduce torque at wide open; but, it may still pull at slower speeds.

Redbelly-

The problem you describe can also be caused by the motor being mounted at a slight tilt to one side or the other.

Aim the motor straight forward and measure from the bottom corner of the transom on each side to the same point on the foot of the motor. If the two measurements are not the same, your motor is off center.

- Steve Stinson

WHAT STEVE SAID. IF THE ENGINE IS OUT OF CENTER AS LITTLE AS 1/4", IT WILL TEND TO PULL TO ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER. IT IS MORE PRONOUNCED DEPENDING ON THE DEADRISE OF THE HULL.
PA THE OLD MAN OF THE SEA

Thanks guys I will check that too.