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Are Your Boating Motor And Rudder Acting A Little Off? Stern Drive Services Can Fix That

4 March 2016

Jacey Martin

Boat motors and rudders are the driving forces at the stern (rear) of your boat. When either of these is not exactly cooperating with how you expect them to move, it becomes complicated and frustrating to go out in your boat. When both of them are not working properly, you definitely need to get them checked out. Here is how stern drive services can get your boat back on the right drive track.

Check the Propellers

Boat motors have propellers that spin and help drive the boat forward. Even if you have already checked the propellers and cleared away any algae, water grasses or seaweed, there may be something else you did not notice about the propellers. Slight bends or dents in the blades can throw the whole propulsion effect off, thereby throwing your boat's direction off by just a little bit. A boat repair technician can spot and fix these little problems for you, and then your boat should steer perfectly through the water.

Check the Driveshaft

Just like the driveshaft in a car, the driveshaft in a boat engine can have problems too. The difference here is that a boat's driveshaft is more exposed and therefore more likely to break if it hits something or gets stuck while boating in shallower waters. The boat repair technician can replace the driveshaft (since repairing it would probably not be very beneficial or financially prudent at this point).

Oil the Internal Components

Some of the internal engine parts of a boat motor need oil just as much as, if not more than, a car's. Because the boat engine is in water most of the time, this oil may be washed out or drip away, and you would never notice unless you pop the top off the engine and look inside. Usually, the gas you buy for your boat may already have a small amount of engine oil mixed in, but even that is no guarantee that the stern drive will be protected. If need be, the technician will take the entire motor apart, clean it up and out, lube it, put it back together and re-oil it so that it runs smoothly.

Checking the Rudders and Tiller

If your boat also has a rudder and tiller for steerig (as is the case for sailboats of any size), your technician may want to examine these as well. Sometimes the problem is not the engine or the propellers so much as it is the rudders and tiller. This is especially true if these parts on your boat are wood, since the wood will wear away, warp and splinter when exposed to water for a very long time.

For more information, contact a local boat service like Rick's Master Marine.

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