EZ Steer Adjustment

[Adk1]

So last year  I picked up an EZ steer steering system. I called EZ Steer directly and they gave me the apropriate numbers to order. I ahve a 91 221V Starcraft islander wit hthe Mercruiser V6 and a mercury 9.9 Kicker. 

 

Everything attached fine. I followed the directions putting it altogether. But I still have issues. I have tightened the set screw and turned the lower unit etc both ways as the manual indicates. this is supposed to self adjust the unit. However, when I am using the kicker trolling and using the main engine to steer and in a turn sometimes the ez steer unit will pull out therefore changing the steering entirely. never seems to really work jsut right. Any tips or is it simply turn the setscrew making it tighter till it stops the issue altogether? I think the reason for it being made to self adjust is when you raise your kicker up and out of the water etc right?

[Sk8man]

Yes that is right and if I remember right there is a sticker on the main part of the unit that says don't change the factory adjustment....

[Adk1]

Yes that is right and if I remember right there is a sticker on the main part of the unit that says don't change the factory adjustment....

I think you are right which I havent adjusted that one at all

[bout time]

sometimes the factory adjustment needs to be tweaked a little. If you go to their website it tells you how to adjust it. i believe you bottom the set screw in and turn it back out 1 1/2 turns or so. i had to adjust mine a couple times until i found the sweet spot and havent had a problem since. this is from their website

 

 Rod does not adjust properly, it is either too loose or too tight. (Either the auxiliary will not follow because the rod slips, or with the auxiliary motor tipped up the rod does not extend.)
Move the inner rod in or out of the outer rod. If the inner rod will not move, remove the white plastic cap on the outer rod and back off the Allen screw inside the detente tube. As soon as the inner rod is movable, extend or insert the inner rod until you feel the detente pin drop into one of the grooves in the inner rod. At this point, tighten the Allen screw until it is snug. Now back off the Allen screw one and one-half turns. This will adjust the rod so that approximately 20 pounds of pressure is needed to make it adjust. 
If you want to check the accuracy of this adjustment, you can extend the rod, place the end of the rod on a bathroom scale, and try to compress the rod. Check the scale reading to see how much pressure was needed to compress the rod. If further adjustments are necessary, turn the Allen screw by one-eighth of a turn increments. It changes very quickly.

Edited February 20, 2014 by bout time

[white rook 1]

I observed the same type of problem with mine. Two things:

(1) Tighten the kicker moter swivel adjustment enough to provide some resistance.

(2) EZ steer now offers a "bungee" type cord that is designed to address such an issue as we are experiencing.

I think I'm going to order the "bungee cord" for this season and see. Out side of that I really like the damn thing.