GoldenDawn
Senior Member
On my KK42, I have a two-station hydraulic steering system with an autopilot pump plumbed into the system near the steering ram. Last week when we were out I noticed a gentle 4 sec roll - initially thought it was a ferry wake and then realized it was the autopilot (ComNav). My first trouble-shoot was adjusting the autopilot controls - loosening and tightening course tolerances and adjust speed of correction. No difference.
We noted some asymmetry in hand steering - turns more easily to port than starboard and also that the first turn of the wheel is easy but second turn meets quite a bit of resistance. I thought this might be triggering the autopilot to be more responsive in one direction than the other and cause the roll.
We disengaged the hydraulic system from the rudder and hand steered. There is no asymmetry in the rudder hand steering so it is not big rope or log on the rudder.
Steering fluid is full and it does not feel like air in the system. No pools of fluid lying around.
So here I am, welcoming ideas
We noted some asymmetry in hand steering - turns more easily to port than starboard and also that the first turn of the wheel is easy but second turn meets quite a bit of resistance. I thought this might be triggering the autopilot to be more responsive in one direction than the other and cause the roll.
We disengaged the hydraulic system from the rudder and hand steered. There is no asymmetry in the rudder hand steering so it is not big rope or log on the rudder.
Steering fluid is full and it does not feel like air in the system. No pools of fluid lying around.
So here I am, welcoming ideas