bad propeller torque

[mikeg]

I have a 17' four winns Mercruiser 140 I/O bowrider that has a bad prop torque problem. I have a 3 bladed 17 pitch michigan prop on it now. The prop is in excellent shape. I have adjusted the tab on the lower unit to compensate, but it has not helped. Is there any thing that can be done to reduce this? It is almost impossible to steer to the right at WOT.

[gonzo]

Does it pull when you want to go straight?

[mikeg]

No, only when I am turning right. It becomes increasingly difficult as the speed increases.

[gonzo]

Is the tab all the way to the right? To compensate you move the aft part of the tab the same way the boat is pulling. The other problem may be the power steering if you have it.

[mikeg]

Yes, the tab is all the way to the right. The steering is not power assisted. The steering to the left is effortless, even at WOT.

[marshmat]

The tab is all the way over and the boat still pulls?
This is weird. Even on the most stubborn drives, I've never had to turn the tab more than about six or eight degrees. Are you running the boat very lightly loaded for these tests, or are you running with a full crew on board?

[mikeg]

Both situations although it seems worse when lightly loaded. The prop was pretty dinged up and I had it redone. There was no difference in the torque situation.