Steering Unequally? Much further right than left?

[randomguy]

Hey folks:

I've got kind of a strange problem with my 94 SPX. It seems to steer more than twice as far to the right than to the left. I've only had it about a month, and didn't notice it when I got it, but it seems pretty obvious now.

In looking at the steering column, I can't really see what the restriction is. As in, when you turn the bar to the left, it just stops and doesn't seem to be actually contacting anywhere. Maybe it's just the stroke limitation of the cable.

As for the nozzle, it's pretty much the same way. It's free moving and everything, but when turning it to the left side, it stops without really contacting anything as a hard stop.

The thought has occurred to me that the cable's position just needs adjusted with the jam nuts, but I don't think it was like this when we first got it, but it's pretty obvious now and nothing has been adjusted.

Suggestions? I live on a lake and probably won't get it out of the water until next week. I need to check out the intermittent issues with the fuel gauge as well.

 

[Bills86e]

Check the mounting bracket. Adjusting is easy.
http://partsfinder.onlinemicrofiche...oem/Seadoo_PWC.asp?Type=18&A=19&B=20&Action=O

 

[randomguy]

OK, so I went out and rode tonight a bit. Here are some observations:

1. Something is definitely different than when I got it. I used to be able to just about sit in place and do figure 8's and now the LH turning radius is huge and the RH seems unaffected, still very tight.
2. I jumped off in the lake and everything is free moving, but it stops earlier when moving left.
3. Got back on, rode a little more, kind of heard something give or maybe "pop" a little bit. And now it goes equally each way. I'm pretty clueless on this and I haven't been able to get it out of the water yet to really get a good look at it.

Suggestions?

 

[randomguy]

Ok, I got it out of the water tonight and into the garage. I looked everything over and for the life of me I can't figure out what's going in. At this point, it's steering almost exactly equally, i.e. with no issues to speak of.

However, I KNOW it was cool when I got it (early July), at some point, there was almost NO left hand turning, and now it's cool. All of the mounting brackets, nuts and bolts, the nozze, etc. seem to be mounted good and tight, and I can find no smoking gun. Even my neighbor (no Jetski experience, but very mechanically apt) looked everything over (over a beer) and had no suggestions.

Am I crazy? Has this ever happened to anyone else?