Sea Ray 180 steering wheel not centered

[Iagent]

The boat is a Sea Ray 180 year 2000 with rack and pinion steering.

First actual post here, and it's something I have searched, and also did a little poking around on the boat for a solution.

The problem is that the steering wheel is off about 30 degreees when traveling straight. One thread mentioned that the wheel can be removed and rotated to the correct position and reinstalled. In my case that will not work. The wheel is keyed, and there are 3 different positions where it can be keyed, but none are right.

There are three adjustment screws that allow the rack to be turned, but this doesn't seem like a very professional fix, and it doesn't even go far enough to completely solve the problem. I'm thinking there must be a rigging procedure for the Teleflex cable that should correct this, but I have no documents to show an approved adjustment. I am an aircraft mechanic by trade, and too stubborn to take it to the marina, plus just used all of my money to buy this boat lol. Just wondering if someone has an idea of how to adjust, or at worst, I will have to live with an off center wheel (I'm a little too particular for this solution)
Here are some pics to show how the wheel is indexed.
Thanks in advance!

 

[Lazy Daze]

If you do get it centered, there's an excellent chance that when you're driving it you won't be holding the wheel straight anyways. Depending on load placement in boat, wind, current, drive attitude. I've always just lived with it.

 

[Iagent]

If you do get it centered, there's an excellent chance that when you're driving it you won't be holding the wheel straight anyways. Depending on load placement in boat, wind, current, drive attitude. I've always just lived with it.

Yeah, I know it will never be like a newly aligned car or anything like that, but it just seems very consistently 30 degrees off.
Just seems like there should be a rig procedure.

 

[srok1]

Dennis is right, it will change slightly with trim angle. If you want to center it then line the wheelup at the angle you mentioned and loosen the four bolts that hold the rack to the steering shaft enough for the rack to move away from the sterring shaft pinion. Now rotate the wheel to straight ahead and tighten the rack bolts back down.

 

[Iagent]

Dennis is right, it will change slightly with trim angle. If you want to center it then line the wheelup at the angle you mentioned and loosen the four bolts that hold the rack to the steering shaft enough for the rack to move away from the sterring shaft pinion. Now rotate the wheel to straight ahead and tighten the rack bolts back down.

This was exactly the advice I was looking for! I performed the 4 bolt procedure, and it's perfectly aligned dry dock. Tomorrow when I take her out, I will fine tune the adjustment if needed.

Thanks everyone for the help.

 

[Iagent]

Tried it out today, and it's now centered.