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Replacing Steering Cable Not So Easy


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Im replacing the cable and it keeps getting hung up, I cut the gear box off the old cable and taped the rudder end of the new one to the helm end of the old one, trying to pull it through, I think the big nut is what keeps getting caught. Im afraid to pull too hard for fear of tearing wiring or a fuel line.... ideas?

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Helped a friend of mine do this job on her SAN 210. It was a nightmare. It ran through a channel that was impossible to get that nut to pass through. We gave up and ran the steering cable through an alternate location.

We would have had to pull the gas tank and grind out the opening of the channel to run it through the factory location. Not worth it. So my suggestion is find an easier path to run it.

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Did you tape the crap out of the nut so that you have a nice cone coming off of it rather than square edges?  Also, do you have someone pushing the cable while you are pulling - makes it a lot easier

Edited by oldjeep
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3 hours ago, triscadek said:

Im replacing the cable and it keeps getting hung up, I cut the gear box off the old cable and taped the rudder end of the new one to the helm end of the old one, trying to pull it through, I think the big nut is what keeps getting caught. Im afraid to pull too hard for fear of tearing wiring or a fuel line.... ideas?

Try using about 6 feet of 1/4" line taped 3 feet up the old helm end and new rudder ends - so they meet butt to butt (not overlapping).  Us a lot of duct tape to hold the line to the cable and, as oldjeep said, create smooth cone like ramps.  Two people, one to guide in and one to pull will help a lot.  You might also pull through an extra line (or don't cut the one you use for the cables).  You can leave that in the chase for later use to pull ballast wire, lines, etc.  Will save a lot of time on future projects.

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25 minutes ago, oldjeep said:

Did you tape the crap out of the nut so that you have a nice cone coming off of it rather than square edges?  Also, do you have someone pushing the cable while you are pulling - makes it a lot easier

Yeah I did. No luck :-/ 

6 minutes ago, minnmarker said:

Try using about 6 feet of 1/4" line taped 3 feet up the old helm end and new rudder ends - so they meet butt to butt (not overlapping).  Us a lot of duct tape to hold the line to the cable and, as oldjeep said, create smooth cone like ramps.  Two people, one to guide in and one to pull will help a lot.  You might also pull through an extra line (or don't cut the one you use for the cables).  You can leave that in the chase for later use to pull ballast wire, lines, etc.  Will save a lot of time on future projects.

Will do, sounds like more tape it is. I'm gonna try to get a friend to help. The wife was helping last week but we didn't get too far. 

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We actually over lapped them all the way to the nut, but this was on an LXI so the path through the boat is different.   One other thing that came to mind - when we put this one in there was a turn at the engine compartment that was a pain where I reached down by the motor mount to direct the cable.  Now in a V-drive it would be different but you might want to consider pulling your center floor plate if you haven't already and see if you can reach the cable from there to help direct it.

 

 

WP_20150626_008.jpg

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17 minutes ago, triscadek said:

Yeah I did. No luck :-/ 

Will do, sounds like more tape it is. I'm gonna try to get a friend to help. The wife was helping last week but we didn't get too far. 

I forgot to add - Wrap tape around where the ends butt up against each other, so they do not twist relative to each other.

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Also, while your in there, I would replace the aluminum steering tube by the rudder with a stainless steel one. All my previous boats had aluminum tubes. I would end up replacing those cables about once a year in salt. Now that I have a stainless steel tube, my steering is still perfect two years later and probably 100 hours of salt use. 

 

I also, spray the cable with silicone lube and wipe clean after every trip. It really saves that cable. 

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Thank you, I'm the second owner and still talk with the previous owner occasionally, he had it for 14 years... Turns out this is the original cable I am pulling out lol. 715hours on her. Fresh water 

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Got it pulled through!!! Shift cable next! Those darn nuts behind the throttle/radio are a pain and require socket wrenches. Good excuse to buy some! They seemed easier last time. :-/

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