Cable steering or modern teleflex?

[reelfishin]

I am debating whether or not to replace the old style cable steering on the Glasspar with a more modern Teleflex system or to put it all back factory?
The original is in decent shape but I also have a good used Teleflex system that will go right in too. I am leaning towards the more modern Teleflex system since it will allow me to add some reinforcement to the transom and splashwell. It currently has a left and right pulley that is built into an aluminum casting on each side of the splashwell, the bolts that hold the pulley assembly in also are the only bolts that hold the sides of the splash well. I want to add some heavier supports in that area to stiffen the splash well section.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Cable steering or modern teleflex?

If it was mine the Teleflex hands down..
I had an old boat with the cable steering and could not stand it..

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Cable steering or modern teleflex?

I replaced my cable system with a teleflex for this season. I'm happy with it. My cable system was noisey (all the pulleys seemed to squeak). Plus there is now much less stuff running through my splash well. Just looks a lot "cleaner".

 

[EricR]

Re: Cable steering or modern teleflex?

I would KEEP the cable and pulley system. Simple, and it steers MUCH easier as far as effort goes than the Teleflex cable- I have had both, and the cable is easier and has a tighter turning radius. I also had a Merc "Ride guide" system that worked well too. The Teleflex Saf-T-Quik I put in does not steer as easy.

I am actually considering the sea star hydraulic to replace it.

So here is a loud NO vote for the Teleflex. There is nothing wrong or un safe about the cable and pulley.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Cable steering or modern teleflex?

The only thing I like about the pulley system is the fancy cast aluminum brackets that hold the pulley and the huge chrome cover or surround behind the steering wheel. Someone already put on a newer steering wheel, and I have all the parts to convert it over. One of the pulleys in the rear looks pretty dried out and is starting to chip, if it fails, it will be a real pain to locate a match. It's made as part of a cast aluminum and chromed insert that emerges at the side of the spashwell, (one on each side). I'm redoing the transom, so I'd like to reinforce the splashwell and sort of make it more structural to help support the transom. Right now it's only held in by the screws that hold the pulleys in and a few wood screws across the top of the transom trim cap.

A teleflex cable will also clean up the under gunwale area too. The dash may take some reworking, but I have several old boat dashes that I can take the steering box mounting area from to reinforce the dash if needed.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Cable steering or modern teleflex?

i've only had one run in the Duracraft, but i'm totally satisfied, i kept the cable pulley, oringinal pulleys. steers easy, and when it put the trim tab back on the motor, from doing the impeller, is adjusted it to where if thought it should be. and i have no torque steer. i can turn the wheel loose and it stays right there.

 

[BillP]

Re: Cable steering or modern teleflex?

You might want to check for sure but if my memory is right the USCG says cable steering systems are not legal on OB motors. I'd do the Teleflex anyway.

bp

 

[eliyzfr600]

Re: Cable steering or modern teleflex?

hello all,
I would also like to chage my steering system to a NFB kit. The problem is that Im pretty new to boating and I really need some help. My old steering has cables running to both sides and they roll around the steering column behind the dashboard. Well Im replacing the motor (old Jhonson) with a Mercury 80hp the problem is that the new motor has only one handle like link for I think one cable? Will a NFB kit do the trick? The boat is a 15' Sea King. Some advice please. What else would I need?

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Cable steering or modern teleflex?

You might want to check for sure but if my memory is right the USCG says cable steering systems are not legal on OB motors. I'd do the Teleflex anyway.

bp

I've heard that before, but there are lots of boats here still using the old cable systems. I'll most likely change it over just for simplicity. My main concern is that one of those plastic pulleys will split and leave me without steering or worse jam in a turn or in close quarters to anther boat. I have an complete system that I took out of another boat last month that should work fine, the cable is new and the length looks perfect.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Cable steering or modern teleflex?

if you got it use it.

 

[BillP]

Re: Cable steering or modern teleflex?

I've heard that before, but there are lots of boats here still using the old cable systems. I'll most likely change it over just for simplicity. My main concern is that one of those plastic pulleys will split and leave me without steering or worse jam in a turn or in close quarters to anther boat. I have an complete system that I took out of another boat last month that should work fine, the cable is new and the length looks perfect.

The least of my concern would be the pulleys breaking. I cut my boating teeth on cable systems...cable fatigue and breakage was ALWAYS the failure point. Regular maintenance for a cable system was to replace the cable before it broke. There are some things you can do to make them safer.
*use clear coated wire so you can see problems early
*use double clamps on the wire
*compress the springs almost all the way
*secure pulleys to the attachment point instead of only hooking them on

It's a long shot...but an "illegal steering system" that caused an accident might put you in the negligence category when standing before a judge. That also means your insurance company will use that for an out to avoid payment.

bp

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Cable steering or modern teleflex?

The cable that's in this now is the clear coated stainless cable, the springs, anchors and all but one pulley look like new. My concern is that this system interferes with the way the splash pan and transom fit, the pulleys sit in a cast aluminum pocket and have only two #10 screws that hold it and the splash pan into the sides of the deck. If the pulleys weren't there, I'd glass in some real supports and make the splash pan more structural. Right now it's like an egg shell with no support. It barely supports its own weight. I'd like to make it a solid piece that bridges the transom/splash pan/ and deck corners together.
I am redoing the transom so that will be 100% and want to add as much support to that area as I can so as to run the largest motor recommended.

The one pulley is chipping on the edges, its chalky looking while the others are still nice and shiny and smooth. It will crumble sooner or later. The problem is that it's at least 3" in diameter and part of that pocket casting. I could remove the pulley and bolt in a substitute, but I'd have to find one of the same size to match the other side. The cable makes a sharp bend there too, so if the pulley was smaller it would force the cable to make a tighter turn than I would say it will comfortably make. It looks to me like someone has replaced the entire system recently, but either couldn't find or neglected that one pulley.

I don't have a problem with a boat having cable steering but on this one I think it has to go so that I can make the boat what I want it to be when I am done. It's a very light hull, made of very thin glass, and I feel that even with the new transom, in order for this to handle a modern 50HP with tilt and trim, it will need some additional support. I think they added the splash pan on this as an afterthought, it's only purpose here is to drain off water and they had no intention of it adding any strength to the hull. I'd like to add some forward support and even a couple or gussets to the stringers as well.

Compared to other boats I've seen, this just looks lightly built at the transom, and I just feel that if I can add a little more support it can't hurt.

I trial fitted the used Teleflex system and its a perfect match, so I'm good to go that way. I'll have to glass in a filler panel to the back of the dash to bolt the rotary steering gear to since the steering drum and shaft mounted in a large cast aluminum bracket which will leave a 4" x 6" hole in the dash. I saved the mounting area of the dash from the boat I removed it from, so I'll just glass that up from behind and fill the facing area till it's smooth and looks like it belongs. The cable will hide nicely along the starboard gunwale and the cable will emerge at the rear from where the pulley casting used to sit.
I'll make up a glass panel to close the hole slightly and install a rubber grommet there as well.

 

[John_S]

Re: Cable steering or modern teleflex?

Our '67 Starcraft had the cable/pulley steering system for years. Just a few years ago, switched to Teleflex Safe-T system. Here are some of the pro's and con's that I have noticed (a few haven't been mentioned):


Cable/Pulley Pros:

- Tighter turning radius
- Easier Turning steering
- Easier removal from engine


Cable/Pulley Cons:

- Clear cable coating deterates and comes off cable: usually in pulley area
- Slack in system when engine is tilted for shallow water running
- Steering jams caused by above two
- Cable replacement every 6-8 years (steering wheel end was a butch for me)
- Plastic pulleys chipping on edge


Teleflex SafeT pros:

- easy install / replacement
- longer life? (hope so)
- Steering radius reduced, but safer for newbies (wot max turning doesn't get you in trouble- on my set-up anyway)
- Compact install - opens area of transom up for other stuff


Teleflex SafeT cons:

- Full engine tilt (prop out of water) is harder to get in place
- Reduced turning radius for non-planing speeds
- Stiffer steering
- Harder engine removal
- Required postional change to steering wheel

 

[BillP]

Re: Cable steering or modern teleflex?

For what it's worth...I talked to three Florida Wildlife officers yesterday (they're our state marine patrol) about cable steering. The first thing they said was cable is dangerous don't use it. Anyway I didn't go there on that statement but asked if it was legal. They actually didn't know for sure but thought it is still legal. They don't look for it or write tickets on it. I work pt in a marine supply house and see these guys all the time. They take much pride in writing tickets.

bp

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Cable steering or modern teleflex?

I am in NJ, and I've seen at least a dozen or more boats this week that still use it. I don't think they could ban or outlaw old equipment, but I could see them not allowing it on new boats. Not only that, don't most sailboats still use a cable and pulley steering. I still see the kits listed in the catalogs.

I had one boat years ago that had what I think may have been an old Elgin motor and two tillers or sticks to steer the boat up front, it had one rope and four pulleys, one at each corner, it was nothing more than a perimeter loop around the inside of the hull with a wooden tiller handle on each side that pivoted on a pin, with a clamp affixing the cable and the rear was attached to the outboard. You simply steered using the push pull method on both sticks. The boat was narrow and you simply sat on a wood bench, any passengers sat behind you on the next bench. It was started by wrapping a rope around the top pulley and the throttle was just a simple pull cable and lever on the right gunwale, it looked mostly homemade, but it floated and we used it as kids till the it got so rotten I couldn't patch it up anymore.
The hull was plywood with wooden ribs. That boat was given to me as a kid, I wish I still had it, but it had rotted away to near nothing many years ago. It never got very good treatment, it sat out back on the ground for years, we just dragged it to the river on a wagon when we wanted to use it.
It even had a Maxwell House manual bilge pump and two wooden trolling motors.

 

[BillP]

Re: Cable steering or modern teleflex?

I thought the law was for outboard boats only. Maybe I can get some credible info from the USCG some day about it. I owned drum/cable systems a long time before getting teleflex types. There's no way I'd go back to them unless trying to be period correct.

bp

 

[SawBum]

Re: Cable steering or modern teleflex?

I would go for the Teleflex system but be cautious of tight bends in the cable. If the bend is too tight, it will crack the cables plastic coating, then over time, the inner metal bands will rust and all of a sudden in a hard turn, no steering. It happened to me.

 

[EricR]

Re: Cable steering or modern teleflex?

Outlawing cable and pulley steering may be true on NEW boats, but they are not going to go back and make an ex post facto law. I wish I still had cable and pulley on mine. Much nicer in my opinion however humble.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Cable steering or modern teleflex?

I already started to set the teleflex system up, once I get the transom done, I'll do the rest.
I do agree that the cable system does feel better and from what I've experienced, has less torque steer, but other than a seized cable, the teleflex isn't likely to fail on the water, but a a split or broken pulley or derailed cable could leave you without steering.
I had an inboard boat loose it's steering once, it lost the rudder pin, but I have to say it did give me some warning, I had ignored a sudden change in steering effort for a few weeks before the pin sheered, I was able to rig it up with some wire and duct tape to get in. No catastrophic crash or out of control boat, just an lot of lost fishing time for something as stupid as a rusted pin and keyway.
When it broke, I just couldn't steer, the wheel just spun free with no resistance and the boat just continued on it's last coarse. I simply stopped, raised the hatch, patched the problem and went on. When I pulled the boat for the season I did a permanent repair and replaced the rudder shaft.
I can't say what an outboard would do if it lost steering, it would depend on how much resistance was on the king pin. I value my time out on the water too much to worry about something like a pulley breaking or a cable coming off. I wouldn't want to have to re-spool or untangle a cable to get underway while out fishing. The stick steer cable system on my Duracraft is a lot simpler, that simply uses a huge pulley at the control handle and the ends of the cable simply attach in opposite directions, no wrapping around the pulley or drum. It simply has an anchor cable on the far end of the run with a pulley, and a corner pulley to make the bend at the port side rear. The only problem with that system is that the cable runs straight through the left side rod boxes, dead in the middle making them almost useless for anything other than a few small items laying on the bottom below the cables.
If I can find a modern stick steer system for that, it will also get a teleflex cable.