Re: mercruiser steering cable
They get frozen in that tube due to corrosion. (probably why your steering is froze up).
Use a mallet (NOT a steel hammer) and knock the cable back flush with the end of the tube, then use a hardwood dowel and hammer to push it on through the tube. Heat also helps. make sure you get that tube cleaned out. The cable should slide easily in and out of that tube, and put some grease on the cable end when you install the new cable.
