Steering cable length for side console on 1985 starcraft fishmaster 160

[danr2013]

My 16' Starcraft has a side console. Previously, two owners ago, the original Mercury motor was replaced with a 50hp Evinrude. The Evinrude steering cable that came with the motor was shorter, or so I was told, and he moved the console back about a foot to make the cable reach. I gutted the boat and I want to move the console forward to its original position.

My question is: must the cable be the exact length with no slack from steering wheel to motor? The current cable is 11' long, the black plastic covering is 11'. The metal connections on either end are more. If I move the console 1 foot forward must it be replaced with a 12' cable or will it work if I install a longer cable, ie 13 or 14 foot?

Thanks, Dan...

 

[louiefl]

Re: Steering cable length for side console on 1985 starcraft fishmaster 160

Take a look at the cable end (about two feet from the end (I forget which end) and there should be a white number / letter combination stamped into the outer black plastic. This is the part number which includes the cable length. Add to that length as needed when you move things around.

too little cable is a problem - all the wishing in the world will not help. An extra foot can easily be eaten up making large bends. Look at the current set up - the second picture looks like the cable comes right off the helm and goes aft in a hurry. If the bends are tight and things are pretty much a straight shot, you can easily add a foot. If you have an 11, and move the helm forward a foot, you could easily accomodate a 13.

 

[danr2013]

Re: Steering cable length for side console on 1985 starcraft fishmaster 160

Louiefl, you're right, the cable leaves the helm and goes straight aft. There's enough slack to make the steering work smoothly. The bend at the the stern is a smooth one but there is no way I could reuse this cable if I moved the console forward. A new cable will be required. Thanks for the info on the labeling. I'll look at it after work. I have a better understanding of how it works. Now all I have to do is to figure out how to r&r.
Many thanks, Dan...

 

[louiefl]

Re: Steering cable length for side console on 1985 starcraft fishmaster 160

A couple tips for you. To remove the cable from the helm side, take a look at the first picture. About an inch to the right of the cable on the helm casting there is a hole visible. There should have beeen a clip attached there - the clip is the tool to remove the cable. If you do not have a clip, simply insert a piece of wire or the butt end of a small drill bit into the hole and pull the cable housing while pressing the pin. Then unwind the steering wheel to remove the rest of the cable from the helm.

On the motor, unscrew the nut holding the cable to the starboard side of the engine tilt tube, and disconnect the nut holding the arm to the port end of the cable. The entire cable assembly should pull out to the starboard side. A common problem at this point is that the tilt tube that the engine pivots up and down on does not line up with the cutout in the side of the transom well. There are two options at this point - cut a big, ugly hole and try to patch it later or lift the engine off the transom.

Lifting the engine is pretty easy if you have a large tree and a cable-type come along. Many outboards have a lifting eye, attach the come along between that and a large branch and apply minimal tension. Remove the 4 engine nuts, and remove the top bolts. At this point you should be able to lift the engine enough so that it is clear of the transom and then swing it so you can slide the cable out of the tilt tube. You do not need to disconnect any of the wiring, controls, or fuel line as you are only swinging the engine slightly, not removing it. As soon as the cable is free, set the engine back on the transom and secure the mounting bolts temporarily. If all goes well, the engine will be up in the air for about 90 seconds. putting the engine back on the transom will give you time to remove the rest of the cable and get the new one installed without stressing about the engine hanging from a tree.

 

[louiefl]

Re: Steering cable length for side console on 1985 starcraft fishmaster 160

I went back and looked at some notes I took when I did mine recently. The outer black cable measured 13'0" and it had 14-5 stamped on the housing making it a 14'6" "cable length". I ended up getting a 15' cable as they no longer make half-foot increments. I remember something on-line about measuring the black housing and adding 18" and rounding up to the nearest whole foot.

That being said, it looks like your existing 11' length is a 12'6" cable (look for a 12-5 stamped on the cable). A 13' cable would work as-is, but relocating the helm looks like you would need a 14' cable. Look for the part number ont he cable, that would be your best bet for a starting point.

 

[danr2013]

Re: Steering cable length for side console on 1985 starcraft fishmaster 160

Good tips louiefl, thanks. I'm gonna go look for the code and that hole you mentioned and see what I can do with it. On the motor side though it's a 1972 50 hp Evinrude. They didn't start using the tilt tube connection until 1973 I think. Any way I have already disconnected the cable from the motor and removed the steering cable and rotary from the boat. Now I'll look at that hole you mentioned and see if I can get the cable out of the rotary.

 

[danr2013]

Re: Steering cable length for side console on 1985 starcraft fishmaster 160

Well that was easy. The cable came right out. I looked for the code you mentioned and took some pics of them. It's made by Teleflex but I don't know what the numbers mean. I'll do a little more research online and see what I can find out. Any one out there know?

 

[louiefl]

Re: Steering cable length for side console on 1985 starcraft fishmaster 160

SSC62 is the cable type, 11 is the length. Looks like you have an 11-footer. You can easily use a 12' with your existing setup. The helm does not need to point immediately starboard, it can be rotated counterclockwise (when viewed from the top) to make the bend radii larger and eat up some slack cable. Moine is rotated about 45 degrees forward of starboard to do just that and the cable runs pretty smooth. I would think a 13-footer would work if you moved the console forward a foot. You would want to get a SSC6213.