steering cable questions

[amosh]

i was wondering of i could replace a 16 ft cable with an 18 ft cable? cable froze up on me a little bit back and i have ordered a hydraulic steering system but not sure if it will get here in time for when i need the boat again. my cable was a 16 foot morse and i found another locally for a good price. but it is an 18 footer. can i use this in my boat as a stop gap or would there be too much slop?

 

[TD_Maker]

Re: steering cable questions

I think this would depend on what type of boat it is, and how the cable is routed to the motor. I would think that as long as you can make the curves with the cable (without kinking) it will work.

 

[amosh]

Re: steering cable questions

its a 91 malibu flightcraft with a 200 mercury. the cable origionally ran down port side. will it mess it up if i have it running up and down in the side well of the boat as long as its not kinked? will the multiple extra bends mess with the stiffness of the steering?

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: steering cable questions

Just order the correct cable! NO ONE will say yes to this. If something goes wrong you and other's will blame bad advice. If it binds up and you get injured? If you have a motor that warrants hydraulic steering then it is NEVER a good idea to experiment.

Do it the correct way with the proper length cable. That is why cable measurements are so critical. If you ordered your hydraulic steering set up from iboats..... delivery is usually fast.

 

[amosh]

Re: steering cable questions

I understand all that. i was just asking if this would work as a stop-gap replacement, so i can take my boat on vacation with me later this week. no matter where i ordered it from it would not get here in time for me to comfotably install it and this is what i have available locally

 

[metriccrescentwrench]

Re: steering cable questions

I understand all that. i was just asking if this would work as a stop-gap replacement, so i can take my boat on vacation with me later this week. no matter where i ordered it from it would not get here in time for me to comfotably install it and this is what i have available locally

The biggest problem you'd have with a longer steering cable is getting it to fit. They're pretty stiff (for good reason) and it's probably going to be a royal pain in the arse to squeeze in that extra 2 feet. With throttle and shift cables it's not such a big deal, but a steering cable really needs to be the correct length 'cause the minimum bend radius is pretty large (and if you try bending it tighter than that to make it fit it's not gonna' be happy).

 

[BatDaddy1887]

Re: steering cable questions

A long time ago my friend had a 16ft boat with what must have been an 18ft cable.......he just made a big circle between the ribs and that seemed to work fine.