Re: steering cable replacement
To not force the bend as you will kink the inner cable and ruin your cable. I bought a boat that the factory installer jammed the cable trying to do the same thing and it took me both hands to turn the wheel on a 90 hp engine. When I bought and installed my new cable, I found a different location so that I could have a smooth bend. Nice and smooth steering not.
However, if your problem is not that there is inadequate room for a smooth bend, but the cable is too long to get installed with the engine mounted, you will have to remove the engine from the transom, install the cable and then put the engine back on the transom. A rented engine hoist and a self made or borrowed adapter that screws on top of the crankshaft will work. I don't remember if engines of that era had lifting rings or not. If so, use them.
Mark
