What type of cable needed for steering?

[iggyw1]

I need to change (replace) my cable for my steering on my boat. I have the pulley and cable steering system with the cable running along both sides of my boat rather than just one side. I currently have 1 3/16th in. cable which is steel wire coated with vinyl. I can purchase a 3/16 inch steel wire covered with vinyl from home depot. It has a working load capacity of 35 pounds. Will this be adequate for the steering on my 15 ft fiberglass boat with a 40 h.p. motor on it?

 

[Texasmark]

Re: What type of cable needed for steering?

Probably so. You can tiller steer a 40 hp engine using your arm for control. You can't break that cable with your arms. Off hand I don't remember what the diameter of the cable was on the old cable and pulley systems. I'd do it.

Mark

 

[corby78]

Re: What type of cable needed for steering?

You probably already know this, but make sure you cut the cable the correct length. My wife's family has Champion with an Evinrude 150. The had a new line installed, but the guy put the wrong length cable in, and it made the steering even worse.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: What type of cable needed for steering?

You probably already know this, but make sure you cut the cable the correct length. My wife's family has Champion with an Evinrude 150. The had a new line installed, but the guy put the wrong length cable in, and it made the steering even worse.

I have no details, just guessing but...... A Champion is a bass boat and with a 150 hp it has single cable steering, hidden under the deck/sideboards; not the cable and pulley system we are talking about.

On your problem, with you saying the cable was too short making the steering worse that it was before, I'm going to bet he or somebody bent the cable more than the cable was supposed to be bent and kinked the center conductor causing your problem.

My current boat had a horribly hard wheel to turn when I bought it. In short, the cable came out of the boat right at the engine. The hole in the boat was small, tight, and being too close to the engine, had a fairly sharp bend right where it went into the engine's clamp bracket. In cutting the cable open, guess what I found? A kinked center wire. I bought another Teleflex-Morse cable and rerouted it maintaining smooth bends. Steering is just fine now.

HTH,
Mark

 

[Chris1956]

Re: What type of cable needed for steering?

Cable/pully steering is not adequate for higher HP motors. The 3/16" vinyl coated cable is fine for that 40HP motor, and you might be OK with a 50Hp motor. Anything much above that will require a single cable rack & pinon steering or something more robust. A 150HP motor is OK on a R&P single cable system, but with 200+ HP motors, dual cable or hydraulic steering systems are better.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: What type of cable needed for steering?

Cable/pully steering is not adequate for higher HP motors. The 3/16" vinyl coated cable is fine for that 40HP motor, and you might be OK with a 50Hp motor. Anything much above that will require a single cable rack & pinon steering or something more robust. A 150HP motor is OK on a R&P single cable system, but with 200+ HP motors, dual cable or hydraulic steering systems are better.

Agree. Back when pulley and cable steering was all you had, the biggest thing going was the 6 cylinder 60 hp Merc....forget the Mark designation. Most engines were in the 30-40 hp class. Sometimes you had duals and if cables were all we had, they were cabled. But then again, you are talking about 80 hp with a pair of 40's.

Mark

 

[iggyw1]

Re: What type of cable needed for steering?

Thanks all for your input. Should have my boat up and running later today. Just looking around (locally) for a steering wheel that would fit the shaft so I don't have to order one on line and wait for it to arrive. I have a few local boat junk yards around to check out today.

 

[corby78]

Re: What type of cable needed for steering?

I have no details, just guessing but...... A Champion is a bass boat and with a 150 hp it has single cable steering, hidden under the deck/sideboards; not the cable and pulley system we are talking about.

On your problem, with you saying the cable was too short making the steering worse that it was before, I'm going to bet he or somebody bent the cable more than the cable was supposed to be bent and kinked the center conductor causing your problem.

My current boat had a horribly hard wheel to turn when I bought it. In short, the cable came out of the boat right at the engine. The hole in the boat was small, tight, and being too close to the engine, had a fairly sharp bend right where it went into the engine's clamp bracket. In cutting the cable open, guess what I found? A kinked center wire. I bought another Teleflex-Morse cable and rerouted it maintaining smooth bends. Steering is just fine now.

HTH,
Mark

Thanks Mark, and you are correct about the boat. Although what ended up being the case, was the cable was cut too long and there was too much slack in it. I wasn't there, so I don't know all the details, but the mechanic who fixed it said it was a common problem with DIY'ers. He said a lot of people don't think the length wouldn't make that big a deal, but apparently it does. Just passing it on.