Looping control cables for older OMC's

[tmcalavy]

Need the help of the chiefs and ancient mariners on this one. Attached is a pix of how I had the control cables on my boat/outboards before I painted the topsides on the boat and then put her into winter storage. If all goes well in the next few weeks, I'll be replacing the Johnnson 18 hp on the left in the pix with a 56 Evinrude Lark 30 hp. Thanks to this forum, I figured out how to route and install the control cables...they work in this configuration but I plan to go with longer cables for the starboard outboard...the ones shown in the pix are too short. The question is whether I should route all four cables over the transom, past the outboards and then loop the cables back to the motors. As you can see in the pix, right now my cables come through the splashwell access port/hole, run along the back of the splashwell and then loop out and back to the motors. This works but the cables don't flip/rotate like I think they should when turning the boat right and left. If I go past the outboards with longer cables and loop back to the outboards, do I loop all four out and around the port outboard then come back to the connectors on the motors, or route them another way? If I go past the outboards with the cables, do they just hang back there or is there a way to support them? Again, I'm in the dark here. I know the cables need to be able to follow the outboards when turning, without binding, but I've never seen a "proper" set-up for older outboards so I don't have a visual reference. Searched here on the forum and on the Web, but all the stuff I find is for newer outboards...not much help.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Looping control cables for older OMC's

should sort of s not a loop.

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: Looping control cables for older OMC's

That's kinda the way it is now...but I though S loops weren't recommended. Everything I've read says avoid tight loops and S configurations, because they can cause binding.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Looping control cables for older OMC's

The cables should pass in front of the motors and lie in the splash well. You will end up with somewhat of an S-Curve in them, but that is not a problem as long as the bends are not too tight. On my last dual engine installation ('58 Bigtwins) I used four different cable lengths. My binacle was on the starboard side of the boat, so the shift cable on the starboard engine had the shortest length. Each of the remaining cables was a foot longer than the one before it. The end result was a cable system that did not bind, but also did not involve overly large "loops" in front of the motors.

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: Looping control cables for older OMC's

That sounds work-able. I like having the cable loops laying the splashwell. Guess I need to break my spare steering cable and experiment with different lengths for the port outboard. One seems long enough, but the shortest may be a tad too short. Read somewhere about running the cables past the outboard, then looping back around front...may have been on this board in the distant past, or somewhere else. When I get the cables figured out, I need to clean up the splashwell by cutting three ports/holes for dual fuel lines plumbed to one tank with a long hose so I can put the gas can forward for ballast, and route the battery cables from both outboards down under the splashwell. Should be a busy spring with that, repainting the Lark and testing its clutch dog. Thanks for the input...always appreciated.