Need some help/advice on steering cables (Update)

[scott2000d]

Re: Need some help/advice on steering cables (Update)

I just wanted to say thank you for your lubing method in this thread. I cleaned and lubed my dual cable nfb system over the past week and it works like a dream. I went from needing to use both hands and lots of muscle to steer my ranger bass boat to now being able to use 1 finger to steer. This saved me about $500 for a new steering system and cables that my mechanic was trying to sell me. Thanks again for the suggestions.

Here's what I did:

I flushed both cables twice with SeaFoam and then used some synthetic 5w-30 to lube the cables. The first cable took over a week at 130psi for the SeaFoam to work its way through the cable. I spent an entire evening turning the steering wheel back and forth and that finally worked the SeaFoam through. The SeaFoam in the other cable worked its way through in a few hours.

I used an old tilt tube welded to a piece of pipe that was long enough to fully extend the steering cables and then welded a galvanized 't' fitting with a plug on one side to fill the tube and an air fitting on the other. Here are a couple pics of the setup I used.

 

[jamesat]

Re: Need some help/advice on steering cables (Update)

I just tried this idea on 2 different boats ,a 1998 Stratos 295 and a 1989 glasstream hydrabass 17. It worked like a charm. It took 2-3 days with my small compressor at 110 lbs pressure. Due to cold weather and thick oil maybe. I used lacquer thinner instead of Seafoam .The only problem was on the 2nd boat the thinner took all day to go thru on 1 cable and it ate up the clear tubing and I had to replace it when it burst. Both now steer like new. I spent $28.68 at Lowes for parts This is a great idea and will save you $5-600 ,just be patient and let it work. Thanks for the info guys.

 

[fieldlark]

Re: Need some help/advice on steering cables (Update)

slide the coupling back off the cable and the hose can be clamped onto the cable itself.

Just reading this thread and trying to fix my own steering. Do you have to pull the bar out of the motor to do this I assume? And then push the plastic hose over the bar and on to the cable sleeve?
All the instructions I'm finding show I'll have to disconnect at the steering end also in order to pull the bar out of the motor tube (97 StarCraft 190 Fishmaster with 90 hp merc) Please assist if you're still tuned in. It's a single rack and pinion. Thankx

 

[achris]

Re: Need some help/advice on steering cables (Update)

Jamesat and fieldlark,

This thread is almost 3 years old. We ask that people not reply to threads more than 90 days old. We have very active forums here and old threads being resurrected can lead to considerable confusion.

If you have a question, please start a new thread of your own, as requested in the forum rules. If you are referring to an older thread, just put a link to it in your new thread...

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