Re: Problem With Removing Steering Cable
I went through this last spring but was also lucky because setup has enough room between the motor and the starboard quarter of the stern to pull it out. But first, you have to get the cable out of the tilt tube, which is the tube that looks like a pipe that supports your motor. <br /><br />Try and turn your engine so that the least amount of the pushrod that attaches to the tiller arm is extending out of the tilt tube (either hard port or starboard, depending on your setup). This will give you the most room possible to get the thing out. If it still won't be enough room, then you're probable going to have to remove the motor or slide it over. Hopefully that's not the case and it just seems this way because you have the motor turned hard in the wrong direction.<br /><br />Now you have to back off the nut from the tilt tube that holds the cable to it (opposite side of the tilt tube from where you removed the tiller arm bolt where the pushrod is). Once you back off this nut, you should be able to pull the cable out of the tilt tube (the cable and pushrod that goes through the tilt tube to the tiller arm on the other side are one piece). If it won't pull out, try tapping it out from the other side by tapping on the pushrod with a hammer. Be very careful not to damage the threads on the tilt tube, as these are non-standard threads and tilt tube is expensive. Use a punch or something to give you some slack room so if you miss a bit you don't hit those threads with the hammer and ding them up.<br /><br />If it don't come out, then you have a classic problem of the cable/pushrod being frozen inside the tilt tube. You will need to get a good penetrating oil (such as PB Blaster; don't bother with WD40 or liquid wrench). Spray that stuff up in there on both sides as best you can, let it soak while you have a refreshment, then go back to trying and tap it out. Sometimes more penetrant and soak time will be required. If you get it moving and the end of the pushrod is now inside of the tilt tube where you can't hit it with the hammer anymore, you're going to need some big punches or thin long piece of pipe/re-bar or whatever else you may have lying around to slide in there and beat on the end of the pushrod to force it out the rest of the way.<br />Let me back up a second. Before starting, since the cable is trashed already, go ahead and cut the cable using a hacksaw (or a dremel with a cutting disc is much faster) up near the tilt tube behind the crimp fitting/nut. Gives you more room to work also.<br />Once you have the cable out of the tilt tube, get a drill extension for your drill and a wire brush (long enough to allow you to attach the brush to the drill and go all the way through the tilt tube). Spray bunches of solvent up inside the tilt tube, and with the brush (about the size of a 20ga bore brush) clean the heck out of the inside of the tilt tube. Now get some clean rags, and keep punching rags through until its clean, then put some good marine grease in there. Now go buy you a new steering cable of the same length for about $100 or so (look at the cable closely, on the jacket are some numbers that alude to the length). They might sell cables here on iboats, or go to marine store. Installation is easy just follow the directions that come with the new cable.<br />Sorry its so long, but I 've got some spare time and went through this before. My cable was frozen inside the tilt tube pretty bad and it took me two days to get it out. Be careful not to ding the threads up on the tilt tube. I did on mine, but luckily just the first thread and was able to dress it up.
