Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

So.... I bought a new motor. Sold the old 2-stroke so...pulled the control cables and electric from the remote. Pulled the remote. Basically only the steering cable is still in place.

Now.... I’m getting a new console too.... so... will be uninstalling steering from current console. Thinkinking of rerouting the steering cable. It currently goes straight down through the deck and makes a pretty sharp bend to run through the stringers to the back of the boat where it swings to the right and then bends left to go into the steering tube on the motor.

I was thinking of having it come down from the steering wheel and exit the console through the right side, and run along the bottom of the fence where it meets the deck, exit the playpen and make a nice sweeping bend to the motor’s steering tube.
Then also run the throttle and shift cable from the new remote along that same path. They could follow the sweeping radius of the steering cable and then pass the motor and make a “service loop” before entering the motor. Electric cable from remote to motor could follow the same path.
So, basically...everything runs down the right side to the back of the boat. Cable radius would be gentler for steering cable, fewer bends in control cables, which currently ran down from remote, bend to run along floor, halfway back they went through a grommet to below deck, made a tight “S” curve and exited to back of boat from transom pod.
I have room to cover the cables with a long, low storage locker. Like.... 8 inches thick and 18 inches tall, running from slightly behind the remote, to the back of the boat.

Thoughts?

You have the right idea. My cables were covered with a 3 inch endemic plywoodmcarpeted and put down diagonally--lengthwise.

That sounds like a much better alternative to me. More protected, too.

When I re-decked/carpeted mine, I had to cut about a foot off my console because of rotten wood...I also moved it to the center of the deck....I also moved my rear cross member forward 4 inches and my transom forward 8 inches resulting in the loss of about 4 inches of deck space...looking at the old water line stains on the pontoons and how it sits in the water now, I'm happy with the result.

Yeah, my console is an old wood-covered-with-vinyl one and it's pretty shot. Well, it's 27 years old so... *shrug*
My wife is buying me the small console from pontoonstuff. That alone should make a big improvement

Not sure if I'm supposed to set the gauges right in the console or make a panel for them and mount THAT to the console. It's just 2 gauges. A 4 inch tach with warnings for oil/battery/temp and a 2 inch trim gauge. I got time on that though.

And I'm thinking of getting a new switch panel. The old switches are ... old.. and not mounted securely. They still work, but that's about all the nice I have to say about them.

Was considering pulling the steering out of the console now while the weather is decent and wrapping it up for the winter.

Transom is the big thing though. Gotta get that replaced pretty much ahead of anything else. I just don't want to get into dismantling without a solid plan for storing what I remove. Stuff gets lost over the winter.

Pulled the steering out. It's a Morse unit. The cable sheath is split back by the motor and I can see the inner cable is kinda rusty. It never gave me a lick of trouble, but now I wonder if I'm rerouting and replacing, should I just get a whole new steering setup as well.

[quote="Bamaman"]You have the right idea. My cables were covered with a 3 inch endemic plywoodmcarpeted and put down diagonally--lengthwise.[/quote]
Endemic?
Do you ever proof-read what you post?