Steering went out

[Ron Burgundy]

If it ain't one thing it's another. Went out with the family for a birthday cruise (I'm 31 today), and while I was making my usuall U-turn to line up with the dock my steering went out. I am guessing that the cable either snapped or came loose. Luckilly, I had my uncle with me so he manualy turned the motor while I worked the throttle. We were pretty close to the dock so it was a short distance. I'm just glad it happened at the end of the trip, and not in the middle of it. I don't know much about the steering system so I am hoping for some advice. Is this something I can tackle myself, or am I gonna be shelling out more money to a mechanic?

[badmoonrising]

Most likely a cable or bad helm unit, both are simple to replace.

[Ron Burgundy]

So a dummy like me might be able to do...that's good. What's the best way to diagnose between the two potential issues?

Here is a little background that may help -

When I dock my boat I am heading due east in a fairly narrow canal. To get to my dock I go past it about 50 yards and then make a U-turn and start heading due west. Usually I just crank the wheel all the way to the left and I can make the turn if I start all the way over on the side of the canal.

About two months ago I noticed that the steering wheel hit a hard spot about 75% of the way through the turn. To get the wheel the remaining 25% took more force than I considered to be normal. I suspected a problem but got lazy and didn't look into it further, and then today it went out compeltely.

When manually turning the motor it was easier to turn it to starboard than port. Any of this helpfull in diagnosing?

[badmoonrising]

Sounds to me like the strands of the cable corroded and started to unravel when the hard steering began and then the cable broke completely. Does the motor move at all in either direction when you turn the wheel ? Turn the wheel..if it keeps spinning, bad helm unit. If it stops in either direction, bad cable.

If it were mine AND the cable is severely corroded, I'd replace both cable and helm unit. Better safe than sorry, especially a vessel used in saltwater.

[Ron Burgundy]

I suspected corrosion from salt water. Seems like that has been the cause of about 90% of my problems. The motor dosen't turn at all with the steering wheel. I'll go back tomorrow to see if the wheel spins freely. How can I tell what kind of steering system I have? Do I look at the helm unit for a brand or model number? Teleflex seems to be a common name I see online.

[belercous]

I just went thru this, our steering cale broke right next to the dock too. Our boat has a single cable push/pull system (Teleflex). If your boat has the same type system, you can do it yourself, in the water (although out of the water would be easier).

Check out my prior thread "Steering went kaput, anyone ever worked on this system?"

If your wheel keeps spinning one direction but not the other, you've got a broken cable. If it spins easily in both directions it is likely a bad steering head. If the cable broke you needn't remove the steering head. If it's a single cable Flextron system look at the steering head (directly fwd the wheel behind the console). Turn the wheel the way it goes easiest, you should see the cable coming out of the top "housing" which is only about 18" long. If that's the case, keep turning the wheel until the cable comes all the way out. You'll need a new cable & housing (they come as one piece and you can't leave the old housing in place, it needs to come out.)

To remove the housing from the steering head you'll have to remove a pin, OR if there's no pin you'll need to take all the bolts out of the head so you can get the housing free. A 1/2" of seperation from the steering head halves is all you need.

To remove the cable & housing from the engine you'll see a chrome shaft going thru the front of the motor mount laterally, that's the other end of the steering cable. It is attached to the cable housing. Disconnect the housing; you'll likely need a back-up wrench also. The nuts will be big (about 1"). A shaft coming off the engine (with a 90 degree bend) will be bolted to it, remove the nut & washers, & disconnect the two shafts. Push the rod into the motor mount as far as you can. Then pull the cable housing off from the motor mount in the direction it was routed, this took 2 people on our boat; one to pull the housing back, the other to pull the cable out. It will help to have a long screwdriver or punch to keep pushing the chrome shaft into the motor mount, try not to tear the seals on the ends of the mount. It's a pain, but it can be done.

Putting the new cable/housing in goes a lot easier. Route the cable/housing along the pontoon & up thru the floor. Bring it up thru the deck about a foot more than it would normally ride. Insert the chrome shaft thru the motor mount first, then bring the housing up & tighten the housing's nut (called a "b" nut) up. Shoot some grease into the zirk. Reconnect the engine's shaft to the chrome rod. Liberally grease (with white lithium grease) the exposed end of the cable & run the cable end into the steering head. Turn the wheel until it stops. Re-install the cable housing into the steering head. Go boating.

If this is done in the water, someone will have to get wet by going under the boat to route the cable. We got our cable from Mavick Marine, the part was just under $200 w/3 day shipping, but we needed a 30' cable, your part should be cheaper. If your steering head is bad, you'll have a much easier time, provided you use a big enough hammer.

Good luck, I'll keep my eye on this thread if you have any problem.

[GregF]

There was a thread about steering a couple weeks ago and Ed posted a great picture of a Teleflex Saf T. That is probably the most popular. The Morse lookes essentially the same but uses 2 bolts to hold the cable instead of that pin and ring deal.

If your helm has a ~18" long extension on both sides it is a rack and pinion.

One way to break the helm/cable tie is to turn the motor so the steering rod is retracted all the way in (usually hard over to port) then turn the wheel to starboard. If the motor goes that way but won't go back, it is the cable. Do you have a place close by you can beach it? That is the easiest way to replace a cable in the water. You can usually pull it out from the top but as Bell says you are going to get wet putting it back and you REALLY do not want to get the cable wet.

Also look at the thread about cleaning the steering tube and replace the O ring. I bet that is why the steering was stiff.

[GregF]

One thing I found that makes the cables last a whole lot longer in salt water is to sleeve it in 3/4" "smurf tube" the blue corrugated flex conduit at Home Depot (electrical dept). On a boat like ours, one 10' stick will go all the way from the motor to up through the deck. I put a wrap of mil spec duct tape around the motor end when I was done.

BTW Morse and Teleflex cables are interchangeable. Amazon seemed to have a pretty good price when I looked last time.

The measurement is jacket length.

[Ron Burgundy]

Thanks for the detailed instructions belercous. I'll probably print those out to take with me to the boat. There looks to be a black "cover" that goes over the steering cable. Not sure what it is called, but does this come new as part of the steering cable, or do I thread the new cable through this?

Greg, the closest place to beach is the sandbar that I go to. There isn't much turning, but not sure if I should make that trip without steering.

I'm going over later today to take a closer look at the steering to narrow down my problem.

[jrolin1]

The black cable comes with it. No threading needed.

[Ron Burgundy]

The black cable comes with it. No threading needed.

Thanks. As you can see I know very little about this topic. I like learning, but my learning usually cost me a lot. lol

Can someone tell me the different types of possible steering system? I think there are three main types - hydraulic assisted steering, rack and pinion, and then there is cable push/pull system. Am I missing any?

[GregF]

The rack and pinion is still cable push pull. It just uses a gear rack to move the cable instead of the drum in the round helm.

This is Ed's picture of a Teleflex that I marked up to point out the pin



This is an inside look of my bad one, notice the small center gear has no teeth





This is how you drive without a cable/helm

[GregF]

This is the easiest way I have found to clean the steering tube.



It is a copper tubing brush, handle cut off and chucked up in a 12" drill extension. Run it with your drill. Use WD40 as a solvent and push plugs of paper towels through to clean it. Alternate from the brush and the towels. Keep doing it until you get the towels to come out clean. Coat the tube with marine grease by pushing a small plug of towel saturated in grease and install the cable.
I like the blue "shop towels". I keep a roll on the boat.


Fresh water guys may see all of this as pedantic but it is the least you should be doing in salt water


You talked about a jacket on your cable. If this is the corrugated wire wrap, it is probably split, held on with tywraps and I doubt it goes all the way to the console. (the cable jacket itself is smooth and crimped on at the motor end). That is why I went with the smurf tube. It is solid and long enough to go all the way. If you do need to splice on more, use a gray 3/4" glue on coupling, not the snap in blue one. A glue on will be water tight. BTW even if you were using this for the real electrical application, the solvent connector is still listed for ENT (smurf)
Just remember to slip on the smurf before you install the cable.

[Ron Burgundy]

So if I see something like that photo of Ed's Teleflex that means I have a Teleflex system as opposed to rack and pinion? OR, are the gears inside that silver drum lookin' thing?

Assuming for a minute that my problem is a broken steering cable. In the photo below I am going to need to replace the black steering cable that runs out the port side of the motor attached by a large (approx. 1" bolt). Am I correct in calling that thing a "black jacket" around the steering cable? If so, does this come with the steering cable?

[GregF]

The rack unit will be 2 long extensions out of each side of the steering head, not that compact round thing. (the whole thing is about 2 feet wide) If the helm is a lot beefier looking and deeper it is probably the zero feedback unit that those gear pictures came from.
The Morse unit looks a lot like Eds but it has a clean flat plate on the back and 2 1/4-20 bolts holding the cable in.