Re: 89 Bayliner Trophy 21ft CC
I put a steering cable on the Ol' Girl this past weekend, wasn't too bad. I'm not sure how long the cable has been in place, but I know the motor is not original to the boat because the boat is an 89 mod. and the motor is a 2001. I think the helm is original because I've seen several Bays with the same one, although I guess they could have changed out the drive. They may have gotten lucky and the cable worked from the old motor to the new, but I'm figuring not. Most likely it came with a Force as did most in that time era and it now, of course, has a Merc. hanging off the rear. Either way, It's been on there for a while. It was stiff when I bought the boat and I've just kinda nursed it for the last couple years until finally last year in a heavy chop I turned the wheel and the boat didn't! I got a pop pop pop as the gears on the helm jumped over the teeth on the cable rack. Thankfully I was able to power down and ease back to the dock. I doctored on it some to last the rest of the season, but knew that come this Spring it would have a new one. I was able to change it out without removing the motor, which was nice, but there was a trick to doing it. I was able to tapthe motor tilt/steering cable tube toward the opposite side of the cable after removing the large locking nut. This gave me the extra inch or two needed to clear the end of the steering cable end shaft. It's a little tricky getting the that tube back the other way because there is a ridge that will catch on the inside of the tilt bracket when tapping it back towards the cable. What I did was to have my wife tap on the tube with a rubber mallet while I jostled the motor up and down with the tilt/trim switches mounted to the motor. This may sound odd, but it worked. Each time I changed directions the motor would move forward or backwards causing the tube to move as well. For a brief second the tube would be centered as it wiggled back and forth. The right combination and timing (a bit of luck too) she tapped the tube just as the tube was aligned and WALLA! Once it was past the ridge, it was just a matter of continuing to tap it back into place and then putting the large lock nut back one. Just a note to remember, be sure to slide the nut onto the cable before you poke the cable back into the tube and remember to poke the cable back into the tube before tapping the tube back into place. Luckily I remember to do all this, but it sure would have added a bit of stress to the job to have done all that jostling and tapping in perfect time just to have to back it out and start over. You still need a bit of strength and determination to remove the old cable from the tube and twist and push and finagle the new cable back into the tube. I guess they drilled the hole for the cable to go through high in the splash well to help keep water from entering it during a back wash, but it sure made a bad angle for that cable. It's fine once the rigid end of the cable is in the tube, but you kind run out of flex as you work the cable out of the tube and you don't have much to begin with when you start putting the new cable back in. Anyway, like I said, easy peazy, doable as long as you have the patience. Took me about three hours start to finish and that included picking up and putting away tools, stopping to smell the roses (I was on our vacation property you know) stopping to eat the breakfast my wife brought out to me, and clean up. Okay, so not really that much actual working time. Don't know what the boat shops would have charged for the complete job, but when I called the lady said "I bet at least three hours" and around here $100.00 an hour. I got a deal on my Teleflex cable, brand new off evilBay for just under $130.00 shipping and all, saw it other places for well over $200.00. So I'm figuring unless you just got it that way, spending $550.00 or more plus tax, kinda puts a strain on the going out to eat budget. I'll just do it myself thank you very much! LOL :victorious:
