steering cable identification help?

chrisp6108

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ive searched hi and low and seems i cant find much information for steering cable replacements so figured i would ask.

i have a 2000 bayliner 1950 capri 3.0l that im repairing, previous owner left it sitting for 3 plus years and told me the steering cable was bad and needed replaced according to the marina they had took it too. being the boat has sat so long ive had to repair the hydrolics for the outdirve, repair start, alternator, rebuild carb, replace fuel filter in the pump, syphone all the old gas out, full tune up, plugs, wires, cap rotor, oil change, flushed lower unit bascaily got the boat turn key ready for the water.

the steering is SUPER tight, ive not tried to disconnect it yet to find out if in fact its the outdrive thats sticking or the cable itself but i would assume its the cable, according to bayliners website this is what they claim the part is.
"* 73395 CABLE,STEERING,15', RACK 1.0 EA "

so this tells me its a rack and pinion style, 15ft cable, but which version do i need seems there are a tone of them out there that fit this search requirements.

was looking at the seastar The Rack Cable, 15' - SeaStar

anyone can help with input?
 

Bondo

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Re: steering cable identification help?

ive searched hi and low and seems i cant find much information for steering cable replacements so figured i would ask.

i have a 2000 bayliner 1950 capri 3.0l that im repairing, previous owner left it sitting for 3 plus years and told me the steering cable was bad and needed replaced according to the marina they had took it too. being the boat has sat so long ive had to repair the hydrolics for the outdirve, repair start, alternator, rebuild carb, replace fuel filter in the pump, syphone all the old gas out, full tune up, plugs, wires, cap rotor, oil change, flushed lower unit bascaily got the boat turn key ready for the water.

the steering is SUPER tight, ive not tried to disconnect it yet to find out if in fact its the outdrive thats sticking or the cable itself but i would assume its the cable, according to bayliners website this is what they claim the part is.
"* 73395 CABLE,STEERING,15', RACK 1.0 EA "

so this tells me its a rack and pinion style, 15ft cable, but which version do i need seems there are a tone of them out there that fit this search requirements.

was looking at the seastar The Rack Cable, 15' - SeaStar

anyone can help with input?

Ayuh,..... Welcome Aboard,.... Look under the dash, behind the wheel to see whether it's rack, or rotary,...

Before ya buy anything,... Disconnect, 'n Diagnose,...

While yer at the transom, loosen the big nut on the cable housin', 'n pull the cable outa the aluminum tube,...
They tend to corrode inside the tube, causin' problems like yers,...

If all that fails, 'n ya need a cable, the numbers will be printed on yer's within a foot or so of one end, or the other,...
 

chrisp6108

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Messages
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Re: steering cable identification help?

so if i disconnect the outdrive and its still stiff, i should remove the whole cable from the housing and if its corroded i replace it? or can that be repaired?
 

Fun Times

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Re: steering cable identification help?

And if its corroded i replace it? or can that be repaired?
Hi there, welcome to iboats!:) Your bet is to just replace it. While there are YouTube videos of guys repairing their cables hanging the cable from a balcony and putting oil down the inside of the cable. It takes a long while before it becomes usable once again if it even does. But for how long it lasts?:noidea: Either way the cable has to come out and on some boat models, that is not fun to do. Good luck.:)

Teleflex - Measuring Steering Cables - YouTube
 
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Bondo

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Re: steering cable identification help?

so if i disconnect the outdrive and its still stiff, i should remove the whole cable from the housing and if its corroded i replace it? or can that be repaired?

Ayuh,.... Ya gotta get the cable, Outa the aluminum tube, before ya know whether it's the cable, or not,...

If yer gonna replace the cable,... Go for the Whole Kit, with a new helm too,... they wear,...
The Kit, ain't much more than Just the cable,...
 

chrisp6108

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Apr 11, 2014
Messages
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Re: steering cable identification help?

So can someone enlighten me on how to get this stubborn pin out of the steering cable where it mounts to the outdive unit. I got the coter pin out but I was not able to get the pin removed to figure out if it's a steering cable issue or not.. maybe I'm missing something but I tried tapping it up and no go.

Also when the motor is straight I can move the wheel one turn left or right rather easy but when it gets past that it starts getting tight.
 

Bt Doctur

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19,093
Re: steering cable identification help?

heat and penetrating oil, DO NOT PEEN THE COTTER PIN END BY HAMMERING or you will be drilling the pin out.
 

chrisp6108

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Re: steering cable identification help?

heat and penetrating oil, DO NOT PEEN THE COTTER PIN END BY HAMMERING or you will be drilling the pin out.

do i heat up the arm or the pin or both? i would assume i would want to just heat up the arm to get the hole to expand just enough to get that pin to slip out the top correct?
as for penetrating oils? pb blaster or kroil would be fine to use before i heat it up being there not flamable?
 

Bondo

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Re: steering cable identification help?

do i heat up the arm or the pin or both? i would assume i would want to just heat up the arm to get the hole to expand just enough to get that pin to slip out the top correct?
as for penetrating oils? pb blaster or kroil would be fine to use before i heat it up being there not flamable?

Ayuh,.... It's pretty tight in there with a torch, heat the pin(head), 'n arm(hole, with the pin in it) where they're together,....
An ole piece a tin or something can be used as a Heat Shield,...

When they're as hot as ya can get 'em, throw water on 'em to quench 'em, which breaks the corrosion free,...

Then squirt yer favorite penetratin' oil on 'em, 'n the pin oughta slide right out,...
 
Last edited:

chrisp6108

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Re: steering cable identification help?

Ayuh,.... It's pretty tight in there with a torch, heat the pin(head), 'n arm(hole, with the pin in it) where they're together,....
An ole piece a tin or something can be used as a Heat Shield,...

When they're as hot as ya can get 'em, throw water on 'em to quench 'em, which breaks the corrosion free,...

Then squirt yer favorite penetratin' oil on 'em, 'n the pin oughta slide right out,...


thats exactly what i needed to know and its not too bad of a squeeze for me with my boat, got rather good access and if the cable itself is bad it can easly be replaced with this setup because how they ran the cable i got access to it almost all the way down the side of the boat, ill be working on it thursday and update my progress.
 

chrisp6108

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Apr 11, 2014
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Re: steering cable identification help?

Got the pin out and was still stiff. Checked outdrive and she's loose as a goose. So I disconnected the helm and it's as free as a kite so that leaves me with the cable itself.... I've been working on this for a hour trying to get this alluminum tube unthreaded from the brass knuckle but this seems to be impossiable. Am I to undo those bolts holding that brass retainer in place ? Or am I missing something .
 

chrisp6108

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Re: steering cable identification help?

Cause when I turn the aluminum not at the end of the threaded part the whole plastic housing of the cable housing wants to spin with it I've tried gentle taps to break it free and tried penetrating fluid as well and nothing seems to want to free that from spinning the whole cable. Could I just use a sawjaw and cut the cable in half right near that aluminum nut ?
 

chrisp6108

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Re: steering cable identification help?

Now hopefully this is my last issue. I cannot get the end nut off this so I can remove the brass knuckle .... I've tried heating it and water and breaking it free but no go. I'm affraid I'll damage the threads which in turn causes me not to get that brass off there without damaging it... Any suggestions at this point ??
 

chrisp6108

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Re: steering cable identification help?

anyone have any ideas on how i can get the brass off this without damaging them?
 

Bondo

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Re: steering cable identification help?

anyone have any ideas on how i can get the brass off this without damaging them?

Ayuh,.... If it's to corroded to get apart, ya gotta replace it,....

In the picture above, the nut on the left comes Off, 'n the cable has to be beatin' outa the aluminum tube, to the left,...
 

chrisp6108

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Re: steering cable identification help?

ok thats what i thought but i tried everything i could think of, ill take it somewhere i know that can probably do it for me either way , ill win this battle LOL... but thats what i wanted to make sure it did in fact have to come apart before i went to town on trying to get it completely free. thank god this project is about done :)
 

chrisp6108

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Apr 11, 2014
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Re: steering cable identification help?

also any idea of part numbers for thoese 2 brass pieces?
 
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