Old Lowe Pontoon - Very Stiff Steering - Cable? / Rotary Drive Assembly?

Joined
Jul 13, 2009
Messages
14
I have had this boat for a couple yrs now, and learned a lot. I have had very stiff steering ever since I have had it, and only had it on the water probably a dozen times total. This year I decided I was going to tackle the stiff steering as I have been a little concerned about my lack of fine control especially when docking. When steering it basically takes two hands to make any real movement. So here is what I have done to this point:

1) Removed the steering cable from motor & transcon type mount & motor moves quite easily by hand.
2) Steering wheel still very stiff with cable disconnected on motor end
3) Removed cable from the rotary steering assembly under the dashboard & removed cable completely from boat
4) Steering wheel moves with ease now with cable removed from steering rotary assembly

I now have the a very ridged cable in hand and trying to pull the steering wheel end that looks like a screw-type pattern on the metal cable and cannot budge it. I tried to pull from the boat motor end and no movement as well. Is this normal? Does this indicate the cable is definitely the problem or could is be the rotary steering assembly? The part# on the cable is Teleflex SCC7214, so I can get a replacement, but hoping to narrow it down to this, or is there any reason to get a steering assembly and cable package deal to make sure I cover the problem. Any insight would be appreciated.
 

MH Hawker

Vice Admiral
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
5,516
Re: Old Lowe Pontoon - Very Stiff Steering - Cable? / Rotary Drive Assembly?

Its time to replace both the cable and the rotary steering box. And yes its just plain simpler to replace all of it.
 

5150abf

Vice Admiral
Joined
Aug 12, 2007
Messages
5,808
Re: Old Lowe Pontoon - Very Stiff Steering - Cable? / Rotary Drive Assembly?

You can replace just the cable but after years of sawing the stuck cable around the steering box is probably close to shot so to be safe and to save future problems probably replace the whole thing, the cable should slide freely in and out by hand so no doubt the cable is bad.

Here is what iboats has, you will find the prices are hard to beat
http://www.iboats.com/Teleflex-NFB-...40043087--session_id.174760383--view_id.40292
 
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