re-greasing the steerng cable???

Not sure if this is the correct place to post this....but here goes...

I have a 1989 Cheetah 1650LS with a mercruiser 3.0L I/O with Alpha 1 OD.

My question...
The guy put a new steering cable in the boat the summer ('05) before I got it. The boat steers ok, but is really tough to steer. I have checked the cable for sharp bends in the rout from the wheel to the motor and nothing. I'm now contemplating taking the cable out of the tube at the point it reaches the motor and cleaning it and regreasing it will good waterproof grease. I though that may help some, but how big of a job would I be getting into by doing that? What are ya'lls thoughts.

One thing I've thought about but haven't checked (I'm at work right now) is the amount of turns (lock to lock) that I currently have. Would adding more turns make it easier to steer? Also, if that is the case....how to you adjust this to add more turns? Thanks

Re: re-greasing the steerng cable???

you can't adjust the turns. you can try and grease it. the boat probably does not have power steering like the new ones.

Re: re-greasing the steerng cable???

tashasdaddy said:

you can't adjust the turns. you can try and grease it. the boat probably does not have power steering like the new ones.

Click to expand...

nope, no PWR steering. I wish.

I'll try re-greasing it. How hard of a job is that and do you know a site that shows step-by-step on how its taken apart and done? Thanks.

Re: re-greasing the steerng cable???

Does the cable appear to be the correct length? Pulling a too-long cable back to make it fit is a sure way to make it hard to steer.

Re: re-greasing the steerng cable???

F_R said:

Does the cable appear to be the correct length? Pulling a too-long cable back to make it fit is a sure way to make it hard to steer.

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That was going to be my question.. it could be too long of a cable, that would make it hard to steer and also "sway" a lot when under way.

Re: re-greasing the steerng cable???

F_R said:

Does the cable appear to be the correct length? Pulling a too-long cable back to make it fit is a sure way to make it hard to steer.

Click to expand...

Not sure if it's correct length or not. How would one check that?

(forgive me fellas, this is my first boat to own. )

Re: re-greasing the steerng cable???

Ok, so I decided to have a go at re-greasing the cable. it wasn't near as bad as I thought it was going to be. I took the cable out of the tube and it didn't appear to have hardly any grease on it at all (nor in the tube). I sprayed it will WD-40 and let it sit for a while to clean it. I also took the tube out (that's a bunch of threads on that thing!) and cleaned the inside as well. After getting all the wd-40 off, I smeared grease (moble 1 synthetic waterpoof) on the shaft of the cable and put it back in the tube and rolled the tube around to get grease in it then took the shaft out again and put a little more grease on it. I got it all back together now I just need to take it out on the water to see if it helped any.

Thanks for ya'll help!

Re: re-greasing the steerng cable???

This sounds kinda goofy but it works really well.
Take a big zip-lock bag and snip the corner off,stick the cable through and black tape it below the cable end-suspend that end and pour whatever lube you are using into the bag and let gravity do its thing.
Most cables are are wound and have a "screw" so you can spin the cable and help get the lube through faster.
Like I said, sounds kinda screwy but it works.