steering

[Prostjim]

I have a 1991 27 searay. The steering is a hard.i removed the cable and it moves free. Replaced the powers steering pump a d the actuator a d steering assembly. Still same. When I turn the wheel and someone jiggles the cable it gets a little easier. I greased the cable. If someone helps the ca blessed as I turn the wheel it feels better. Any ideas? The car checks out Ok but I thought I read somewhere it could still be bad. Thanks Jimmy

 

[Salvatore356]

I would say it is time to repace steering cable.

 

[j-d]

The CABLE has to be fingertip-free. I went through this. Disconnected Cable at Actuator, Wheel turned easily, Cable must be good. WRONG! When I got a new cable and laid it on the garage floor with the old one (removed from boat at this point so no helm connected) I found I could "throw" the cable core end-to-end with my fingertips. I found the old one was so stiff I needed to grab it with work gloves to get it to move. With a new cable (this was in 2005) I was back to easy touch power steering. That lasted till 2013 when it got balky again. Another new cable and back to proper operation.
If your cable really IS free, be sure that the wrench flats on the inboard side of the part you connect the cable nut to are VERTICAL. If you assemble the cable with a torque on the casing that twists that little piece so the flats are NOT vertical, the hydraulic power aspect of your steering will not kick in. That little piece, Nut on Cable End, Flats on Inboard End, is the Shuttle Valve that controls the hydraulic pressure to assist your steering.
If your boat is 1991 and you haven't replaced Cable/Helm, first, you're lucky. But second, a helm from 1991 will have a rack that's square when viewed from the end. It's Teleflex "124" series and you may (I mean MIGHT) be able to get another cable with that rack style. But TF went to their "134" series which uses a rack with a rectangular-looking end. When I first did mine, I replaced the Helm as well as the Cable to get into their current "134" series. Now that it's about 10 years later, you should go to a "134" setup if you haven't before.

 

[Prostjim]

Does anyone have a picture of the flats I don't see it on mine? Thanks Jimmy

 

[j-d]

I don't have a photo or even a manual handy. Think of the fitting the cable nut threads onto as a pipe nipple with threads on only one end. That's the end the cable nut attaches to and it'll be on the starboard side of the steering gear. The solid "ram" of the cable core passes through it toward the centerline of the boat. It passes through part of the steering gear casting and it has two vertical flats ground onto it. Those flats fall inboard of the casting it passes through. When the cable nut is tight and the wrenches removed, the flats have to be perpendicular to the keel.

 

[Prostjim]

I'm pretty sure I don't have that design. But I will double ck this weekend. I'm going to the boat with the mind set to replace the cable. Lol I know I saw numbers on the cable so I'm hopping someone has it in stock. About how long of a job do you think it is to do it? Thanks so much for all your help.

 

[j-d]

I remember simply seeing, not working with or even really studying, an earlier power steering that looked like an automotive rack-and-pinion system with one end removed. What it takes to install the cable depends on how accessible it is and what's hanging from it. Took me a couple hours the last time I did it, but I had a customized wrench I'd made up for car tie rod ends. It was based on a "crow foot" wrench head that goes on a 3/8" square drive. That was for the nut. 1-1/16 or 1-1/8 as I remember. Was able to get an ordinary open end (7/8???) on the flats.

 

[j-d]

Ours looks like this pic, you can see the flats in the center of the photo. The "ram" end of the cable is the piece passing through the part with the flats.

 

[Prostjim]

Put in the steering cable and I'm in business. Thanks for the direction. Took about three hours total. Now time for some boating. Thanks Jimmy

 

[j-d]

Our pleasure!

Counterintuitive that a cable would cause so much trouble when it still moves without all that much effort. But true. Now you can share that with others.

Go Enjoy It!

 

[jtybt15]

So John, What's that small cable with that ball connector go to??? Auto pilot or steering indicator or something [:I]

 

[j-d]

Bystander approaches man with dog and asks: "Does your dog bite?" and is told "No." Reaches to pet dog, gets bitten. Now the bystander says "You said your dog doesn't bite." and is told "That is not my dog."

In this case, Charlie, no idea. I don't have a pic of our steering gear. Wish I could even get to a good view of it. Linked to a pic I gOOgled on the WEB to show the Wrench Flats.