Cable Steering Problem
 

I have an old boat that was working just fine till a pulley pulled off
it's anchor the other day. I was able to find another little anchor
thing and repair that but also found that when the steering cable
went slack it had unwound from the thing that turns when you turn the
steering wheel..don't know what you call it but the steering cable is
wound around it. I tried un-hooking one side of the steering cable
rewinding it but I didn't do it right I guess because it won't steer
all the way to the left and it's too slack on the right and keeps
coming off the pulley, Does anyone know how this is supposed to be
rewound? It's easily accessable below the steering wheel but I don't
know how to rewind it correctly..Help..please.

Cable Steering Problem
 

On 7/13/2004 10:34 AM, sue wrote:

I have an old boat that was working just fine till a pulley pulled off
it's anchor the other day. I was able to find another little anchor
thing and repair that but also found that when the steering cable
went slack it had unwound from the thing that turns when you turn the
steering wheel..don't know what you call it but the steering cable is
wound around it.

Anything you wind rope or cable around can usually safely be called a
drum, so that's what I've always called it. :)

I tried un-hooking one side of the steering cable
rewinding it but I didn't do it right I guess because it won't steer
all the way to the left and it's too slack on the right and keeps
coming off the pulley,

That probably means that A) you don't have enough wraps for the left
side of the cable and B) that you didn't get enough tension in the line
when you reattached it to the spring in the stern.

Does anyone know how this is supposed to be
rewound? It's easily accessable below the steering wheel but I don't
know how to rewind it correctly..Help..please.

It can be a little tricky to get those old "tiller rope" systems right.
I just had to re-do mine, and I still haven't gotten the steering wheel
perfectly centered. Straight ahead is roughly 20° to starboard. :)

Essentially, you unhook both ends at the stern, wrap two or three turns
around the drum in each direction making sure to keep some tension on
the loose ends so they won't unwrap from the drum. As you might have
guessed, all this is easiest to do with two people.

Assuming the cable has already been fed through all the pulleys and
guides that it needs, have your helper tightly hold one loose end at the
stern and make sure your motor and wheel is centered while you clamp the
other side to the tensioning spring as tightly as possible. Then, do the
same for the other side.

It may take several attempts to get it right, but the concept isn't too
difficult once you have done it a couple times.

If you like, I can try and get some pictures when I get home this evening.


--
~/Garth - 1966 Glastron V-142 Skiflite: "Blue-Boat"
"There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing
as simply messing about in boats."
-Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows

Cable Steering Problem
 

I would love a picture if you can come up with one. I tried to do it
alone which didn't work well at all, another person would definately
help. I had an awful time ondoing just one side of the cable because
the connections are so old and was trying to avoid having to undo the
other side. It took almst an hour and one broken screw driver to get
it off. Guess I will have to bite the bullet. I just realized it would
probably be easier for me to just cut the old cable and get a new one
with new couplers. No use doing all this with a 20 year old cable.
With my luck I'll finally get it OK (20 degrees off at this point
would be fine!) and the couplers or cable will break. But yes, a
diagram or something would be a great help. Many Thanks.

Cable Steering Problem
 

On 7/14/2004 9:42 AM, sue wrote:

I would love a picture if you can come up with one. I tried to do it
alone which didn't work well at all, another person would definately
help. I had an awful time ondoing just one side of the cable because
the connections are so old and was trying to avoid having to undo the
other side. It took almst an hour and one broken screw driver to get
it off. Guess I will have to bite the bullet. I just realized it would
probably be easier for me to just cut the old cable and get a new one
with new couplers. No use doing all this with a 20 year old cable.

Yeah, it's way easier to use new hardware. I got a pair of new springs,
and it's incredible how much stiffer they were than the old rusty ones,
and how much of a difference in handling that makes. Plus, as you found
out, screwing and unscrewing corroded clamps is no fun.

With my luck I'll finally get it OK (20 degrees off at this point
would be fine!) and the couplers or cable will break. But yes, a
diagram or something would be a great help. Many Thanks.

Here's a few pictures I took:
http://galmgren.home.comcast.net/gla...000s/steering/

As you can see from the "looking from" pictures, two full wraps around
the drum for each direction should be fine. The starboard pulley and
spring in the stern weren't visible because of the extra motor wiring
harness I have coiled up there, but they're a mirror image of the ones
in the port side picture.

The real trick is to get enough tension in the springs when you clamp
down, and for that you really need more than two hands.



--
~/Garth - 1966 Glastron V-142 Skiflite: "Blue-Boat"
"There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing
as simply messing about in boats."
-Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows

Cable Steering Problem
 

Garth, I cannot thank you enough. Your set up looks just like my boat!
I won't be able to try putting it all together for a couple of weeks,
the boat is at my lake house and, alas, I am not..yet. But I am
printing out the instructions and pictures you gave me and I think I
can manage it now ...thanks to your info.
I will let you know how I make out. Thanks again, Garth, you're a life
saver!