Failing Gear Cables - best solution?

[jeremyshaw]

Over the years and with different boats I've had 4 gear/throttle control cables go on me. Two occasions were expensive as of course they are much more likely to go when you are parking.

Mechanics have told me there's no point routinely replacing them as new ones are just as likely to go as old ones, however gentle the bends.

My wife has the hots for changing to an electronic system with actuators, but at £5000 I think not, and I can't see it being any more reliable as there are more things to go wrong.

So I'm thinking of switching to low friction multi-strand ones which I talked to Vetus about at the boat show. These seem to me to be inherently less likely to fail, and though twice the price of rod cables still cheaper than an accident.

Anyone got experience of these or other thoughts?

Thanks

 

[2Tizwoz]

I have used a variety of cables produced for marine purposes in industrial situations and found them to be longlasting. Failure has been associated with poor routing or mechanical damage.

They aren't typically expensive but this design is said to be novel and longer lasting also.

 

[nedmin]

Over 15yrs never had one break(damn bet one will now!) I oil them at least twice a year at the highest point just put a few drops on, I also smear oil on where they connect to the gear box a nd also the swivel pins, I also do throttle cables and levers at same time.

 

[huldah]

Two trip boats have got stuck on the Bath (River Avon) weir. At least one was caused by a broken gear cable.

My only experience of these cables, is with the current boat. I assume that they must be made with the correct movement, to fit particular engines. The one fitted had too much throw for the Perkins 4108, probably because the boat originally had a petrol engine. I had to make modifications.

I certainly was surprised to find them to be solid cored. Flexible cables should have a longer life, providing they don't flex too much when pushing the gear lever.

You probably would get signs of developing problems before failure occurs.

My faith in electronic reliability took a turn for the worst today. My dect answering machine decided to add a foreign message to all stored messages. Cannot be certain, as I could not understand the lingo, but it appeared to have copied the first, genuine, foreign message, and added this in front of the other messages.

As soon as I have found a source to purchase a new outgoing tape, I will go back to good, reliable, out of date, technology.

Philip

 

[jeremyshaw]

Thanks for the thoughts everyone. Those new Teleflex cables seem worth a look - quite happy to pay for for a longer life!

 

[alan006]

Just a quick thought, have you considered asking for commercial cables. My boat gear change failed so ordered another and could see it wasn't as strong, so asked for the heavy duty one, it was still thinner than the broken one. So I was told it was Commercial grade ( I would guess it is about 50% stonger than the so-called heavy duty one).It is of course more expensive,but as you say they are bound to fail at the worst moment.