Renewing steering cables

[Steve_N]

I'm going to renew my 5mm 7x19 steering cables which run from the pedestal through about 5 meters of conduit - the red ones here:

Looking for advice from anyone who's done a similar job, on whether I should expect to be able to push the new cable inners through having first removed the old ones, or should I try and make a temporary join to pull the new in as the old are withdrawn? Any tips gratefully received.

 

[gardenshed]

do you really need to renew them?
If you are going to do it, I suggest puling through a thin oiece of line as a mouse first and then once you have accurately measured the cables and got new ones cut to size, use the mouse to pull through the new cables.

 

[Aja]

What's the problem with them? I have the same cables and don't expect any replacement in the near to distant future.

I notice from your website that they have already been replaced.

Donald

 

[Steve_N]

Yes, they were replaced about 3 years ago by a delivery skipper in Portugal. However, neither I, the pre-purchase nor the insurance surveyor noticed that he'd managed to cross the cables out of view behind the quadrant, and they've been sawing across each other.

There's no real damage - no broken strands but just a slight area of roughness - and I'll probably just monitor them until ashore again, but they will need replacing. I've had new cable made up well over-long as they're finished with cable grips at the quadrant end.

I really must update that website - I'd forgotten it was still there /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[alan8376]

Don't forget! If you do renew the cables?
When clamping. 'Don't saddle the dead donkey!'

 

[Jonny_H]

Nice boat! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

On ours the surveyor had a good look at the routing of the cables when we bought her (Dec 06) and said there were a few points where they could rub on each other / propshaft etc. So we had to carefully trace them all and cable tie them out of the way as appropriate.

They all seemed in pretty good nick though - I assume they are the originals from 1996 and the surveyor said they were fine and wouldn't need replacing in the near future.

Do you have any greasing points on yours? Couldn't see any on mine, but I know the cables on a Moody (for instance) have grease nipples to allow the cables to greased to make the steering lighter.

Interesting layout of yours - quite simalar to ours, but we have a pilot berth and a different aft cabin layout - have a look on our website.

Jonny

 

[Steve_N]

Hi Jonny,
There are no greasing points on our cables. Actually the steering was quite stiff but that turned out to be the quadrant being too low on the stock and bearing against the support structure: all fine now.

I had already noticed another C37 owner appearing on the forum and I've had a browse around your website. IIRC I think she was for sale back when we bought ours - Deacons wasn't it?

I'm off to the boat very early tomorrow morning, but I might drop you a pm at some point - it would be interesting to compare notes.
Cheers,
Steve

 

[Jonny_H]

Yeah she was for sale with Deacons - but not until late 2005 / early 2006 IIRC?

We are heading upto the West Coast of Scotland in the summer so might see you around.

Would be good to compare notes - look forward to it!

Jonny

 

[Piddy]

I did the change on my Moody last winter. It was really easy - the new cables just slid down the outers and appeared at the other end. I think the ends were protected with a thin tape to stop them separating.

I discovered that tension has an enormous effect on the way the wheel feels. The previous owner/maintainer had them over tensioned causing a lot of drag. Now it's a joy to steer without any slop but a real feel of what is going on.

I changed them as I didn't know how old they were or what condition. As it happens they were fine - but I didn't know that!

Cheers

 

[Guest]

Post deleted by danfoley

 

[alan8376]

A tip on cutting wire cable! Drill a hole in a thickish piece of wood (preferably hard wood) with a diamer hole which accepts the wire to be cut very tightly! Then procede to slowly cut through the wood and wire together with an Angle Grinder, (smokes abit like a BBQ!). Doing it this way, the wire remain tightly together with no strays strands! Now you can bind the wire before you extract it fully.
Try it on an old wire cable first to practice!
Remember! When you clamp the wire in situ, to fit the 'saddle' part of the clamp over the 'live' part of the wire and not the returning part known as the 'dead' end! Yes, it does matter!

A way to remember it correctly! The saying goes - "Never saddle a dead donkey!"

 

[Frankklose]

Re: Moody Steering Cables

My friend bought a C34 three weeks ago and this one was very stiff on steering. Discovered that the Quadrant was rubbing. Lifted the quadrant and now steering is much softer, but compared to Bavarias or Jeanneaus still much stiffer.
We were thinking of replacing the cables, but not sure if it really helps. The trouble is that we dont have a comparision. We dont have that many Moody´s in Germany.
Any advice?

 

[Richard10002]

Re: Moody Steering Cables

[ QUOTE ]
My friend bought a C34 three weeks ago and this one was very stiff on steering. Discovered that the Quadrant was rubbing. Lifted the quadrant and now steering is much softer, but compared to Bavarias or Jeanneaus still much stiffer.
We were thinking of replacing the cables, but not sure if it really helps. The trouble is that we dont have a comparision. We dont have that many Moody´s in Germany.
Any advice?

[/ QUOTE ]

I've had stiff steering due to cabes and the advice was that the cable may have worn the conduit on the bends... so the conduit needed replacing.

Before spending the money, I poured 3 in 1 oild down the conduit until it ran out at the steering gear end.... steering smoother than ever but... after a while the 3 in 1 must run away or whatever, so it stiffens up again.

Someone mentioned a lubricant which starts out very runny... then, after a couple of minutes, a solvent evaporates and it thickens up sticking to the cable.... Wurth HHS 2000 .. ouldnt find any stockists so called Wurth.. they said they dont sell via retail outlets, but sold me 2 tins mail order.... £34 for 2 tins inc. postage.

Tel: +44 1483 412 800 or +44 870 598 7841.

Wurth also have a prescence in Germany...

Adolph Wurth 74650 Kunzelsau Tel: 0 79 40/15-0 if that means anything.

Since discovered it on the shelf in Sopromar Boatyard in lagos for £10 per tin.

This has got to be worth a try before replacing either cable or conduit.

Cheers

Richard