Whitlock Cobra Steering

Aja

Aja

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Have already posted on the Moody Forum to little interest, so I thought I would broaden the knowledge pool.

I'm taking the engine out of my Moody and need to know when the cockpit floor is lifted where the best place is to disconnect the steering cables from the pedestal.

Anyone done this sort of thing before?

TIA
Donald
 
Don't know if this of any use, we had a Whitlock Cobra on Rival Spirit and this had a 'pushrod' from an arm below the pedestal to a quadrant on the rudder stock. We, er the yard that is, always disconnected at the arm whenever they did any work.
 
You need to be more specific regarding your system. The Cobra system as I know it uses a solid rod mounted between two bellcranks. With this system you can undo the joint either end and lift it out. If you have cables that run in outers (usually bright red) the cables will terminate in chain. The chain goes up through the binnacle and over the steering sprocket on the wheel. This might be Whitlock but it's not Cobra. In this case it is easy to disconect the cables from the chain, undo the retaining bolt on the outer and move out of the way. If it's something else post a description of it. Whitlock make rack and pinion systems too. We need to know what it is.
 
In the Moody handbook its quoted as a Cobra system. There are two red cables that terminate at the foot of the pedestal in the cockpit sole.

I suspect that the cables terminate slightly inside the pedestal and are joined to the chain there. Just looking for confirmation.

I will get a better idea tomorrow when I start the dismantling.

If, as I suspect, the cables can be uncoupled from the chain at the foot of the pedestal - is there anything to look out for. I dont want to upset any settings of chain and sprockets!

Thanks
Donald
 
OK thats clear what you have then. What you need to do is find the cable adjuster. Its probably a bottle screw at the tiller arm end. There may be one on each cable or only one on one side. Either way slacken off to achieve slack in system. Don't worry, there are no critical settings. Only you can tell if you need to remove the entire cable, or if you can move them out of the way by only removing one end. Either way it will be obvious how you decouple the inner at the back end, probably just a clevis pin with a split pin in it. To decouple the outer you need two spanners. One to stop the cable turning and one to remove the big nut on the end. Then withdraw the lot. The front end sometimes needs the back end decoupled to put the wheel over far enough to expose the end of the chain, Big nut on outer again and link pin to chain. Very easy, obvious when you get down there and no critical settings to worry about. lock, or tie up the wheel when you have the cables off or you may rotate it by accident and the chain falls off the sprocket /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif While you have the cables off give them a good dousing in molybdenum grease. Whitlock sell a special grease but it costs an arm and a leg. When you put it all together the adjuster should just take the slack out not be wound up bar tight. Hope this helps.
 
Mike

That really is a big help, I couldn't figure out how to disconnect the cable from the chain. Your description makes this clear.

I was also worried about losing the chain off the sprocket.. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

I'm going to try and take some photos as I go along. It should help others if they have to do this in the future

Donald
 
I have been having a problem with my Constellation installation and, when I emailed Cliff at http://www.winchservicing.com regarding parts, he replied with some info, advice and a .jpg of the original order form for my steering, (dated 1993!!).

So I now know exactly what I've got, and what I need to hopefully solve my problem.

I'm sure he will give some advice, even if you arent buying anything immediately, on the basis that he will be your first call when you need something.

BTW are you cutting the floor out to get at the engine, or does it unbolt somehow? I have often wondered what would happen if the engine on mine needed removing! A frightening prospect!
 
Richard

The engine is coming out. On the 346 the cockpit sole sits over the engine and is secured by self-tappers. I'm going to try and get some pictures as I work my way through the process.

I've been following your travails on the MOA - hope you get sorted soon!

Donald
 
Nick

Thanks. I don't think it will be too much of a problem to remove the cockpit floor and pedestal following Boatmikes' advice.

Cheers

Donald
 
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