Steering Cable Lubrication

[Gregg]

Anybody have any experience with "Cable Buddy Lubrication System" or "Lube II Steering Rod Sealer and Lubricator"?

These are two products I found on the Overtons website when checking into a new steering cable for our '93 Sport. 5 years ago I had to replace our steering cable. Steering was VERY stiff - could hardly drive the boat with two hands. The new cable fixed the problem. Since then the steering has been gradually getting stiff again. I figured it is getting to be time to replace the cable again when I stumbled across the products above on the internet. Sounds like a cheap/easy fix compared with replacing the cable again.

Is it too good to be true?

Thanks in advance for any comments or suggestions.

[thevogt]

Don't forget to check the rudder. There should be a grease zerk fitting on the shaft housing of the rudder. You'll need to stretch to reach it. Try taking the cable loose from the tiller and turn the wheel. If it has the same resistance, it is your cable. If it is free, it may be your rudder lube. In answer to the original question, no, I have not tried products. Mine has been fine since a cable replacement a year ago. Good luck. Hope this helps in some way.

Gary

[genevatexan]

Hey,
I just bought a used 98 Ski Nautique with the same problem. Super stiff steering. I talked to a Nautique dealer in Dallas and he said "ditch the cable". It sounds like they don't believe in the lubrication idea. I asked... This boat sat for nearly two seasons and apparently unused steering cables go bad on the inside pretty quick.
They're sending me a cable in two days. Does anyone have the routing diagram for the 98 Ski Nautique GT40? Also, as others mention, there is a zerk on the top side of the rudder assembly at the rear of the boat, but the odds of that being the issue are slim.
Kent

[skinautique]

genevatexan,
There is no zerk fitting for your rudder. You would have to undo the safety wire and the two bolts to drop your rudder down and then grease it. Your cable runs a pretty straight forward and back direction in the boat. You need to undo the four bolts on the underside of your dash and undo the one bolt in the back that connects the cable to the tiller arm. After that, undo the larger size nut that is just forward of the tiller arm connection. You will have to remove your kickboard and then make sure that you get all of the zip ties removed that were holding your cable in place.

Good Luck!

[genevatexan]

Great. Thanks so much. Didn't realize no zerk on the 98 Ski Nautique. Bought the boat yesterday with discount for stearing problem. I'll go ahead and disconnect cable and test steering and rudder independently to see where the binds are. Hoping cable arrives mid week and I can tear into it. You mention kickboard, what and where is it? I did look at the steering rack where the cable is late last night before storing boat, and could not see well how the cable fits into the rack. Can you give me some insight on this?
Many thanks,
Genevatexan

[genevatexan]

Update-- realized that the kickboard must be the angled board at the bottom of the drivers feet that covers some of the controls and wiring. Did see some screws to get that out. Still not clear on what holds the steering cable into the rack...

[thevogt]

If yours is like my '93 Sport, the box is part of the cable assembly and is removed with the 4 bolts that go through the box and connect to the flange on the helm control. It should be a 7/16" socket/wrench. Let me know if yours looks like that and I can walk you through snaking it out and back into position again.

Gary

[skinautique]

thevogt is right. The "rack" that I am referring to is the rectangular shaped piece that the cable feeds into. Undo the four bolts that hold that to the helm.

[thevogt]

See my posts in this previous thread for more info on how I changed my cable.

http://www.planetnautique.com/index....ic&p=7000#7000

Hope this helps.

Gary

[genevatexan]

Update- July 18: THANKS TO ALL! Got the new cable, undid the 4 bolts on the bottom of the rack connection to the steering, and removed one bolt from the rear connect to the rudder. (the rudder felt smooth and functioned well when disconnected from the cable). I then Clipped about 3 or 4 wire ties along the route, tied a rope to the rear end of the cable, and then dragged the cable out from the front of the boat, through the hole under the dash to the subhull. This pulled the rope through to the front, to be used to drag the new cable back to the rudder again.
I then tied the rope to the end of the new cable and began feeding the rudder-end of the cable into the hole, from front to back, with a friend pulling the rope to guide the cable through the sub hole. I attached the cable to the rudder, set the rudder to center, and then after leveling the wheel, attached the rack to the steering with the 4 bolts. New wire ties added along the cable route and the steering is smooth and tight. The whole job was about 1.5 hours.
HUGE improvement! Thanks again. :cheers:

[thevogt]

Glad to here it worked out. That was the only logical method I could think of when I did my cable. Have fun with it.

Gary