steering cable replacement: what tools?

[gride]

does anyone know what tools i'll need to help a buddy change his steering cable on his 05' 210? as of right now all i know i'll need is zip ties and a shop or light or two.

[jbach]

not 100% on an 05 but SAE wrenches/sockets for sure. phillips screwdriver to get the floor out. i didn't use anything "exotic" that i remember, just standard tool box stuff. i did use a cut off wheel to zip the rudder end of the old cable off so it pulled through easier.

[seth]

Yep, nothing crazy, standard tool box stuff. I just replaced mine on my 01 a few weeks ago. Its actually pretty easy and would be easier if you cut off the rudder end of the old cable to pull through the dash. I figured I could cut it off with a sawzall but that wasnt happening. I just muscled it through with a buddy. One thing that took me a second to figure out is you have to take the metal tube that is thredded onto the old cable at the rudder end off and put it on the new one. I thought I had the wrong cable until I figured that out. Smooth steering from there!

[gride]

thanks. i found a good write up on ccfan as well.
http://www.correctcraftfan.com/forum...-a-95-sn-do-it

[charlesml3]

Yea, it's not a horrible job but you're crawling around and getting yourself into some cramped spaces. I'm not entirely sure if it's the same on your 05 but there may be tube in the back near the tiller arm that's clamped in position with four bolts. If so, you do NOT need to take this apart. In fact, don't. It adjusts the left/right throw of the rudder and if you use an OEM cable, there's no need to adjust this.

Disconnect the end from the tiller arm. Use a big wrench or channel-lock to turn the big nut off the end of this tube.

-Charles

[jwhposon]

Just for grins. I purchased mine from nautique parts and had great shipping, etc... however, replacing it was not easy and took quite a while. My 2004 SAN 210 has a tube under the floor boards that the cable runs through - this is the main reason why when you pull your old you connect a rope or something so you can pull the new one through. I did all that and still could not get it through conduit/tube -- so be patient and do what you can. I don't remember using "alot" of tools, more patience than anything.

[johnboyy7]

so pull the old up through the dash and pull the new from dash to rudder?

[charlesml3]

Yes. Pull the old one through the dash. Before you start pulling it out, go to the back and push the cable in as far as it will go. In other words, make the entire cable as short as possible. As the very end comes up out of the tube it has to make a turn. If it's extended all the way, it often can't turn sharp enough.

-Charles

[seth]

It is much easier if you take out the rear seat and back rest and take the floor panel out.

[gride]

so today my buddy and i tackled changing the cable. it started off straight forward: remove seat back, seat base, cooler, starboard tank(just for my own appeasement i think i'll be pulling my hard tanks for 750's to make maintenance easier and more weight/storage), floor board, and facia under helm. unhooked everything and pulled the old one out w/ a rope attached to it. tried repeatedly to pull the new one back through, but something ain't right. so tomorrow we're pulling the gas tank(thankfully it's almost empty) and run it that way. all in all a good learning experience. it'll be simple when i do it on my boat.
p.s. some major r&d failures when it comes to forward thinking about maintenance. i know everything has to fit into the boat and all that jazz, but sheesh.

[seth]

The steering cable runs under the gas tank? On my 01 it was on top and was super easy to run back through, no rope needed.

[gride]

It was under two loomed electrical lengths that are sandwiched between the gas tank and hull or floor so it's on the side of the tank. . It won't be a big deal, but it's hot out working on these things.

[gride]

so this was the biggest PITA. thought gas tank was close to empty. nope, half full. removed that, stupid cable would not feed through the worst possible design i.e. the stupid a$$ tube it's supposed to go through. ya well we went another route. everything works fine and dandy now, but i'd love to slap the crap out of the guy who decided this was the way to lay things out.

[jbach]

I laid mine over the gas tank, no way was I removing the fuel tank.

[Marko1956]

When I replace my steering cable, is the entire plastic cable housing (it's red in my boat, and at least 1/2 inch thich) and the metal cable inside it coming out of the boat, or is it just the metal cable inside the red housing?