Steering Cable Advice?

I have a steering cable issue. The right side became disengaged from the spring that is in back by the engine, creating too much slack on the left side. This caused the loose cable on the left to get tangled up around the pulley that is directly below the steering / under the wheel.

I unhooked the cable from both springs in back which gave me enough slack to crawl under the steerling wheel and uncoil the tangled cable.

However, although the cable is still threaded through the pulley under the steering wheel, I don't know how to rewrap it and reestablish the tension / tightness that should be there.

BTW, this pulley and cable were recently replaced so they are in good shape, just need to be rewound.

Hope that makes sense. Is this an easy fix I can do myself? (I'm pretty good with mechanical things if I have instruction). Or, is this a complex issue that I should have professionally fixed?

Thanks for your help.

Forgot to attach these. The first pic shows the spring where the cable initially came off (it has been reattached in this picture).

The second pic shows the pulley under the steering wheel. Please note that the cable in the pic has just been temporaily wound back on until it could be rewound the correct way.

Thanks - hope these help

Fixed It!

Crawled back under there and figured it out. Adjusted the tension and it is good to go. Wow, maybe there is hope for a project boat some day....

Clear some room...

Good job!

Magic 8 ball says: Many more project boats in your future...learn it, love it, live it. If you bring them home, you might save some of our marriages.

My name is _________ and I'm addicted to orphan, rundown, beatdown, rotted stinky old boats-with a little elbow grease it'll be awesome!!

[Helmar]

Rewinding Cable Steering

Forgot to attach these. The first pic shows the spring where the cable initially came off (it has been reattached in this picture).

The second pic shows the pulley under the steering wheel. Please note that the cable in the pic has just been temporaily wound back on until it could be rewound the correct way.

Thanks - hope these help

I see that you got it fixed and Good Job !!!
I think what you should have found is that is a slit drum. Left side on one part of the drum, right side on the other side of the drum.

I would use Rubber rope (because I used to drive trucks and am more than sold on Rubber Rope and "J" hooks) and adjust it for just enough tension that I could lay under the dash and still move the cables to from the front split or rear split of the drum.
Once I did that, I would go to the back of the boat and hook it up to the tension spring.

Looks as you figured it out on your own so Good Job !!!

Well, thanks for your support and suggestions. The rubber rope sounds good and it looks like I'm destined to crawl back under there.....

Took the boat out for day three of initiation. We thought, okay. This is the day that everything will go right. No mishaps at the dock. No steering issues. No rowing back to the dock.

Glassy water. Super smooth launch. A beautiful sunset. And then.....Chris said, "Oh no. The steering is still um...kind of.....messed up". My face fell. So much for being all proud about the fix :eek: Then he started laughing really hard. Turns out that I had wrapped the cable backwards, so the boat turns left when you turn the wheel to the right, etc. Then I started laughing really hard and suggested we name the boat "Spinner".


Oh well. Chalk it up to another good learning experience. And maybe...MAYBE... we've got a name.

[Helmar]

Well, thanks for your support and suggestions. The rubber rope sounds good and it looks like I'm destined to crawl back under there.....

Took the boat out for day three of initiation. We thought, okay. This is the day that everything will go right. No mishaps at the dock. No steering issues. No rowing back to the dock.

Glassy water. Super smooth launch. A beautiful sunset. And then.....Chris said, "Oh no. The steering is still um...kind of.....messed up". My face fell. So much for being all proud about the fix :eek: Then he started laughing really hard. Turns out that I had wrapped the cable backwards, so the boat turns left when you turn the wheel to the right, etc. Then I started laughing really hard and suggested we name the boat "Spinner".


Oh well. Chalk it up to another good learning experience. And maybe...MAYBE... we've got a name.

I have done that myself. Its not hard
At least you know that you have to wind it the other way now.