Thread:

steering cable ?'s

Originally Posted by Oldsquirt

Probably get by with just turning the steering tube around. That should effectively shorten it by about 4". The way it is now is the opposite of stock. The short threaded portion generally attached to the steering cable's nut and the long threaded section would extend through the TA.

That should do it.

Originally Posted by hotrod56cars

Now I just need to figure out/be told how to turn the steering tube around. Can it all be done back at the pump or will I need to disconnect the steering gear end as well? Thanks!

It all gets done at the pump. The steering tube is only about 12" long. It starts at the big nut at the end of the red cable in your pic.

Step 1: Remove bolt connecting cable to tiller arm at pump.

Step 2: Remove seal unit from end of steering tube.

Step 3: From inside of boat, unscrew cable nut from steering tube.

Step 4: Get some rags handy in case anybody actually did grease the fitting that was on the end of the steering tube.

Step 5: Pull steering cable out of the tube from inside of boat.

Step 6: Probably the hardest task. Remove the nut from the steering tube that is up against the inside of the transom adapter. This will be a bitch because that nut is in a "pocket" in the T/A. May want to loosen the outside nut as far as possible, first.

Step 7: Pull steering tube out of the transom adapter. Leave the nut that is on the ouside of T/A on the tube.

Step 8: Turn the tube around and screw the short threaded end into the steering cable nut and tighten securely.

Step 9: Install a new tube-to-T/A seal onto the long threaded section of the tube, up against the nut which was previously against the outside of the T/A.

Step 10:Slide into the hole in T/A from the INSIDE of the boat. You will now have just a couple inches of threaded tube outside the T/A.

Step 11: Install nut onto the threaded portion of tube and run it up against the tube-to-T/A seal, LOOSELY for now.

Step 12: Install the seal unit to end of tube.

Step 13: After you swap the droop for the booster, reconnect the cable to the tiller arm. Use the two jam nuts for T/A to fine tune the adjustment of the steering tube, moving it in or out of the T/A as needed.

It is really a dead simple task, although I broke it down into steps just for simplicity. From your pics, it doesn't look like there is a seal on your tube where it mounts in the T/A, or it is just totally squashed. Get a new one, they are available from all the usual marine parts sources.