Steering me right

Pressurized Steering cable oilier, Necessity is truly the mother of invention, My first trip out this year left me with needing steering cables which I ordered Tuesday Cables and Helm from BCB $444.95 I had checked the engine and it moved side to side with one finger when the steering rod was removed, I had also checked the Engine Cable holders by unscrewing the cable and pulling and pushing each cable end back and forth effortlessly through them. With engine dis-connected it took a good firm grab with at least one hand to spin the wheel side to side.Dbasketman had show me some pictures of Cable Buddy II a cable oilier in post I made called Steering Cables, I had new cables and helm on it way but Im not one to wait for anything and my plan was to add these for pre-maintenance in the future, after going to West Marine and viewing them, I thought to myself how is this ever going to completely oil the cables the Tolerances are pretty tight.Ok back to the real info.Well like I said I hate waiting and while trying to figure how I was going to install the new cables and if I could without removing the engine (jury is still out on that one) I decided to oil the ones on the boat to see if I could free it up some because of a pending club Tourney close.Well I can now spin the steering wheel with the engine hooked up with one finger from side to side just like the day it was new. I took a weed sprayer off the wall (Cleaned it first) hooked up some hoses and attached to the cable ends with clamps I made sure the hose was long enough for the cable end to go into and they were protruding out as if the boat was in a full right turn. Poured 1 quart of Synthetic Blend 5W20 oil in it. Pumped it up to pressurize and let it sit for one hour on each cable. At ˝ hr I turned the wheel ever so slow, so as the cable ends came back into the cable, Turning slow allows the oil to move and I didnt want to hydro lock anything not sure that it would of but safety here. I did this several time and then let it sit again for the other ˝ hr not much change on the first cable this was the one closest to the boat transom but second one at ˝ and after one or two turns things just loosened up.So here some pictures, I still have a set of cables coming but for now it works like new and it will give me some time to figure out if I can install them without pulling the engine or if I do have to how will I. Maybe this will help someone else Now remember this is a Prototype and while I am good at taking some shots, It did work lol lol

This topic has 9 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 12 years ago by topwater.

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May 2, 2008 at 3:23 am #433950

Bass Cat Boats
Keymaster

That is a great set up! The garden sprayer has many uses. Another one is to bleed your brakes from the pressure sprayer, by pressurizing the master cylinder. We have a professional pressurized at BCB to lube old cables. If they were lubricated once they get used, then they would last many years. The grease zerks and grease do not lube the cable well in the jacketing. To do this right be sure the hose on the cable is clamped to the threaded tube and not the steering rod for those viewing this. Good Job! This one gets some affirmation! BCB

May 2, 2008 at 5:44 pm #433951

topwater
Participant

Thanks BCB it looks a little Macgyvered but it sure worked and yes you do need to make sure your hose is over the engine tube that the steering rod goes though, On the inner one it is easy but on the one that the engine piviots on I had to remove the outer nut to have tube to clamp the hose to. Im sure your professional system is much cleaner, I just thought it was indeed a good idea and invention and sure solved my issue for now. Should of known BCB had already come up with this Idea. lol lol lol but it could still help someone else who is just starting to have troubel or could use some pre-mantianance. I know the date on the pictures is old but that because I didnt reset the date after installing new batteries they were taken yesterday. My plans are to still install the new cables but it buy me some time now and the set up is there now for the future to lube as a mantanince every 2 years. Is there a special OIL that BCB use or do you think it matters. I use Motorcraft Synthetic blend 5W-20 motor oil

May 2, 2008 at 11:49 pm #433952

Hooter
Participant

Can anybody tell me how to bleed the brakes using the sprayer?

May 3, 2008 at 4:20 am #433953

Bass Cat Boats
Keymaster

Basically the same set up but you would need either a extra cap or something to screw into the top of the master cyl hole, with the extra cap you would need to drill and add a fitting, if you found something else with the right thread to screw into the top of the master then add the fitting to it and connect to the sparyer via hoses . Two methods I can think of one would be to. Fill the master cyl with break fluild, screw the cap on an pump up the sprayer. (nothiing in the sprayer) open the bleeder on one of the brakes and allow fluid to flow repeat on the other … The issue here is that you are pushing the fluild with air pressure and if the fluild is all bleed out you put air in the system so you have to make sure you dont bleed the Master all the way down Second way Fill the master cyl with break fluid, add Brake fluid to the sprayer. ( I would say a pint might be enough Quart would allow a complete flush) Pump the sprayer once for pressure and allow fluid to flow out of the cap you have made. now you have bleed all the air out of the pump lines. screw the cap on an pump up the sprayer. (brake fluid in the sprayer) open the bleeder on one of the brakes and allow fluid to flow repeat on the other. You can bleed the complete system and remove any old and contaminated fluid with nice fresh fluid. Brake fluid does have a tendency to absorb water/moisture and it is the failure of most of the older systems. This cleansing will help. Brake system can also be bleed by yourself using the ball and hitch for your vehicle. easiest way is to remove you hitch and install the ball and hitch into the trailer coupler this give you a lever to push down and pull back up. get an old clear pop/soda bottle and some clear hose like Aquirium air hose. pour some brake fluild (clean into the bottle about a quarter full) attach the small clear vinyl hose to the bleeder on the brake put the other end into the pop/soda bottle so the end is in the fluid. Fill the master cly open the bleeder on the one with the hose on it (make sure the hose fits tight over the little ball of the bleeder) and push down and up on the hitch to stroke the master cyl the air will go into the bottle on the down stroke and once no air can come back because the hose is in fluid on the up stroke of course this is after all the air is bleed out of the small hose also and it just full of fluid and still in/under the fluid of the bottle, should only take one or two stokes, refill the master and repeat on the other side.

May 3, 2008 at 2:06 pm #433954

Bass Cat Boats
Keymaster

Actually once you pump the sprayer and pressurize the master cylinder you should not get air in that vessel. The fluid in the cylinder will remain constant until you remove the pressure by closing the hand (wand) valve. Once you pressurize it, go to the rear and fully bleed each wheel cylinder twice from the shorter line side first. The capture tank should be clear as should the hose if possible. You can view the air coming out in the fluid then. Hope this helps! BCB

May 1, 2013 at 1:01 am #433955

Mark5795
Participant

Is there any way to lube steering cables on a 2008 Cougar Sea Star Hydraulic steering? Does this work for these as well? What procedures can be done for maintenance to lube the steering cables to be sure to give you years of service from them? Thanks

May 1, 2013 at 3:48 am #433956

dbasketman
Participant

Gotta love it when u figure how to solve an issue ! Good job!

May 1, 2013 at 4:07 am #433957

scubaman154
Participant

Looks pretty god, and you do not have to remove motor to replace cables, just raise jp all the up, remove rack from steering column, loosen the cable nuts and start pulling with two hands left closer to engine side f cables right to the steering , you will have to pull on both sides as the cables come out of tubes-L hand, you will have to pull on the sect that goes to steering so that it will feed slack to the cable ends, they are too long to try and feed them back into the hull, it will kinda make a u bend, reverse this procedure to n stall , rack is the last thing that gets assembled. Feed the cable and rack through the hull opening before inserting into tubes on engine.

May 1, 2013 at 2:27 pm #433958

topwater
Participant

LOL Wow that was five years ago I posted that, and they were still working just like new (from could barley turn to total free) when I cut them to install the Hyd. Steering last week. This was also why I have the complete steering setof cables for the boat on the Garage Sale.. I bought them thinking I might still need them but NOPE> this done the trick.I hit a wave late last fall and broke an ear off the tilt column mechanism then decided to install Hydraulic Steering.. I will say that this sure cured my stiff steering on my boat. Funny how that popped up now while I am install the Hydraulic Steering LOL LOL
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