Replacing steering cable twin BBC/Bravo
 

1995 Scarab 31 Thunder. If the helm was a clock it would have between 10 and 15 min of slack in it. I want to replace the 25 yr old helm and cable. The boat runs about 70 , I have no plans to put 900s in it and switch to hydraulic steering........ It looks to me you #1 undo the nut at 3, pop the pin at 6 and the cable slides out of 5. Or #2 do you undo the bolt at X and 2....then 4 ,5 ,6 and 7 come out as an assembly along with the cable and you disconnect the cable from the helm and pull the cable out of the boat from there? I could cut the cable and get it out but I cant cut a new cablehttps://photos.smugmug.com/Boating/2...5_122733-L.jpghttps://photos.smugmug.com/Boating/2..._123221-XL.jpghttps://photos.smugmug.com/Boating/2..._123048-XL.jpg/0/968ab799/XL/shop2-XL.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/Boating/2.../L/shop2-L.jpg

If I pulled the cable out without disconnecting it at 4 the cable is too close to the side of the boat for it to come out. Like i said I could cut it but I cant cut or kink a new cable. Thanks

like you said....undo the nut at 3 and pull the pin at 6 and it should come out...you would be replacing the whole cable assembly not just the inside cable....

If you don’t have enough room between side of boat where cable bends around into the steering actuator, you will need to remove the entire actuator. My 311 sr1 required me to do that.
You need to remove bolt 2 and there is a mirror image of that one on the bottom side. Then you need to remove the pin at point 7 and you will be able to move the actuator away from side of boat.

Then pin at 6 and nut at 3 get removed. Cable slides out. Reverse process for install.

Hope that helps,
chris

The steering wasn't quite turned all the way to shorten the cable up. After I did that I was able to pull the cable through point X. It was jammed up hard against the side of the boat I was able to use a hammer and a punch to get it that last half inch Thanks. So you can replace just the inside cable??? This is uncharted territory for me and nobody I know has ever gone there.

Luckily I didn't need to go that far Thanks!

once you know the length, I believe you can get an entire kit with cable and helm and that should replace anything worn.

I wanna do everything that's for sure!!

I finally got the cable out. The pin at point 6 had a cotter pin on the bottom side of it and just popped out. I did notice a quite a bit of play at point 7. It had the same pin set up as point 6. That pin at #7 was an SOB from hell to get out. After off and on for a week I finally bought a new pneumatic body saw as mine was pooched and cut it between each arm for a total of three cuts and I finally got it out. https://photos.smugmug.com/Boating/2...5_122733-L.jpg

do you have a lot of play in that steering arm now that you have everything disconnected? It’s very common for the arm (tiller arm as some call it) to be worn where it goes on the swivel pin. Additionally, the swivel pin can be worn how it connects up to the gimbal ring as well. While you have all that disconnected, mah be a good time to thoroughly check those. There is an outfit in the Cleveland Ohio area that has updated swivel pins, etc to repair the loose steering components.

This is the helm I have, the one on the left is one I was given to me by OSO member Resurrected. It was one that was sitting on his shelf for years thats why the dust. The cable that came with his is like 10ft long my cable is 17ft long. When I put the helms and cables on the floor, put one foot on the cable jacket and one on the cable itself and turn the helm shaft back and forth his set up has less play than mine. His helm seems to have some sort of play adjustment? at point 1 where mine doesnt. Apparently my cable #SSC 7241 is an obsolete number. At this point he marine shop is waiting to find out what the replacement number is. https://photos.smugmug.com/Boating/2...8_001018-L.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/Boating/2...8_001018-L.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/Boating/2...8_163847-L.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/Boating/2...8_164111-L.jpg

.....this is the pic with the play adjustment at point #1 https://photos.smugmug.com/Boating/2..._002316-XL.jpg

No it had a lot of play at #7 before I took it all apart. :) The holes in the arms seem to be in great shape, no elongating or anything. I'll get a new pin and see if the play goes away. I assume there was some bulging of the pin between the arms that's why it wouldnt just pop out.

According to what I can find online it's a Teleflex/Seastar SH5000P "Big T" helm

https://photos.smugmug.com/Boating/2...05145I-6-M.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/Boating/2...05145I-7-L.jpg

When it comes to older cable helms, some have an "old style" replacement cable that is available which is more expensive to buy the old cable than an updated helm/new style cable kit

We'll see what answer the guy comes back with. He's having trouble contacting people with all this COVID 19 stuff going on.

Guy got back to me this AM. Apparently this is the replacement system. a Seastar Safe T QC Rotary steering system. Come s with helm, cable everything. Anyone familiar with this system?


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[QUOTE=pullmytrigger;4736923]This is the helm I have, the one on the left is one I was given to me by OSO member Resurrected. It was one that was sitting on his shelf for years thats why the dust. The cable that came with his is like 10ft long my cable is 17ft long. When I put the helms and cables on the floor, put one foot on the cable jacket and one on the cable itself and turn the helm shaft back and forth his set up has less play than mine.



Oh yeah, my life story. Yours is bigger than mine....... but mine works better!

[QUOTE=resurrected;4737188]LOL!

[QUOTE=resurrected;4737188]I m going to be doing exact same job this weekend. I didn't get a cable though ,thread is a big help,thanks.

Sea Star is pretty much what you will find in any production boat equipped some sort of Cable steering, they have changed very little since your original but will be tighter/ less slop.

There may be a tilt steering offering for the helm as well if you were interested and you can always call Sea Star to answer questions (ie best helm for application as there may be a few different models - ie. no feedback etc)

[QUOTE=drumerjb;4737703]No problem! ive been on this site since a few months after it's inception and I was surprised I couldn't for the life of me find a thread about cable replacement.

Tilt helm? I think I will give them a call Thanks!

Guy calls me back about a tilt helm. Says I could use the "high performance" Seastar SH91650P helm and the SH91800P tilt mechanism. It's almost twice as much for the whole kit which includes the cable as the first solution, I dont care too much about that, the tilt would be nice. Anyone with experience with this set up?

https://photos.smugmug.com/Boating/2...S/s-l640-S.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/Boating/2...C_SY400_-S.jpg

​​​I'm replacing my tilt also from a 2006 formula sunsport 28-foot with feedback steering dual outdrives. The only reason I'm replacing it is because the shaft in the tilt helm was loose. I talked to seastar and they have repaired that with a bearing instead of a plastic sleeve so should be better.

@ OP / can you tell me who the company it was that you dealt with ? I have a feeling that I'm going to be doing the same thing in the upcoming months in terms of a complete system replacement and I might have a few non conventional questions to ask . I've done a basic web search of what's available but nothing beats speaking to someone who knows their stuff and won't ship the wrong parts.
thx

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As an update.....previously at practically any speed my 31 Scarab would wander all over. You really had to drive this boat you were constantly correcting the wheel. I didnt want anyone else driving it The gimbals had been replaced and were considered "at least 90%' by a very experienced marine mechanic. So i changed everything in the steering. New current generation hilt helm, new cable and all new pins in the internal tie bar and tiller arms inside the boat at the stern It ended up the power assist ram was fine. The difference has been everything i could have hoped. Stability in spades. Run 65 down the lake take both hands off the wheel boat effortlessly goes straight as an arrow. Id let anyone drive it now. Has this new very smooth sensation in the wheel now. If it was any one thing Id say it was the pins in the back. One especially (#7) was really worn allowing all kinds of movement in the arms/drives.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...da64522992.jpg

Looking good!
If that had Razzle Dazzle on the side you could be one of the Seamen on Grand Tour

" Id let anyone drive it now."

Now now , lets not get too carried away .. :D