Steering Cable Questions

[BrianR]

I'm working on a 1957 Plywood runabout. It had an old steering wheel on it, and behind the mahogany dash, the steering shaft had what looked like a pully wheel, around which was wrapped the steering cables, which of course when through pulleys on the starboard side of the boat. Ideally, I'd like to keep the steering wheel, but convert it to a cable set up.

I was looking at the Teleflex products, but I can't figure out which one is right for me, or if I can adapt them to use my old steering wheel.

The boat is a rather light 15 footer, with a 35hp Mercury on it.

Any thoughts on how I might accomplish what I want to would be appreciated. Thanks all!

[Gary E]

There is no doubt that Teleflex or any other like system will work, most likely their lightest duty system will be much more than you need. As for the current steering wheel fitting, it might. I would go to a retail store and look at the system, even take your current wheel with you. To measure the length of the cable, use a rope, and follow the instructions.

[Skiff Junkie]

Whether or not you can use the old wheel depends on how it fits on the pully shaft. Some just go on the shaft with a hex nut to tighten it and a notch and key to keep it from spinning on the shaft. Some of the old ones, however were made just to go on the pully assembly they came on and won't fit on anything else. A teleflex Saf-T steering system is a pretty dependable one, and it accepts most wheels.

Also, if your motor is an older one that doesn't have the feed tube in front for the cable to go through, you'll have to purchase a bracket to hold the outer cable housing. This mounts to the inside of the transom, and the end of the cable connects directly to the front of the motor with a type of ball joint. If the motor Does have the feed tube, you'll need to purchase a steering arm that connects to the end of the cable and to the front of the motor.

Either way, plan on spending around $200. For a boat of 20-ft or more, I would recommend the NFB (no feed back) helm - a little more expensive, but worth it.