Changing throttle and Gear Cables

[Paul H]

When getting my stuffing box replaced, the mechanic told me that the throttle cable and the gear cables are "operational", but really need to be replaced. My question is: has anyone ever done this, and if so...is it difficult? While I'm somewhat mechanically inclined, I would like to know how hard it would be to do before I shell out the $$$ for the mechanic to do it.I am fairly new to this site, and I think it's great. It's like having your own personal encyclopaedia on sailing...(in a twisted sort of way!?)Any advice would be greatly appreciated.Cheers,

 

[Ross]

Paul H, Just crawl in there and have a look

around. If you can reach everything then you will see how they connect. Just don't take it all apart first and then order the cables unless you take a bunch of pictures.

 

[walmsleyc]

Not hard, but fiddly

I just finished replacing steering cables, and rebuilding my Edson pedestal. While doing that, I ended up removing the pedestal end of the shift/throttle cables.If access to your engine is good, then removing and replacing the cables wont be too hard at the engine end of things, but to get the cables connected inside the pedestal requires removing the compass and top housings, disconnecting the linkages, and possible having to feed the cables around the steering gear shaft, and up through the top in order to removing the cotter pin that retains the cables to the internal bracket. Then the cables can be fed back down the pedestal for removal. Re-installing the new cables requires care so that they don't interfere with the steering cables, and whatever else you have running inside your pedestal.If you get the correct replacement cables, and carefully measure the linkage adjustments, then you should be able to get your new cables pretty well adjusted, but fine tuning may be necessary and is quite important.(These observations are for an Edson pedestal with the separate shift and throttle levers. There are many different arrangements, so your mileage may vary.)

 

[Glenn]

May not be the cables

If the levers are hard to move it may not be the cables. My Edson levers were very stiff, surveyor said to replace cables, PO said he liked them stiff. I checked with Edson and they suggested it could be the delrin bushing between the lever and control housing. The bushings were bad, cables were fine.If you have a pedistal with a compass, remove the compass to access the cables. Disconnect the cables from the levers, don't drop the pins into the pedistal, stuff a rag into the pedistal to keep from losing them. Move the levers back and forth, if still stiff, it's the bushing. You can order bushings from Edson. Move the cables up and down, if stiff, it's the cables. Try greasing them first, that may do the trick, otherwise they should be replaced.This scenario applies to Edson, I'm not sure of other manufacturers, but would think they should be similar.

 

[Paul H]

I do have an Edson system...

I will try what you're suggesting...if, in fact, it is the cables...am I better off letting the professionals do it, or is it something that can be done in a weekend?

 

[Bill Coxe]

Cable replacement

I just helped a friend replace both cables on his O35, and, in his case, it was the shift cable that was binding. He had to grind off the tops of the bolts/screws that held the compass in place, then bought new ones. When he pulled the old cables, there are some definite quirks involved. The chain has to be loosened and moved forward out of the way, the entire assembly has to be pushed down below the steering shaft so everything will come up on the port side, the cable clamp has to be oriented so that the bolt faces outboard, and a line fastened to the power plant end of both cables if they happen to run through separate holes somewhere below. Anything dropped into the pedestal stays in the pedestal. There is a small hole in the bottom of the pedestal that allows the cables and the chain to exit, but nothing else. The advice of checking the levers while evrything is disassembled prior to pulling the old cables out is an excellent idea. In our case, the throttle cable was smooth as silk, but the shift cable was defunct. We replaced both anyway, with the best Telflex in the Defender catalogue (wish I had saved my post to another list). Anyway, it is definitely a two-person job, reassembly at the engine end is a one-man job, involving excellent small-motor muscle coordination and an extensive vocabulary, but the results are well worth it. FWIW,Bill Coxe, O40 Kukulcán, New London, CT

 

[Paul Akers]

I Had Mine Done Once...

...and the mechanic disconnected the steering and laid the binnacle face-down. It made running the throttle cable a lot easier. He also needed a very large phillips head, electric screw driver to loosen and remove the base screws of the binnacle.