Keel cable and turning ball replacement on a C25

[Captnkev25]

Does anyone know of a site or can they provide me with some step by step instructions on replacing the cable, turning ball and volcano tube on my C25? The boat is still out of the water and I'd rather do it myself than pay the yard to do it. I spoke to the yard manager and he agreed to lift me up and jack me up higher so I can lower the keel and get to the clevis pin. It all seems fairly straight forward. This is how I see to do it. Am i missing anything?? Lower keel onto the ground to provide access to the pin and put slack in the cable, remove pin on outside and disconnect from the winch inside, pull cable out, remove volcano tube and turning ball, replace turning ball, feed new cable up into cabin passing AFT of the turning ball, slide volcano tube over new cable into place and tighten hose clamps, attach cable to keel with new pin, attach running end of cable to winch crank up while keeping tension on cable to avoid overrides. That's how I see to do it. Is the turning ball accessible from the top? Do I replace the ball first or cable first? If anyone can see anything I may have overlooked or can give me some pointers on techniques or things to watch out for I'd appreciate it. I realize the importance of this mechanism so I'm just covering my bases for safeties sake.

Thanks Kev

 

[Stu Jackson]

Sure -- go to the Catalina 25 website: http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=3

 

[Captnkev25]

Thanks Stu. I posted my same question over there as well.

 

[philwsailz]

Does anyone know of a site or can they provide me with some step by step instructions on replacing the cable, turning ball and volcano tube on my C25? The boat is still out of the water and I'd rather do it myself than pay the yard to do it. I spoke to the yard manager and he agreed to lift me up and jack me up higher so I can lower the keel and get to the clevis pin. It all seems fairly straight forward. This is how I see to do it. Am i missing anything?? Lower keel onto the ground to provide access to the pin and put slack in the cable, remove pin on outside and disconnect from the winch inside, pull cable out, remove volcano tube and turning ball, replace turning ball, feed new cable up into cabin passing AFT of the turning ball, slide volcano tube over new cable into place and tighten hose clamps, attach cable to keel with new pin, attach running end of cable to winch crank up while keeping tension on cable to avoid overrides. That's how I see to do it. Is the turning ball accessible from the top? Do I replace the ball first or cable first? If anyone can see anything I may have overlooked or can give me some pointers on techniques or things to watch out for I'd appreciate it. I realize the importance of this mechanism so I'm just covering my bases for safeties sake.

Thanks Kev

As one who has done it, have the volcano tube in place but loose. Install cable, then ball, otherwise you are pushing cable up from bottom, past the ball, due to the fitting on the keel end. Tighten volcano tube last.
Outside of that you have it down.

There are really no surpirses, and it wiill be quite intuitive once you have the parts on-hand and begin disassembly/reassembly.