85 Steering Cable tips

I had searched and read all I could, and then tackled my steering cable. Success!

Here are 2 tips I would have liked to have read first, but did not find with my searching and reading here. Perhaps I just missed them.

The steering cable attaches to the helm in my 85 by winding-in and winding-out by turning the steering wheel -- rotary style steering. This may have been clear to some of you all by reading the threads, but it was not to me.   

When you want to remove the cable, undo the large bolt holding in the steering cable housing, then spin the cable out by turning the steering wheel. Have some paper towels or rags ready, you can zip tie them to the greasy wire to keep it from making a mess.

Unlike some of the good threads with pics here from early 90s SNs, with my 85 I could not pull the old cable out from the helm side.

On my 85, because the steering cable needs to make about a 45 degree angle upwards under the helm, before exiting and becoming accessible, the bolt and non-flexible part of the cable housing at the stern end will not pass through the last bend it has to make to exit into the helm area under the dash. Given this, I had to use a rope. I could not attach the new cable to the old cable.

Attach your rope at the helm end of the old cable, and pull it through towards the stern. The spiral inner wire has enough texture to tie a small close line rope to it. Then pull the new cable back in from stern to helm.

The only other tip is that if your bilge area under the removable part of the floor back is grimy, go ahead and clean it first.

Yes large nut.

I have always used nut & bolt as synonyms, to error. Thanks for the nudge. I can see where that would make a difference when someone is trying to learn from a thread.

Big-T helms are far from inexpensive. Why would he pull the steering wheel off?

I got lucky and mine winded in to where the steering wheel is oriented right how I want it when the rudder is straight.

However, if were not, not would you not have to loosen the two nuts on the bolt coming through that turns with the steering wheel, pull the steering wheel out and then put it back in to straighten the steering wheel?

Adjusting the wheel on the hub is only helpful if you have both a symmetrical bolt pattern (unlike the 7-bolt wheels used 86-94) and enough bolts to give you clocking options (3 or less are marginally useful).

The proper way to adjust the clocking (precisely) is by re-feeding the rotary cable back into the helm.

I have had some pretty high hour boats that steered great... and I’ve tried helm replacements to see if they help (they haven’t yet) so I’ll go on record for saying that the big-T is pretty robust and likely better built than the more common/generic replacements (safe-t, etc). Certainly a consideration when having steering issues but you’re not finding one of those packaged for cheap.