1999 2100V steering cable broke... RATS !!

[jciscott]

Nice day on the lake cut short by the dreaded broken Steering Cable.....
I have read the threads and there is a lot of info about rotary vs rack-n-pinion... how do I tell the diff ??
My helm box has part of a sticker says... "Thelm" "3107", that is all I can read...
The cable says "Morse 304411 000 02040 780z " I think....
I am pretty sure the cable thin inside broke back near the back.... the wheel will still push the rudder one way but will not pull it back the other way.... and I can see the cable move nice at the helm...

so do I just replace the inner cable inside the big cable or do I need the whole thing ??? How does it come out ??? it looks like you pull the guts out to one end ???

Help... need to fix for big party next week.....

[samw]

Nice day on the lake cut short by the dreaded broken Steering Cable.....
I have read the threads and there is a lot of info about rotary vs rack-n-pinion... how do I tell the diff ??
My helm box has part of a sticker says... "Thelm" "3107", that is all I can read...
The cable says "Morse 304411 000 02040 780z " I think....
I am pretty sure the cable thin inside broke back near the back.... the wheel will still push the rudder one way but will not pull it back the other way.... and I can see the cable move nice at the helm...

so do I just replace the inner cable inside the big cable or do I need the whole thing ??? How does it come out ??? it looks like you pull the guts out to one end ???

Help... need to fix for big party next week.....

If you have a rack it will be a long narrow black thing with a cable coming out the port side. Rotary is a just that a round thing connected to the steering wheel.

[R&T Babich]

... The cable says "Morse 304411 000 02040 780z " I think....

From that number it looks like a rotary helm (304411) that is 17' (02040 = 204 inches = 17 ft.) Our 21V uses an 18 ft cable. Morse was bought by Teleflex so you'll find a Teleflex replacement listed at various places on the internet. I think Tige went to rack & pinion a year or 2 after our boat was built. You'll probably have to replace the entire cable/housing/ends as they come as a complete assembly, just reconnect at the ends. The fuel tank may have to be lifted a little.

[laserfish]

Make sure it is the cable, as I had to replace my helm about 3 weeks ago. Same symptoms, could turn right, but not left. The center section broke out of the helm. It is cast aluminum and spoke shaped. The spokes broke. You have to take the back off of the helm from underneath the dash. Only 4 screws, and a simple mechanism. Bought a non tilt helm because I couldn't find a tilt one, and exchanged the steering shaft for the old one and made a tilt helm out of it. Probably much cheaper to do it that way as there was nothing wrong with the steering shaft itself. Good luck, probably easier to do than the cable.

[jciscott]

Thanks for the replys so far... I agree that I have the rotary deal.... I unhooked the cable from the rudder and undid the big nut thing. All this sucks unbelievably on the V-drive by the way..... Then I pulled the cable out in frount of the motor, the shiny stainless part is currently sticking up in the air..... If I unhook the cable from the rotary helm, it seems I hould be able to pull the inner cable out and if it is broke, get a new one and slide it in....
Any thoughts ??

[rogersbm82]

My steering helm sproket stripped itself in a small spot. It would turn and then you could feel it slipping when it his the stripped spot. The cable is an easy replacement. I would start there, if you still have the problem then go for a new helm. I had to replace the helm and the cable because the old cable wouldn't attach to the new helm. I got the helm from overtons, they had it on my doorstep the next afternoon. The cable I just got at a local boat shop. Like said before morse was bought by teleflex.

[jciscott]

Update....

I took the Helm apart, all is well there, so.. I removed the entire cable, after first using the cable to pull a strong string for re installation.....
The inner cable is broken about 5' in from the helm end....

So... the old outer black cable is about 16 feet long... but the inner cable would stick out a foor or so..... so is this a 16' cable or a 17' cable ???

SKIDIM, where I usually buy stuff, has them for $129.... I see them elsewhere for as low as $103... I need to have it in hand by Wed, thursday at the latest, to install thursday night... so turn around will be very important.

I am in central PA... where best to buy ??

[rogersbm82]

Oh crap, I am having a brain fart. I remember when I measured mine I called Overtons and asked how to measure, if it was total distance of cable or from connector to connector. I can't remember what it was though. Hopefully someone will chime in. I also called Lee at the factory just to verify and he told what the proper length was for my boat.

[jciscott]

I set out this morning with high hopes searching for a cable.... but got the wind knocked out of me when I called SKIDIM.... they informed me my cable is no longer produced and the only replacment is a special order.... 2 weeks min and $160.....
needless to say... we can't wait 2 weeks, so I started searching more agressively... and low and behold.... on ebay express I found a boat dealer in Michigan called Marsh Bros selling a bunch of cables.... that looked like exactly what I needed... I googled marshbros to get a phone number, called the guy, and confirmed it was what I needed. Seems he bought a bunch of NOS parts from a boat builder....
Anyway, I got the cable for $60 plus $21 shipping, it went out today, should be here Wednesday....
Here is the ebayexpress item if anyone else wants one....
NEW Morse/Teleflex Steering Cable 204"(#270029087939)

[dogbert]

Sorry, jciscott. I just saw this (on vacation). It looks like the guys were able to provide some help. That's awesome that the part only cost you $81 to your door.

[rogersbm82]

That is great. Hope all goes well with the install.

[jciscott]

got it installed....

I did the reinstall on Thursday night, it went about as good as it could go....
I used the string I pulled thru with the old cable to pull in a stong wire for a pull wire. I then twisted the wire around the end of the inner cable so it made a barbor pole pattern about 6" onto the cable then wrapped it with electrical tape to hold it in place... I fed (Shoved) the new able in from the bace of the boat, threading it past the engine, and in front of the transmission cooler then finally under the transmision and under the gas tank. In a amazing feat of dexterity, I pulled the wire while feeding hte cable and it went right thru. In seconds the cable popoed thre the whole in the floor at the helm and I was able to pull it on thru.
A couple of things I took apart:
I took out the center seat base and the gas tank cover
I tool the cable cover box out under the dash
I took the lower hose off the wate pump to help get at the large nut on the end of the cable...

By the way... that part of the job SUCKED !!! there is NO WAY to turn that not with any wrench I could devise. I ended up taking one of the bolts out of the flexable mount that the stationary part of the end cable mounts to. This thing is a flexable aluminum thing the covers the end of the cable, and that the BIG NUT threads on to.... anyway... then it was loose, I could put a wrench on thenut and use a channel lock pliers to turn the moniting thing... I got about 1/64th of a turn on every try, but made steady, if not slow, progress... I do not see an easier way to do it...
End of story... the job is done and I can steer again...

[Will5150]

Facing same dilema

I have posted about needing this fix too- TIGE LISTEN UP HERE- you need to TRAIN your dealer in MInnesota!!!!!!! they don't know squat about this boat and it's really starting to get on my nerves. I REALLY wanted to just take it in and pay $XXX.00 to get this done( I really don't care what it costs- to a point) but they don't know what to do!!!!!

SO- I am going to try this myself- I appreciate all of the posts and would REALLY appreciate pictures or better yet- anyone want to help??? Free pulls for the rest of the summer!

[KonaKing]

I just did my 2004 22v and it really was that bad
1 unhooked the cable from the tiller
2 unbolted the cooling hose so I could get to the flexible mount
3 completely removed the flex mount from bracket, the pulled it up where I could get to the bolts clamping it to the cable. Loosened those and slide it out.
At this point I was to pull the cable up enough to cut it. Once it was cut it slide right under the gas tank. and the other end came out to where I was able to remove the big nut from the shield.

4 Unbolted the rack from my steerin wheel ( dont know what kind you have) and pulled it out.
5 reinstall is just the opposite but I ran it on top of the gas tank.
Also made a hook on the end of a pole to fish it over the tank.
The hardest part was bolt the flex joint back up.

About 2 hrs for the whole project and really not to bad.

[Will5150]

OK I Finally went through with it and did the install of the new cable myself. 3.5 hours start to finish including disassembling/reassembling. The help you all provided through this board was the difference in getting this project done.

Here's a few of my takeaways:
First - I have a 2001 21V with the Mercruiser 350 MPI and the 38gal gas tank.

1)These are relevant because you NEED to remove the lower water hose from the impeller to reach the big bolt on the cable- period.

2)Get an 1 1/4 open ended wrench- this will make getting the big bolt loose a much easier deal.

3)The cable was under that gas tank and as many stated- there's ZERO clearance under the tank. Someone said jack the tank up a bit - HOW???? Mine was in SO tight it was not moving, so I went and bought a bolt cutters and cut the cable in front of the big bolt- There's no turning back now!

4)Someone suggested hacksawing through the cable- This can't be done easily- it's a tempered steel sleeve and EXTREMELY tough- do yourself a favor and get the bolt cutters- HOME DEPOT $ 20 ( get the 24" model).

5) Get a fish tape ( I had one so this was easy) and run it OVER the tank toward the hole in the floor under the dash where the cable comes through - remember to remove the box around the cable/heater lines if you have on- this was the easy part.

6) I zip tied the new cable to the fish tape and started feeding it through- keep a decent amount of tension on the tape as you have to get the cable turned around toward the rear of the boat and fished over the tank- and there almost no room here either. Once I got the tip of the steering cable through, I was able to take a steel yard stick and coax the bolt over the tank and pull it through.

After that you're home free!!!

Thanks Again for the help!!!!