I'm trying to disconnect steering cable from transom

[Hollis]

The steering cable froze solid from setting over the winter and I can't get it unbolted from the transom any oppinions would be great. It's on my 1978-79 20' checkmate w/Berkley. There is one large aluminum bolt with the cable running thru it and a more narrow bolt as a backer next to the transom.
What a bitch to get too. :boxed:

[Floored]

I had to cut the nut in half to get mine off the transom tube to replace the tube on mine. It was rusted solid, used a 4" cutoff tool and it came right off. Dont cut into the tube though, just score it deep enough to pop it open with a hammer and small chisle.

[victorfb]

the steering tube nut is a bitch to get to for sure. what i do is uae a pair of channel locks on the tube from the outside, turn it till i can slip a wedge between the nut and the pump cover. a small peice of aluminum or brass or even wood will work. once you get the wedge in the nut will no longer spin and you can turn the tube from the outside with the channel locks. i use rubber tips on the channel locks so it doesnt gouge the tube, but a rag will work.

[Hollis]

Christ, How can one little project be such a big fckn problem...?
Would anybody know what brand this replacement may be?

[Squirtcha?]

That's boat stuff for ya. We pulled the motor on my buddy's boat last night. It didn't help doing it in the dark (but it beats doing it in 113 degrees), and the old four point mounts are a pain in the arse. Especially when the mount bolts haven't been touched for 10+ years. It was completely disconnected and with mine (rail type mounts) it would've been a ten minute job. His was more like a couple hours. Bent and corroded hardware really sucks!
Would anybody know what brand this replacement may be?
Can you post a picture of the cable/helm? I managed to find my buddy's cable for the old rotary type steering. Funny thing was, it was $50 cheaper to buy the whole deal (helm and cable) than it was to buy just the cable.

[Hollis]

Floored, were you able find a replacement for the nut you cut off..?
It's 90 deg. today here in Maine and there my boat sits in the fkn driveway! :cry:

[Squirtcha?]

On all the ones I've seen, the nut is actually placed onto the cable in the manufacturing process and can't be removed without cutting an end off the cable (or cutting the nut itself off). The new replacement cable will have one on it.

[Floored]

no, new cable. note to self, use anti-sieze when putting on new cable!!!! :(

[Hollis]

Squirtcha, Ya, old rotary type pretty much describes it...Theres a huge gear at the end of the steering wheel shaft that is engaged into a 21" piece of square stock aluminum tubing...Real basic.

[CrdStang]

I'm sure most any jet boat place could sell you the tube and nuts. I ended up making my own tube since I didn't want to wait for one to be shipped.
For the record, it's not 3/4" pipe thread, it's a 7/8" bolt thread. This is one of the things you learn after sweating for half an hour while running a pipe die over a foot of aluminum tube stock.

[Squirtcha?]

Squirtcha, Ya, old rotary type pretty much describes it...Theres a huge gear at the end of the steering wheel shaft that is engaged into a 21" piece of square stock aluminum tubing...Real basic.
This is a rack and pinion setup.
http://www.jetheaven.us/photopost/data/500/19steering_cropped.jpg
This is a rotary type.
http://www.cpperformance.com/images/620-3080_.jpg
Which one does it most closely resemble?
Or if there's a number on the helm/cable, that'd help find the right piece.

[cave]

Hollis does the nut look similar to this one?
http://www2.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/841jeto_back_end.jpg
The first time I replaced the cable I had to use two big crescent wrench's One from the inside and one from the out side. Lots of WD-40 too.
Since the jet rebuild my transom to bowl hook up looks much better than the old picture.

[Hollis]

Yes Squirtcha it's definatly rack and pinion but non of those match. All it has imprinted on it is "Heavy duty ride guide" 9/30/87
Thanks Cave, but no, there is a large threaded sleeve that screws thru the transom and into the large aluminun bolt on the other side. The cable runs thru it...I havn't seen a cable with rack and pinion like this in my catalogues.!

[Squirtcha?]

Here's a link to a post I put up a while back regarding this very problem. You'll probably have to buy the whole thing (a newer version, like I and some of the others had to do)
Post about steering stuff. (http://www2.***boat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81861&highlight=teleflex)
It sounds like you might have one of the older rack systems. I don't know if they make those anymore.

[Oldsquirt]

What model pump? Sounds like it is a JE or JF with the cable passing through the lower right hand side of transom? If so, you do not want to damage the aluminum cable mount that passes through the transom. It's a tough part to come by. The nut that holds the cable on comes with a new cable so feel free to carefully cut that one off.
BTW, pictures ARE worth a 1000 words when it comes to identifying the steering. :)

[Hollis]

Thanks OldSquirt, yes it is one of the original Berkleys. And yes, the cables do pass thru the lower right. You were right about the aluminum cable mount running thru the transom, I saved it. It was a little knarled.
I finally got the cable out...The team that rebuilt my 460 installed an oversized oil pan and it rested right on the cable. I had to disassemble a motor mount and the under carriage bellhousing then lift the engine...It's been a long day :( Thankyou everyone

[DeputyDawg]

If so, you do not want to damage the aluminum cable mount that passes through the transom. It's a tough part to come by. The nut that holds the cable on comes with a new cable so feel free to carefully cut that one off.
I had to replace one of those through hull fittings once on a friends Baja Jet and we couldn't find one anywhere. What we did was buy a piece of appropriate size all-thread to fit the cable nut, then we cut it to four inches long and took it to a machine shop where we had it bored out to a large enough diameter for the cable end to pass through. We then installed the piece of bored out all-thread securing it with a large nut and washer on each side of the transom. After sealing around each nut with silicone we then slid the steering cable through and tightened up the steering cable end nut onto the all-thread. It has been working for 10 years... Just thought I would share that in case someone needed a that through hull piece but couldn't find one.