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Replacement steering cable.

E

Estam

Member
Morning all, Due to excessive play in steering helm I'm going to need to replace either the cable or cable and helm. Can anyone suggest where to find replacement parts for a 1993 Four Winns 285 with cobra outdrives. and is it a big job to do this, it's tough to see much and would appreciate any suggestions.
Many thanks.
 
At 30 years of use, I'd be inclined to replace both the helm unit and the cable.

You can usually find a part number on the cable - that will tell you how long the replacement needs to be...you can buy the helm that suits your needs and get the cable to match.

Replacement isn't hard but can be tedious if things have to be removed for access. I'd make sure you can get the old cable out before doing anything else...if it has been neglected, that could be the hardest part of the job...
 
Thanks, the boat is in storage but will check for the part number once I have access.
Was trying to find the average cost of a helm and cable, was told by tech that the most
common length for my boat would be 17 feet but will check before I buy. Any suggestions
where I can find what manufacture they used?
Thanks for any help.
 
Getting at the cable attachment on the steering arm can be tough, I replaced the steering actuator on mine and it wasn't a fun job, while you're in there take a good look at the actuators, any sign of leaks replace them, you don't want to have to do that twice. Figure on removing the exhaust system rubber hoses and 90* aluminum down pipes to get access, I just removed the whole system with the exhaust elbows intact.

www.crowleymarine.com

POWER STEERING CYLINDER - 1993 Stern Drive 5 50FAPRJVN | Crowley Marine

View parts diagrams and shop online for POWER STEERING CYLINDER parts, 1993 Stern Drive 5 50FAPRJVN. Offering discount prices on OEM parts for over 50 years. FAST $4.95 shipping available.
www.crowleymarine.com www.crowleymarine.com
Here's a pic of the mount for the steering actuator, there are 2 pins with cotter pins underneath, the large one (#4) is for the steering arm that connects to the drive, the smaller one (#2) connects to the cable. The one for the cable is what you have to remove, I was able to get both of these loose & removed them when I did the actuator, greased them well with Evinrude triple guard. I may do my cable and helm unit next fall as they are original, but trust me this job will test your patience.
Get penetrating oil (Kroil, Freeze off, Free all) and a cotter pin puller. Removing the actuator itself, was a pain due to the large cotter pins for the mounting bolts (parts #s 14 & #15). Those gave me hell for a day or two to remove, remember that the transom mount is aluminum and you don't want to get too tough with it. Got it done, but not easy.
Twin stern drives you have my sympathy! One, is bad enough.
 
Getting at the cable attachment on the steering arm can be tough, I replaced the steering actuator on mine and it wasn't a fun job, while you're in there take a good look at the actuators, any sign of leaks replace them, you don't want to have to do that twice. Figure on removing the exhaust system rubber hoses and 90* aluminum down pipes to get access, I just removed the whole system with the exhaust elbows intact.

www.crowleymarine.com

POWER STEERING CYLINDER - 1993 Stern Drive 5 50FAPRJVN | Crowley Marine

View parts diagrams and shop online for POWER STEERING CYLINDER parts, 1993 Stern Drive 5 50FAPRJVN. Offering discount prices on OEM parts for over 50 years. FAST $4.95 shipping available.
www.crowleymarine.com www.crowleymarine.com
Here's a pic of the mount for the steering actuator, there are 2 pins with cotter pins underneath, the large one (#4) is for the steering arm that connects to the drive, the smaller one (#2) connects to the cable. The one for the cable is what you have to remove, I was able to get both of these loose & removed them when I did the actuator, greased them will with Evinrude triple guard. I may do my cable and helm unit next fall as they are original, but trust me this job will test your patience.
Get penetrating oil (Kroil, Freeze off, Free all) and a cotter pin puller. Removing the actuator itself, was a pain due to the large cotter pins for the mounting bolts (parts #s 14 & #15). Those gave me hell for a day or two to remove, remember that the transom mount is aluminum and you don't want to get too tough with it. Got it done, but not easy.
1st pic, removed whole exhaust system to get access;
steerng actuator removal.jpg
second pic, this shows where the cable connects to the actuator:
steering actuator intalled.jpg
3rd pic, say hello to my little friend, without this tool, I could not have gotten this done.....
Cotter pin removal tool.jpg
 
Finally out of storage and closer inspection shows the cable may have been replaced due to it's overall condition. The play seems to be coming from the helm. It's a Morse Helm and the wheel moves quite freely around 3 inches then comes up hard against the cable then solid movement against the cylinder aft. Same when rotating the opposite direction. I haven't gone to far yet but am assuming the helm is easyer to change than the whole system. Any suggestions on where to find a Morse Helm, are there different types for this age of boat and how are they attached? Many thanks for any assistance.
 
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