New steering Install, should I attempt myself?! Tips?!

[bayrife]

Hello everyone,

I have done some research and talked to a few people I am finally ready to have new steering installed on my CSS, very excited this will make the entire driving experience so so much better!  After a lot of thought I have decided to go with a Dual cable rack and pinion system from sea star.  Rack and pinion was what originally came with the boat so I am just going to stick with the OEM specs, much easier on my wallet right now too, $374.00 for the kit brand new.  Again I have a 18CSS 175HP outboard

Anyway I have been contemplating trying to do this myself or bringing it to a shop to have them install.  The rack itself is pretty accessible under the dash (lots of room under the CSS dash) my biggest concern is routing the cables but I feel if I Attach the new ones to the old ones when pulling them out I should be able to pull them through.  The transom is pretty long and closed off (cant crawl back there) so I hope my idea would work.  But other than that it's basically just routing the cables, hooking things up and good to go correct?  Has anyone done an outboard cable install themselves and any thing I am missing for this process or any tips?  I also obviously want it to be safe, so I want to make sure its installed correctly!  I was going to call a couple of marinas and get some quotes but I cant help it but think this can be done in the garage over the weekend without much trouble, just want to make sure its done right, don't want to loose control at 60MPH and if its a job that should be left to a marina then so be it!  Just looking for advice, so glad spring is finally here! Thanks!     

[thedeuceman]

All in all it’s a pretty straightforward task, though I am not familiar with the dual cable system. As far as connecting the new cables to the old one and pulling them through, I would use caution as many times the wiring harness is Ty wrapped to the steering cable.


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[carlsoncvx18]

Like joe said watch the ty wraps.

But when you pull back on the cables you could attach some kind of rope to pull the new one in.

I believe the will pull back from the engine to under the console. 

And you would feed them in the same way starting at the console towards the engine.

[Plugcheck]

The job is not too difficult, but it sure goes a lot better if you have at least one helper to insure to free end doesn't hang up or scratch something.

[Hyperacme]

You might have to remove motor to get old cables out of tube and get new ones in.
Which is a good time to lift your motor up, if it's not already ...
You might not be able to lift all the way up because of cable routing ( tight bend ) from splash well.

I had Hannay's install my Baystar, about $200.
Give it a shot and if you can't get it you can bring it to a shop.

 Hannay's Marine
Minneapolis, MN (612) 781-7411

[bayrife]

Makes sense, thanks for the responses guys, Ive called a couple places they are quoting between 3-400 installed.  Think I am going to try to remove the old cables from the outboard, if I can without having to lift the motor Ill go for it, if not ill be dropping it off as I have no lift to take the motor off!

Regardless, so excited to get new steering, itll be a whole new boat!

[Hyperacme]

Guessing your cable go's thru the tilt tube, and motor will need to be removed to get old one out and new one in.
Would be a good time to check for transom rot around motor bolt holes.
Believe you had concerns about your transom condition.

I was very impressed with Hannay's ...
Talked with Don about price/parts/time frame, took boat into Hannay's, we then when over job with the guy doing the work, we talked about option and concerns with job, work was done in 6 hours ... Back home in one day.
Worth talking with him ...

[bayrife]

Well, success (sort of). Went ahead and tried to tackle this with expected results. We were able to get the cables routed, wow what a relief lost hope for awhile there, the 18CSS is very closed off in the rear big swim platform and splashwell!  What I ended up doing was cutting the old cables near where it attatches to the rack at the helm and attatching the motor mount side to them and feeding them through, thank goodness it worked or I was worried I was gonna have to split the cap there was no way to feed them through by hand!  But like Gregg said I could not remove the old cable from engine tilt tube and I had to bring it in to have it lifted off the transom. Ended up bringing it to shipwreck I’m dresser wi (hannys had no avail until after 4th of July!) shipwreck said he can get it done before memorial weekend so fingers crossed! Ryan at shipwreck also checked my transom quick and said he believes it to be very solid! Can’t wait to drive this thing with new steering, thanks for the tips everyone!

[Hyperacme]

Can you / Shipwreck lift your motor up a few holes ?
Or is it already lifted ...

[Mechanick]

Can I ask why the recommendation to “raise” the outboard? Do they sag with time?  Im putting a ‘new’ outboard on my cvx16 and had just planned to simply get cav plate level with bottom of hull.

[Oldfishguy]

Can I ask why the recommendation to “raise” the outboard? Do they sag with time?  Im putting a ‘new’ outboard on my cvx16 and had just planned to simply get cav plate level with bottom of hull.

A bit off topic for the thread here but I’ll give a quick explanation.  Raising the motor a few notches simply has to do with top speed.  By raising the the motor a bit one will have less drag in the water and your top speed will increase some; different for each occasion how much it will increase.  The trade off is less stability in the sharp corners.  The deeper one sinks the prop in the water  the more the boat behaves like it is on a rail with power on. Of course this varies with hull design and prop depth as well.

I stick with the motor flush down on the transom. I live on a small lake where corners are always tight or your in the weeds.  Everyone has there own ideas on what they want, I can’t say one is better than the other for general boating.  But if speed is your thing, well . . .  😀

[Hyperacme]

Like Dave said .. Motor set up is a trade off, as is prop selection.
I run rivers, where top speed is my only concern.
I have an old hull design (CV16) that doesn't like speeds over 50 MPH, VERY BAD chime walking.
Lifted motor and 22P Laser II prop and I can hit 53 - 54 MPH safely. 

Dave P is getting high 50's out of his CVX16 / 115 Johnson with motor down, so with a little bit of testing you should get mid 50's.
What motor is on it now ?
What motor are you installing ?
 
   

[76CV16Force120]

Hello Gregg,

I'm in the process of propping my new to me CV-16 with 120hp Force.
May I ask for more details about your setup?
TYIA
Chris

[Hyperacme]

Welcome to the forum Chris !

What year is your motor ?

I have a 1989 Mariner 115 HP , inline 4 cyl. , Laser II 22P prop, Baystar steering.
It's lifted to the second hole from the bottom.
Cav. plate is about two inches above bottom of hull.
T & H transom wedges are to get clearance so splash well drains.
The trim cyl. sat close to it and would drain slowly.

[76CV16Force120]

Thank you Gregg, great info, much appreciated! 👍🏻
Mine is a 1990 with small gear case.
Your trim tab seems centered, am I seeing it right?

[Hyperacme]

Can you post more info on your set up ? Some pictures ?
It was set to one side (trim tab) but can't remember which way.
I cut the fin off, because with the hydraulic steering it didn't seem to make any difference how it was set.

[bayrife]

Figured since I'm on here Id follow up on this original post. 
Brought the boat to Shipwreck in Dresser WI, and it was the last time I'll ever be going there.
I had a brand new dual rack and pinion system that was routed for him and he charged me over 500 to lift the motor, connect the cables, and install on the helm. 

Well fast forward two years later the steering was becoming tough again and I was getting frustrated.  But that's not the only problem, he didn't use stainless transom bolts!! So after about one season the bolts he used were starting to rust!  After the troubles I had I took it to Roberts Marine in Roberts Wisconsin, I cant say enough good things about that place.  He looked at the steering and explained that it was installed correctly so the rack and pinion gears were not meshing with the steering column and basically the gears ate themselves.  So there goes my new 350 dollar steering system and 500 wasted labor cost.  Not wanting to deal with it anymore and just wanting my boat to be correct Roberts marine quoted 1000 out the door installed for a new system.  The price of the rack had gone up over the covid times.  Boat steering is smooth as silk now but why can nothing be easy!!

[demian5]

If anything, you will learn something new and also learn what its like to be intimate with the gunwale on your boat (and anything that's zip-tied up in the to the cable).

I did mine on my CVX16SS and it wasn't that hard. I just tied a string to my old one when I pulled it out to get the new one routed correctly.

[bayrife]

@demian5 reference my above update.  I did most of the work myself but Shipwreck marine really wrecked me!!