Steering Cables

["IN A MEETING"]

Ok so my steering wheel is a bit stiff. This is my first boat and I bought the boat used (4 years old with 60 hours) so I’m used to it a year later with 90 hours on the boat. But when someone else drove it he said it’s too stiff. A guy on a Facebook group said it’s time for me to replace my steering cables. Does this sound right to yal? If so, how hard is the job.

 

[Gym]

First make sure it is the cables by disconnecting the cables from the nozzels at the rear of the boat. If still stiff it would likely be cables. If not it could be something binding at the nozzels. Replacing cables are more about labor than mechanical know how. If you have fair to good mechanical skills, a few hours of time, some basic tools and a six pack you'll be all set. I can't give you specifics as my boat year and model are different but it all starts with ordering the correct cables. I found my cable type and number by pulling the throttle quadrant but others with your model boat may have that info.

 

[Ilmmct]

I am not mechanically skilled. This is what was required for me to “complete both cables in 2 hours of wrenching work”:

-Read the FAQ and posts on this subject found on our forum (3-4 hours)
-Assemble the right tools (most notably, cables, Kobalt xTreme passthrough wrench, two coupling nuts, a heavy hammer to break free the stern cable, a marker to mark thread
counts, chalk removal goop) / (1 hour)
-Take a friend fishing beforehand so he’ll be more inclined to help you (2 hours)

It’s not that bad. I did both of mine at low tide in the waterway, so a second set of hands was mandatory, to avoid jumping in and out of the water to jointly work the required stern and helm components of the task.

The biggest hiccups:
-buying the wrong pass through socket set
-not removing washers and redoing the cable passthrough process (in from the helm out to the stern)
-dropping tools into the waterway and having to recover them, which caused my hands to get wet

 

[Ricky Edgeworth]

Can anybody tell me how to change steering cables in 2015 AR240 84 hours.They where locked up unscrewed them from rear sprayed some lubricant into cable finally broke loose. Took out for a test ride little stiff but felt like it got a little better. Took to dealer to fix 02 sensor dealer telling me steering cables need replacing that it was 4 to 5 hours labor, have to take the floor up to replace them. Called Yamaha support no help.Reading other threads but no help on how to change them. Thanks

 

[tdonoughue]

Do a search here on steering cables. There are several writeups on how to do it. You do have to take the floor up--also known as opening the fuel tank hatch. I don't think it is a 4-5 hour job--maybe half that if you are doing it yourself. More time consuming than difficult.