Anyone change a steering cable before?

[Mike Simard]

I have a 99 Nitro 640 lx that I need to replace the steering cable on, and was wondering how much of a job it is before I try to tackle it? The cable alone is almost $200 so I would like to try and save a little cash by doing it myself. Thanks in Advance

 

[Jim B]

I did mine on my 882 last year and i didnt think it was too bad. The real sticking point for anybody is mainly where it sliced into the tilt tube onthe motor. Some boats may not have enough clearance to get the old cable out and the new one in without the motor haveing to be removed from the hull. On my 882 the 8" jackplate gave me more then enough clearance to do the job. I also have rack and pinion steering so the whole job was pretty easy.

 

[TritonGlenn]

Like Jim B said - if you're going to have any problems at all, it will be at the engine side. The steering box is the easy part to get it out of. I used the old cable to snake my new one in - just taped both of them together end to end, and when I pulled one through, the other one slid into it's place. It's not a difficult job at all, but be patient and take your time.

Best of luck on your project,

All the best,

Glenn