DIY Steering Cable Luber

[AZMark]

Mine was the exact same way. Starboard cable the oil would go through and port side i has the psi cranked up to 90 ish and let it sit overnight and nothing moved.

I have tried everything, switched to a very thin penetrating oil, tried putting it under vaccuum for a while to see if I could suck anything that was stuck in there out, switching where I had it clamped, moving the cable all over. No oil movement at all.
When I get the new one and swap it out I’ll try to cut the cable open to see what the hell is blocking it in there. My steering is tight but I can still move the wheel with one hand so I can’t understand how there isn’t a little room for oil to get through next to a moving cable.

 

[Neutron]

I had a cable go stiff where i couldn't move by hand. I detached from both ends and put a deep socket on my drill and got it spinning pretty free and could work in in and out while using the drill.
Was still stiff cause of the heat generated at the bind grew. After it cooled off it moved pretty free

 

[AZMark]

I had a cable go stiff where i couldn't move by hand. I detached from both ends and put a deep socket on my drill and got it spinning pretty free and could work in in and out while using the drill.
Was still stiff cause of the heat generated at the bind grew. After it cooled off it moved pretty free

I can’t get to the helm end. It’s a sealed unit.

 

[dan144k]

I have tried everything, switched to a very thin penetrating oil, tried putting it under vaccuum for a while to see if I could suck anything that was stuck in there out, switching where I had it clamped, moving the cable all over. No oil movement at all.
When I get the new one and swap it out I’ll try to cut the cable open to see what the hell is blocking it in there. My steering is tight but I can still move the wheel with one hand so I can’t understand how there isn’t a little room for oil to get through next to a moving cable.

Try using some TapMagic oil. I have not used it on cables. But every other application I have used it on it has worked great.
Kinda of my go to for weird things.

 

[adamncincy]

I planned on installing cables myself but called the local Yamaha dealer in Cincy to see what they charged for replacing just out of curiosity and they said $600!?!? Yikes!

 

[AZMark]

I planned on installing cables myself but called the local Yamaha dealer in Cincy to see what they charged for replacing just out of curiosity and they said $600!?!? Yikes!

Mine wanted $1000 for parts & labor

 

[Mjolsen74]

Has anyone done this with a 2019 or newer? Looks like the 2019's have a sleeve with a boot on each end and it rotates/spins. I'm guessing would need to clamp the hose closer to transom bolt area.

 

[AZMark]

Has anyone done this with a 2019 or newer? Looks like the 2019's have a sleeve with a boot on each end and it rotates/spins. I'm guessing would need to clamp the hose closer to transom bolt area.

That’s correct, clamp over the rubber boot.

 

[Farny]

That’s correct, clamp over the rubber boot.

@Mjolsen74 Be great to see some pics as you do it. I think I’ll add this to my upcoming 100hr self service

 

[Cambo]

I had a cable go stiff where i couldn't move by hand. I detached from both ends and put a deep socket on my drill and got it spinning pretty free and could work in in and out while using the drill.
Was still stiff cause of the heat generated at the bind grew. After it cooled off it moved pretty free

did the same thing but I tried to reverse the drill and it snapped. Should have stopped when it was 90% free . This was on my older boat 2005 lubed the cables every other season and only lost that one

 

[AZMark]

@Mjolsen74 Be great to see some pics as you do it. I think I’ll add this to my upcoming 100hr self service

I posted a couple pics of where I clamped it a page or two back.
Mine held pressure for a very long time that way without any leaks around the tube. I did one clamp on the outter tube that comes through the transom and one out by where the movable part of the cable comes out but I don’t think that one was really doing anything.

 

[Beachbummer]

Cables are cheap, the measures here will prolong the life and save the weekend/season, but consider replacing them when things get dire. They are no fun to deal with when they snap, generally at a crappy time.

 

[drewkaree]

Has anyone done this with a 2019 or newer? Looks like the 2019's have a sleeve with a boot on each end and it rotates/spins. I'm guessing would need to clamp the hose closer to transom bolt area.

Check @HangOutdoors and his post of when he did this. He's got a '20, but it'll have the same black sleeve you're talking about. I've got a '19, so I remember the comments about it and how to deal with it, and I think it was in his thread where he had to replace his steering cable - ridiculous on such a new boat! This was last year, IIRC.

 

[SDAnderson51]

Love it!
Need to do this badly but i just keep spraying wd40 and going back and forth on the throttles till it frees up a bit.

Edit: i had done this on the exciter but with 10' hose and hung it high and let the oil seep through.

Common misconception, WD40 is not a lubricant. It is really for water displacement. Some people have asked if WD40 was okay to use on their guns and the answer is no. Dirt and grit stick to the WD40 and over time is it worse than no lubricant. Silicon, or other lubricants are much better.

 

[AZMark]

Here’s what’s going on under those rubber boots. Both just press on, no mechanical attachment of any kind.

The intermediate steel tube is attached inside the cable somehow, it can spin but won’t come out. Oil can leak between it and the outter housing which is why I had to clamp all the way back on the outter tube that’s connected to the boat.

 

[HangOutdoors]

Check @HangOutdoors and his post of when he did this. He's got a '20, but it'll have the same black sleeve you're talking about. I've got a '19, so I remember the comments about it and how to deal with it, and I think it was in his thread where he had to replace his steering cable - ridiculous on such a new boat! This was last year, IIRC.

Was not a good time at all.

Highly recommend doing what @Cobra Jet Steering LLC recommended. I put wax from a toilet bowl gasket all over the linkeage and where the black boots are on the shaft. Very gooey and very thick. It stays on every few times but keeps water out just in case.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Here’s what’s going on under those rubber boots. Both just press on, no mechanical attachment of any kind.

The intermediate steel tube is attached inside the cable somehow, it can spin but won’t come out. Oil can leak between it and the outter housing which is why I had to clamp all the way back on the outter tube that’s connected to the boat.


View attachment 173931View attachment 173932

The tube inside is crimped to the cable end if this is the cable it really looks like it needs to be replaced , some people attach a hose to the outer cable and then attach a grease gun to the hose and then pump grease into the cable using clamps to hold the hose to the cable and the grease gun , obviously the hose must be long enough to go over the end of the inner cable and if you move the wheel forward and backward it will move the inner cable in and out helping the grease get way up in the cable.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

Common misconception, WD40 is not a lubricant. It is really for water displacement. Some people have asked if WD40 was okay to use on their guns and the answer is no. Dirt and grit stick to the WD40 and over time is it worse than no lubricant. Silicon, or other lubricants are much better.

it was for intercontinental ballistic missiles W = water D= displacement and 40 is how many different tries they did before getting it right

 

[Speedling]

Common misconception, WD40 is not a lubricant. It is really for water displacement. Some people have asked if WD40 was okay to use on their guns and the answer is no. Dirt and grit stick to the WD40 and over time is it worse than no lubricant. Silicon, or other lubricants are much better.

Totally right!
In my effort to write quickly i didn't Go into detail. I don't Know why i rush as i always make mistakes. I use wd40 as a beginner to loosen and i use motor oil, orn have even used leftover gear oil due to the thickness. But i spray a bit of wd inthere because it seeps in well. Pb blaster or similar would work probably too but the thin wd40doesthe job for me

 

[CaptRedbeard]

Thanks to everybody with all the tips in this thread. I took care of lubing the steering cables as well as the bucket cables today. 2006 boat is new to me and I assume original cables and no lubing has ever been done. I chose to pump oil from the helm back towards the stern. I used 1/2" ID braided clear vinyl tubing and these bicycle pump fittings. I just used some 10w30 motor oil I had in the garage and a bicycle pump. I decided to remove the panel at the helm for easier access to the steering cables. Kind of a pain to access all the screws and I had to use my right angle drill bit adapter. I pumped up to 110-120psi (made sure to really crank on the hose clamps so it didn't leak) and let the oil work its way aft.


Took about 5 minutes for the oil to work its way back and begin dripping through the ends of the cables. I'm glad I forced the oil in from the helm instead of towards the helm because there was a good bit of gnarly black water/oil/grime that worked its way out of the cables.


I then disconnected my tubing and reconnected the steering linkage. I worked the steering wheel back and forth with shop towels under the cables to catch the drips from the residual pressure forcing drips out of the cables.


Same process with the bucket cables except there are a few more parts to disassemble prior to hooking the oil tubes up. Very straightforward if you're even the slightest bit handy and have read this thread. Remove throttle housings, pull throttle cable (top cable), then disconnect bucket cable (behind throttle cable). Remove nuts and rubber boots off bucket cable and attach oil tube.


Not near as much grime was pushed out of these cables:


Steering and throttle levers are silky smooth now. Thanks again to all who had tips/suggestions in this thread!