2015 Z3 steering cable replacement

[boatwakes]

Super fun job for those who've done it. After having just replaced the prop shaft, coupler and cutlass bearings I felt another session of boat yoga would be good for me. Since we had to drop the rudder to perform the above this became a 2 person job and my son was able to hold the rudder in position while I attached the steering arm, woodruff key and pinch bolt. We noted no woodruff key was installed in the rudder during disassembly and it looked like a 5 year old had been playing with the 5200 around the rudder plate underneath so it was inferred the same idiots who had replaced the prop shaft before we bought the boat had to also replace the rudder. My neighbors came over to see if I was okay during the cable removal because of the profanity. I have no words for the routing of the cable beneath the engine. We had to remove the pivot block because the cable nut was seized to the steering tube so I just cut the cable and took it over to the vise where it was loosened easily. We taped a wire fish to the end of the cut steering cable in the boat and then pulled the old cable out through the driver's area. Taped the new cable end to the wire fish and then pulled it through without incident. Ran the cable over the top of the fuel tank and down the PORT side of the engine compartment, put the pinch block back together and reconnected the cable end to the rudder clevis. Steers with just a finger now, love it. Took just over 6 hours because of the original routing.