Steering play

[Richierich33]

I hit some rocks last weekend and ended up replaceing the rudder along with the shaft and prop. Now I have a lot of play in the steering that seems to be at the back under the engine. I can move the rudder by hand and watch the metal shaft come in and out of the steering cable at least two inches without the steering wheel moving. If it's just a solid cable inside the outer tube, how can there be play? Where can I find a diagram of how it all works? Thanks for any help.

[Richierich33]

I suppose I should have mentioned it's a 2000 21V Riders Edition with about 350 hours.

[noworries]

Tough luck and it must have been a big job to replace. Maybe you damaged something inside the helm itself that is allowing the inner cable to move.

[dogbert]

I hit some rocks last weekend and ended up replaceing the rudder along with the shaft and prop. Now I have a lot of play in the steering that seems to be at the back under the engine. I can move the rudder by hand and watch the metal shaft come in and out of the steering cable at least two inches without the steering wheel moving. If it's just a solid cable inside the outer tube, how can there be play? Where can I find a diagram of how it all works? Thanks for any help.

Been there, done that. Like noworries suggests, you may have damaged the helm. There's a couple of threads around on replacing steering cables on older boats.

[R&T Babich]

I suppose I should have mentioned it's a 2000 21V Riders Edition with about 350 hours.

We have the same boat and your's probably has a Morse Command 290 rotary helm. The steering cable is essentially one piece with the end at the helm having a large wire wound around the outside of the center cable creating "teeth". Inside the helm would be a gear that meshes into the "teeth" to force the cable one direction or the other. The gear in the helm may have been damaged. I haven't taken this particular helm apart, but it looks like the back plate can be removed with a few bolts and you could take a look at the gears inside.
The Morse Command 290 helm is no longer produced, but there are some still available. Teleflex bought Morse a few years ago. Teleflex makes a replacement helm, but it uses a different cable housing connection. With an adapter a Teleflex cable can used with the Morse helm, but that doesn't help you. Our Morse helm is a tilt helm, a standard helm gear might be scavenged to rebuild the tilt helm. It looks like the tilt mechanism is added to the top of a standard helm, but I'm not sure.

[Richierich33]

I took the helm apart this weekend. It's labeled 310742 Tilt helm drive M8418. There is no play at all in the helm which again leaves me baffled. Someone was moving the rudder about an inch back and forth while nothing moved at the helm. The play is in the middle of the cable so I guess replacing it is my only choice.

[zad0030]

shouldnt that \mean that the problem is the helm, because it should move when the rudder is turned

[dogbert]

If you've not replaced your cable, it's probably time for one.

[Richierich33]

It shows the play is not in the helm. I was watching the cable inside the helm not move as someone was moving the play back and forth at the rudder leaving the cable itself as the only possible problem.

[R&T Babich]

With the steering cable disconnected at the helm can you pull the center cable out of the sheath?

[Richierich33]

I didn't disconnect it yet, just pulled the back plate of the helm to see if the play was there and clearly it wasn't. I just can't understand how play can be inside the cable itself. It must be where the cable attaches to the shaft at the back end. I'm still waiting for Tige' to call me back with the part number although I did find this right on the cable Morse 304411-000-0204.0 8451. Any idea which part of this is the Morse part number?

[zad0030]

I didn't disconnect it yet, just pulled the back plate of the helm to see if the play was there and clearly it wasn't. I just can't understand how play can be inside the cable itself. It must be where the cable attaches to the shaft at the back end. I'm still waiting for Tige' to call me back with the part number although I did find this right on the cable Morse 304411-000-0204.0 8451. Any idea which part of this is the Morse part number?

If my facts are straight morse is no longer around but you can find a matching Teleflex.

[R&T Babich]

... I'm still waiting for Tige' to call me back with the part number although I did find this right on the cable Morse 304411-000-0204.0 8451. Any idea which part of this is the Morse part number?

You don't need Tige to replace the cable. You have a Morse 304411-000-204.0 cable. The 304411 designates the cable end styles and the 204.0 is the length in inches which equals 17 feet. I got a spare from eBay auction #270029087939, he might still have one left.

[Richierich33]

Seems like you're really close with this but on the ebay picture it shows the part number ending in 7401 and mine ends in 8451. Now you broke down every part of the part number except that.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...ayphotohosting

[noworries]

I'd call the seller. Maybe that last number is just a lot number and not material to the cable specs.