Last updated on April 29th, 2020 at 06:29 pm
Therefore, a lot of sellers are still selling the cables as a Teleflex steering cable. Boat Steering Cable Installation Tips. The first step to boat steering cable installation is to be certain that you’ve measured properly and ordered the proper length of steering cable. Pro tip: the number 1 reason for marine steering cable returns is. SeaStar Pro hydraulic steering eliminates the “need” for a steering wheel mounted trim switch. Do not use a wire coil type trim switch with a hydraulic steering system. Wire coil can wind up tight around the steering wheel shaft and prevent further steering!
Are you needing to replace your boat steering cable? Then you’ve come to the right place. However, if you are a beginner with marine hydraulic steering systems, we recommend that you first check out our SeaStar Solutions Hydraulic Steering Guide.
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How To Install Teleflex Pro Trim Kit
Boat Steering Cable Replacement Cost Estimate
Boat steering cable replacement cost at a dealership will run you anywhere from $300-$650, depending on the make and model of your boat. However, many folks opt to do it themselves, as the boat steering cable replacement job is relatively easy.
If you do go the DIY route for your marine steering cable replacement, you can find the best and usually cheapest replacement Teleflex cables on Amazon.
Here are some of the best boat steering cables available for sale.
| BOAT STEERING CABLE | BRAND & MODEL | LENGTH (ft) | RATING | LINKS | PRICE & AVAILABILITY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SeaStar SSC12412 | 12 | 4.8 | Reviews | Check Price | |
| SeaStar SSC13413 | 13 | 4.5 | Reviews | Check Price | |
| Uflex M66X14 | 14 | 5.0 | Reviews | Check Price | |
| Teleflex 14-Feet | 14 | 4.5 | Reviews | Check Price | |
| SeaStar SSC13516 | 16 | 4.9 | Reviews | Check Price |
Teleflex Steering Cable Vs. SeaStar Steering Cable
How To Install Teleflex Pro Trim System
If you have been looking for a boat steering cable replacement online, you have probably been seeing Teleflex cables and SeaStar cables. For example, we have both listed in the table above. Naturally, you may be wondering what is the difference between a Teleflex steering cable and a SeaStar Steering Cable. The answer is “not much”.
In February of 2013, Teleflex announced that it was changing it’s name to SeaStar Solutions. So, when you come across a Teleflex steering cable online, you are actually looking at a cable made by SeaStar Solutions. It seems that people are simply still more apt to search for Teleflex cables, since that is what they are accustomed to looking for. Therefore, a lot of sellers are still selling the cables as a Teleflex steering cable.
Boat Steering Cable Installation Tips
The first step to boat steering cable installation is to be certain that you’ve measured properly and ordered the proper length of steering cable. Pro tip: the number 1 reason for marine steering cable returns is “wrong cable length ordered”.
Follow the boat steering cable installation instructions that came with your cable or kit. Doing so will allow for the maximum reliability and performance of the cable.
Allowing for generous steering cable bends will lengthen the lifespan of the cable. A stiffer cable with tighter bends is subject to more stress, and therefore a reduced cable life.
Replace, rather than reuse, all worn out steering mounting and connection components. Be sure to select the proper replacement parts which are designed specifically for the application. Whatever you do, do not attempt to substitute parts.
When you get to the point of installing the steering cable at the boat’s engine end, make sure that you lubricate the telescopic ram with generous amounts of a good quality, Lithium-based waterproof grease. This step is TREMENDOUSLY crucial if the boat steering cable is connected via the boat’s engine tilt tube.
There is no substitute for regular annual boat steering cable maintenance procedures.
Boat Steering Cable Maintenance Guide
If you are either getting your boat ready for winter or getting it ready for the upcoming boating season, boat steering cable maintenance should be an integral part of your annual boating maintenance ritual. If you don’t keep your marine steering cable in good condition by doing your boat steering cable maintenance, your boat will have rough handling, or possibly a complete loss of steering.
While boat steering cable maintenance requirements will vary slightly depending on the boat, servicing the marine steering cables is usually very similar across all makes and models. Follow the three easy steps below.
Items you will need prior to performing marine steering cable maintenance:
- Heavy marine grease
- Gun oil, machine oil, or a similar lightweight oil
- Grease gun
- Open end wrench
Step 1 – Retract the boat steering cable into the tilt tube by turning the steering wheel as far as you can to one side. Firmly press the injector fitting of your grease gun onto the boat’s steering cable nipple (grease fitting) and squeeze or pump the grease gun’s handle in order to generously lubricate the steering cable. Keep pumping the grease until it oozes out around the gun’s injector fitting and the nipple.
Step 2 – Ensure that the steering link rod fasteners are tight by gently trying to shake them using an open end wrench. It’s important to check that the nylon insert lock nut is resting on top of the steering link rod. Also be sure to check that the washer is securely seated underneath the nylon insert lock nut. You will notice that the boat steering cable is affixed to the boat’s steering link rod.
Step 3 – Lastly, using gun oil, machine oil, or a similar type of lightweight oil, lubricate the steering link rod pivot points.
Boat Steering Cable Boot Description
A boat steering cable boot is usually made of rubber and is designed to be installed on top of the output end of the boat steering cable on the engine end. The boat steering cable boot provides complete protection from weather and other elements, and it also helps to prevent the lubrication on the cable from being washed away.
A boat steering cable boot will run you about $10-$50, depending upon which one you need. Click here to check prices on the boat steering cable boot for your boat.
Is Your Boat Steering Cable Stuck?
Sometimes, if your boat has been sitting for an extended period of time, your boat steering cable may become stuck. There are a couple of different methods to try to resolve your boat steering cable being stuck.
How To Install Teleflex Pro Trim Machine
You could first try using a little WD-40 and a rubber mallet to see if you can loosen up the stuck boat steering cable. If that doesn’t work, you can follow the instructions in this video we found on how to deal with a boat steering cable stuck.
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| ContinuousWave Whaler Moderated Discussion Areas ContinuousWave: Small Boat Electrical Mercury FOURSTROKE Trim Gauge Installation
|
| Author | Topic: Mercury FOURSTROKE Trim Gauge Installation |
| seaboss19b | posted 04-24-2008 06:01 PM ET (US) I have a [here a model year was mentioned but by that year, Mercury Marine had abandoned the use of model year designators] Mercury 115 [here the term 'four stroke' was used, but Mercury calls their motors that use a four-cycle combustion cycle 'FOURSTROKE'] motor that I'd like to install a trim gauge. My dealer, 60 miles away, says it is a no-brainer. Well, I crawled under my center console and looked for the wires he described, but couldn't find them in the bundle coming out of the throttle control box. I did see a red, blue and green wire coming from the tril/trim switch. Are tese the wires I should use or do I need to keep looking for the wires specifically designated for the meter? Any help would be greatly appreciated, |
| jimh | posted 04-24-2008 11:20 PM ET (US) Get the schematic diagram for the circuitry you are trying to install. |
| seaboss19b | posted 04-25-2008 06:04 AM ET (US) I have a Teleflex trim gage and the schematic they provided is almost useless. I've also looked online for the schematic for the power trim circuitry, but haven't run across one for late model 4-strokes. I know this is a simple install, I just need to find the right wires to connect. |
| swist | posted 04-25-2008 08:35 AM ET (US) In the 2004 version of that motor, the wire is brown/white (you only need one). It may be taped or tiewrapped to the bundle in the console such that it is hard to find, do some more poking - you may have to unwrap the bundle a bit and then re-tiewrap it when you find it. The other end of wire is inside the engine cowling at the rear just behind where the rigging hose goes in. The gauge sender on mine just screwed into pretapped holes that were already in the engine transom bracket. Two wires come out of the sender pot - one goes to ground under one of the mounting screws, the other you run up to the engine through the rigging hose gland. It's basically plug-and-play! It took me about an hour to install my gauge, and 45 minutes of that was cutting the hole and dealing with the not-so-great rats nest of wires behind the instrument panel, with little slack and very tight working room. Note this is not exactly the same engine, and changes may have been made in recent years. Jim's advice to find a wiring diagram is the way to go. |
| GreatBayNH | posted 04-25-2008 10:21 AM ET (US) http://www.continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/wireColorCode.html ..to back up what swist said. |
| seaboss19b | posted 04-25-2008 03:42 PM ET (US) Thanks for the quick response. I don't want to offend anyone who's tried to help me,but I think there may be sone specific information that I need. I have two wires coming out of the throttle control box, one red & yellow and the other red. I hav one wire coming out of the trim sensor, solid black wiht a white stripe. I can't seem to find the link between the two. I appreciate all the infomation so far, but I really need 2007 specific, 115 ho, 4-stroke info0rmation. I'm not a dunderhead, just new to boating electrics. Please don't be offended with my response. Thanks, Bruce |
| GreatBayNH | posted 04-25-2008 04:14 PM ET (US) Questions: 1) Did you purchase the trim sensor with the trim gauge or does that model Mercury engine have it built in? 2) What model Boston Whaler do you have? I can only speak to the 2006 Montauk 170 with 90HP FourStroke EFI YamaMerc. I had to purchase the sensor and gauge (2 parts). The brown wire with white stripe (that connects sensor at transom to gauge at console) was pre-run at the factory. plug and play! |
| davej14 | posted 04-25-2008 04:24 PM ET (US) Ditto GreatBayNH. I also had an unused brown wire with white stripe and it was plug and play. Any unused wire that will interconnect the sensor at the motor to the gage will work, there is no current load of consequence. Just use what you have and put a label on it for future reference. |
| Casco Bay Outrage | posted 04-25-2008 08:19 PM ET (US) Bruce - I looked at the trim gauge installation instructions PDF on the Teleflex site and the document really sucks. Have you tried emailing Teleflex customer support? From their page http://www.teleflexmarine.com/cgi-bin/page.cgi?site=home&type=us& page=1012 Send an email to [email]jfedersel@tflx.com[/url] For everyone's benefit, what were the instructions your dealer gave you (in original post)? |
| swist | posted 04-26-2008 07:45 AM ET (US) Seaboss - I think there is some confusion here. If I am reading you correctly, you are talking about wires that come out of the console control box. The tilt/trim switch on the control has absolutely nothing to do with the tilt/trim gauge. The switch controls the motor that moves the transom bracket. The sensor reads the position of that bracket and sends it back to the gauge. There is only one wire involved. (The return loop from sensor to gauge is via ground). The other mounting posts on the gauge are for lighting, power, and ground. (Power usually comes from a purple wire you see strung between the gauges - it is only hot when the ignition is on so the gauges won't drain juice when the engine is off. |
| jimh | posted 04-26-2008 09:24 AM ET (US) Mercury has a couple of different motors they call the 115 FOURSTROKE. One power head was made by Yamaha and the other was made by Mercury themselves. However, in either case, I suspect that they used their own electrical harness, and they may have used the same mounting and tilt system. But it helps us to determine which motor you have if you mention it as being either the Yamaha-Mercury motor or the petite Verado or Veradito motor, which is the all-Mercury motor. Yes, I know this is somewhat awkward, but since the official name for both motors is 115 FOURSTROKE, it does not help us resolve the ambiguity about which motor you have. After 2006 there are no model years used with regard to Mercury outboard motors, so you cannot identify the motor by inventing a model year for it. As mentioned, in conventional gauge rigging there are usually three circuits which are strung among the gauges in common: --VIOLET is the +12 Volt DC battery via the ignition switch --BLACK is the battery negative --LT BLUE or BLUE is the gauge illumination circuit, usually via a panel switch A trim gauge will have one and maybe two additional circuits. --WHITE with TAN is the sender to gauge circuit, all have this circuit --BLACK with TAN is the sender isolated ground, if used. If the motor did not come with a trim gauge, it may not have a trim sensor. There may be a wire in the electrical harness for use with the trim gauge and the trim sensor. If there is not, it usually is not too difficult to add a wire, although you will have some trouble buying a small length of wire with WHITE with TAN insulation to install. |
| seaboss19b | posted 04-27-2008 02:28 PM ET (US) Well, I got it figured out and working. I'd like to thank all of you thant responded to my distress call. jimh really set me on track. I wasn't aware that there were two different types of Merc 115 hp 4-strokes. I have the Yamaha/Mercury version and everthing was right where you said it would be. I did have to dig deep in the wiring harness, but found the right wires, did as I was told and viola, the trim gauge works perfectly. Thanks Again for everyones input. Bruce |
| mikemdd | posted 04-29-2008 09:48 PM ET (US) Bruce, How were the wires terminated on each end? Just loose in the bundle? I assume they were not connected to anything? Were there any labels on the wires? Mike |
How To Install Teleflex Pro Trim Tool
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