TOPIC: Steering Cable Installation - Help Needed

I need some help from a few of you that have done this before. I had to replace my steering wheel, and the spool on my Owens Speedship, and I am not sure how to proceed. The spool on the left (bottom) was my old unit, with the two holes that the cable went thru to start the winding process. The new steering wheel spool does not have the two holes to put the cable thru, just the long slot as noted in the spool on the right (top). Please advise where I should start and the process. Obviously, you can tell that I have never done this before.
Thanks for any and all assistance.
Regards,
StevieB

THIS HELP ANY ??

My 2nd attempt to post a pic of what I am dealing with.

Aqualift,
Your the Man!
Now,so as to do it right the first time, where do I start? Do I find the midpoint of my cable, then position the cable into the slot parallel to the shaft and start wrapping? Then take it thru the pully system and finally cable tie it at both ends? I was going to start at one end, but it looks like I should start at the spool. Am I on the right track?

Big Thanks!

Also, is this type of spool better that the other in the pic?

Thanks,
StevieB

Yea, you find the mid point and start at the spool. It looks like you have the right idea on how to thread it through the system. Not sure about the other spool design, I have the one your currently trying to wind. Midpoint of cable is taking into account that you have extra cable to work with.

Courtesy Tashasdaddy at Iboats: His diagram is a little confusing, but it gives you the general idea.

Once you get it centered and wound on the spool, wrap it with some duct tape to hold things in place while you thread it through the pulley system.

Take the wire off the bottom of the drum, and thread it through pulleys, (Purple) to the port side of the transom. Now take the wire off the top of the drum, thead it through the pulleys (Green)to the starboard side. DO NOT CROSS THE CABLES, this causes binding.

Set the steering wheel to center. Now take the wires from each side, and run it through the pulley on the motor bracket (Brown) and back to their sides. There should be a spring (small blue) on each side with a loop or pulley. Run the cable through the loop or pulley, bring dead end out and tighten the cable putting tension on the spring. Clamp the cables together. You have to have a good bit of tension, as the tension is what keeps the system together.

Be careful starting at the midpoint of the cable. Since the steering wheel is likely offset to one side or the other, the far side will be relatively longer than the near side. You may want to lay it out so there is an equal amount of cable on the motor ends, roughly follow the path the cable will take to the wheel, and then find the starting attachment point which lines up behind the center of the wheel.

Shannon

Thanks for all of your help!

Regards,
StevieB

This is the best helper that I have found for cable drum instructions ...