Well just got my first boat, and I have been trying to get everything fixed the way I want on it.  The steering was very very tight, so I took that dual cables off of the motor.  I took brake cleaner and cleaned all of the old grease off of the cables and the tubes that they go through.  I then put new marine grease on the cables before I re- attached it, I tried to turn the steering wheel but it is still just as tight at it was.   I have done alot of reading and everyone says the cable is probably frayed making it bind, so it will need replaced.  So my next project is taking them off from the rack one by one to see wich cable is bad, if not both.  My question is how can I find replacement cables so I can get an idea on price before I give my local marine dealer a call?

The cables are going to cost $100 - $150 each, depending on where you find them. Most likely they are going to be the 13' Teleflex, unless someone has added a jack plate, then they may be 14'.

I think you will find them to be a pain to replace, most likely the tank will have to come out and the cables with be secured to loops in the gunwall with tie wraps and have to be cut loose. Then you have all the wires going up through there you will have to be careful not to rip out.

Oh, you will also unbolt the engine and swing it away from the boat to be able to get the cables out of it. The ends are too long to pull out with the motor fastened to the boat.

To be honest with you, if you have to any mechanical abilities, now would be a great time to convert to hydraulic steering, if you are going to pay a dealer to replace the cables.

You should be able to install the hydraulic system without removing the motor. You can just take a grinder or something and cut the cables off and pull them out. The installation is pretty much a follow the book and the cost of the hydraulic system is not going to be much more than what it's going to cost you by the time you drive back out of a dealer's with it.

Plus, this time of the year, the wait is going to be forever at the dealer.

This is probably what you will find in there. http://www.amazon.com/Teleflex-SSC13413-Mount-Single-Steering/dp/B000FQ7LJM

Look about a foot down the cable from the rack end and you should find the part number imprinted on the cable.

Also, do yourself a favor and replace both, if only one is tight now, the other will be later.

I don't know anything about these things so maybe one of the experts on here will give you better info.

 I don't mean to scare you but I recently bought a Skeeter 18' for the motor that was on it. It was a BEAUTIFUL boat except for the fist size hole in the belly. I literally took a sawzall and cut the side of the boat out to get the steering cables out. I can tell you pulling cables is nearly impossible. If I were you I would take the cable loose at the helm ( if its a rotary steer). I would try to get as much WD40 down that thing as possible once a day everyday for a month and work it. Good luck!!

It's not that bad in your Stratos. Most likely the tank will have to come out if it's in the back because it won't leave room to get anything up the side of the gunwall. By the way, you may not think so when you try, but if yours has the rear tank, it will fit through that hole. Unless someone has replaced them once before, the cables will be tie wrapped to some loops for cable guides built into the side. You may also have some of the wires/cables tie wrapped to the steering cables so go easy. Once you get them so they will move back and forth, and have the ends out of the motor, tie 1/4" to 3/8" rope in the eyelet on the motor end. This gives you something to pull the new cable back through with. Use paper towels and wrap around the front and back of the nut on the motor end and tape it up so you make a nice tapper at both ends of the nut to help keep it from hanging stuff when going through. Pull it out from the helm end, pulling the rope with it. When you go back with the new ones, make sure you get the right teeth on the pinion or you will have more steering in one direction than the other.

If you are lucky and someone installed a jackplate, they may have run them out the rear of the boat rather than through the splash well. If so, the will probably come out of the motor without taking the motor off. I not, and you have plans of installing one, now will be the time because it normally takes longer cables to install one. Plus they need to run out the back because trying to feed them out the splash well puts too much of a bend in them.

As for trying to lube yours, don't waste your time. The are stiff because the cable has rusted. Even if you did manage to eventually get some lube all the way through them so the loosen up some, they are subject to break, and it's only temporary, they will stiffen back up before long. Been there, done that several times, it don't last and have had one break and another lock up where the strands broke loose inside and jammed it.

Two people, two or three hours and a way to support motor and you done. 7/16" wrench and a socket, 3/4" wrench and a socket, an adjustable or wrench to fit that big nut, a couple 1/2 or 9/16 to get the bolts out of the ends for the steering arm and something to hold the tubes on the motor the while you screw those big nuts off, and a pair cutters to cut the tie wraps should be about all the tools needed.

I guess I had better quit typing, I might mislead someone into thinking I know what I'm talking about.

I do have a jack plate and I am not sure if the cables have been replaced before.  Im not quite sure what you all were saying about taking the motor loose from the boat to take the cables out?   I have already pulled the cables through the tubes to clean and lube, and left my motor attached.  I do suspect it to be a pain in the butt to replace, but I will just have to watch out for all of the wiring like you said.  I dont think that I will have to pull my gas tank, because the cables run over my cranking battery and out the same holes as the fuel lines and wiring, but I may pull it anyway to make it a little easier and to clean up.  Also I doubt that I will do it, but how much is a power steering set up?  Thanks for all of your help.

If you've already had them out of the motor, then you are half way home. Usually when they come out through the hole in the splash well, they don't have enough room to pull out of the motor. I suspect having the jackplate, someone has already installed 14' cables when they installed it. Giving you the extra to get it out of the motor.

you will have to shop around for the Power Steering, the last one I bought was approx. $600. I made a quick search and here's one on Amazon but usually you can find stuff a little cheaper than their site. http://www.amazon.com/Teleflex-Marine-Seastar-Hydraulic-Steering/dp/B0000AXYHE

When you say the run over the cranking battery, someone may have just pulled all the slack they could get with the existing cables. I usually have to remove the tank to gain access to that side of the gunwall so you can get the cables loose and work around all the wiring.

Like I said though, without having to mess with the motor, it's a piece of cake, should be able to do it in less than two hours. Just make sure you get them back on the pinion right or you will be back under there moving them.

Just noticed, that kit does not include hoses, and they are expensive, so you might want to check those out also.

Wow they are kind of expensive..If I had a little bit newer boat that I planned on keeping for a while I would definatly be going with the power steering.  But this was just kind of a cheap first boat and I planned on doing a little work to it from the start.  I will probably stick with the cables, and hopefully get started on it this morning if it will ever warm up and quit raining.  Thanks for your help brother.

When you replace the cables in a dual cable system do the 2 cables have to be the same length?  I have a 1989 Ranger that has 1 cable locked up but the other one is fine.  I replaced the jack plate a couple of years ago with a longer one and it apparently caused the rear steering cable to kink.  For that reason, I bought a replacement that is 1 foot longer than the original.  Is this going to cause problems?

Did you get it figured out? I have a pair of used 16' cables if you would be interested I would make you a deal on them.