I was out fishing Friday and after a few hours the steering cables on my Minn Kota Maxxum seemed to be binding and limiting my steering capability.  I opened up the head and pedal when I got home and found that my right steering cable is frayed and about ready to break near the pulley in the trolling motor head.  Funny that this is happening now, because I am going to be pulling the trigger on a new trolling motor in the next month or so.  However, I need this one to function properly for an upcoming fishing trip. 

 

I purchased cables and I know how to install them.  My question is about routing the cables through the plastic that acts as a sheath for the cables and the wiring.  I was thinking I would fashion a long wire to run through the sheath and hook it to the end of the cables and then pull each one through the cable jacket.  Is this the best way to do this or does someone know a better way?  Or do the cables go through the jacket easier than this? 

Bueller . . . . Bueller . . . .  Bueller?

 

Anyone have any additional ideas on this?  @Way2slow?

probably need new cables, but if your getting a new motor then it's up to you what you want to do. I always make sure I untwist the cable from the Peddle to the head. Well, not the cables per say, but the whole shebang from the peddle to the head.

Never replaced one of the cables.  

I would hope they cut them with a torch of something that left the strands welded together.  If the strands are not going everywhere, you can probably just push them through.  Unless there is huge amounts of extra hole opening or a lot of friction, cable will act like solid wire when pushing it through.

If it has loose strands, don't have a clue how they would expect you to get it through there.  I doubt you would be able to get and eye bent into the end of a wire to go through.

On 9/11/2019 at 3:14 PM, Way2slow said:

Never replaced one of the cables.  

I would hope they cut them with a torch of something that left the strands welded together.  If the strands are not going everywhere, you can probably just push them through.  Unless there is huge amounts of extra hole opening or a lot of friction, cable will act like solid wire when pushing it through.

If it has loose strands, don't have a clue how they would expect you to get it through there.  I doubt you would be able to get and eye bent into the end of a wire to go through.

Thanks, @Way2slow.  The cables have attachments on each end that keep the strands together and the strands are braided.  The attachments on each end have a piece that is inserted into a small indention on the pulley at each end which holds the cables in place.  I hope it is as you say and the cables are stiff enough to just push through the jacket.  We will see.  The cables arrive on Saturday so I will know soon.

OK, if there is that much extra room inside the sheath for those ends to go through, probably won't push through.  

If you have compressed air, a trick I use for situations like that, is to blow a string through the sheath.  Just put the string in the end you want the cable to come out on, make sure nothing is holding it and using  blow gun start blowing through the sheath.  That should suck the string through it in a heartbeat.   Then you can use the string to pull the cable through.  Sometimes if they get stubborn and you have to make knot like a big ball to help take up room in the sheath, but normally, the will just suck it right on through.

I just finished installing the cables about an hour ago.  The attachments on the ends were hanging on the sheath badly and were very hard to pull through with the other wires that were in there.  I probably would have spent 4 or 5 hours on it trying to get those cables through.  Since I will be getting a new trolling motor soon I just cut the sheath open lengthwise, installed the cables, placed the sheath around the wires and cables, and gorilla taped it.  Everything is good to go.