Cable and pulley steering

[Woodwych]

In order to keep the original steering wheel I need to stick with cable and pulley steering.
This was the original set up

I've got new pulleys/cable and springs ready
I've done lots of internet looking but still have a few questions I hope someone can help with?
1 The original pulleys were just screwed to the batten where the deck meets the sides, this seems to have been OK for 50years.. All the internet info says to bolt them through but this would mess up the outside of the hull (which is only 6mm ply anyhow so not very strong) Would a couple of decent screws used with epoxy be OK?
2 I need a new bracket to attach the steering to the outboard, this will need to be custom made to project forward and down from the outboard to meet up with the cable, any ideas where I could get one made?
3 Is the original set up OK? Again all the net info seems to be different.Some say one spring only.Most set ups seem to have 2 more pulleys attached to the outboard bracket with the cable then going back to the side/transom where it ends

Bending some metal to try and get the bracket right..

Thanks

[Rapier]

Sometimes they're screwed, sometimes bolted through - is up to you to decide what you think is safest. I don't like direct steering like that, so always gear mine down with an extra set and terminate at a bottle screw on one side and spring on the other, again boils down to preference. I have got damn irritated with cable on occasion and gone with teleflex, with a vintage wheel - most will slot on to the taper (except your Attwood - rare as hens teeth those half wheels, even in the states).

[Healey75]

Hopefully with this post is a sketch of the set up I've used, you'll need to adapt it a bit to suit the layout of your boat. I have a fairly large drum on the the back of the steering wheel so needed the extra pulleys to get the amount of wheel movement I wanted, I'd look to use this set up with the usual size of steering wheel drum as well on a stock runabout/cruiser... best to rig it temporarily and see how far the steering wheel moves for full port to stbd. 1 spring only on the port side...hope it helps.

Most outboard makers supply a standard steering bracket to go on the engine or if memory serves OMC have a keyhole slot thingy on the front of the engine to take a standard detachable steering bracket

[Woodwych]

Thank you both
How many turns of the wheel are usual to move the outboard from one side to the other?

[Alacrity]

That would depend on the size of the drum & if it was direct steering (as you show in your picture) or geared down (as others show it). Direct steered will be less turns but it will be very sensitive - especially at speed. As Rapier says most prefer geared down & it is far more common that way.

[Healey75]

Thank you both
How many turns of the wheel are usual to move the outboard from one side to the other?

I've just checked the set up on Colliwobble as per my sketch, the steering drum is 100mm dia and it takes just over 3/4 turn from lock to lock, bear in mind this is a little race boat and you have to steer one handed always... I'd personally want more wheel movement on a cruiser/sports boat. I'd expect the standard drum behind the steering wheel with this cable set up to give you around 1 1/2 to 2 turns lock to lock which for me would be about right.

[Tremlett 15]

also see this

http://s282.photobucket.com/albums/kk24 ... =slideshow

[Woodwych]

I did a trial fit, set up the pulleys and cable as it was originally

It sort of worked but the springs catch on the transom bracket and its rather twitchy with just one full wheel turn lock to lock. I wonder if it was set this way because of the half steering wheel so you avoided having to bang your knees ?

Anyhow sounds like I need extra pulleys to gear it down like in the drawings.

And I got my first taste of the frailties of cable and pulley. Swinging the wheel from side to side I suddenly lost all steering movement and assumed a pulley had come off the side but it was actually the circlip at the bottom of the steering column that had pinged off allowing the drum to slide down a small amount and disengage a pin.All good learning

[Rapier]

If you haven't got the 'Attwood' sticker that goes in the centre of the wheel, I can scan mine and you can get a decal made.

[Woodwych]

Thanks that would be great, mine has a capital A in the centre and an "attwood"one on the rim.This was I think in gold but is now just grey writing.

BTW why the spring on the port side?