Steering Cable - Nautique 200

[Interjon]

Sorry for the second steering cable related discussion.

 

I have a Nautique 200 with 500 hours. When steering to the right and moving back to center the cable/steering gives a slight pop, that can only be felt, not heard. Not overly harsh, but it is noticeable. Do I need a new steering cable, just grease, anything else? Please let me know.

 

ps. I figured many on here have dealt with a similar issue. Thank you greatly in advance. Also, this boat is a 2019 (Bryant) 200, but I doubt that makes any difference with this issue.

[JayG80]

I had similar issue with a 196. It was annoying as heck.

 

The vertical rudder play was too much, I added a large washer on top of the rudder below the tiller arm. I questioned if I left one out or messed up reassembly after greasing the rudder. Get under the boat while it is in cradle or on trailer and see if the rudder can be pushed up and down.

[swc5150]

I had that happen on a 196 and it was the rudder packing needing to be replaced. I replaced the cable first, only to find out that wasn't the problem.

[jhughes]

Check to make sure the rudder tab is not loose. Additionally what speed do you feel this at? I've felt this at lower speeds and I believe adjusting the tab has helped.

[skiinxs]

I would start off by shooting some grease in the rudder. If you take the floor port out behind the motor box and reach over toward the port stringer, you should find a grease fitting at the end of a small hose. That fitting goes back to the rudder port.

[Jody_Seal]

Could be a myriad of items to check out.

First I would pull the engine box and floor board from the boat and put the boat back in the water. Have some one either drive or inspect while under power and duplicate the problem. If you can see where the glitch is then it takes a lot of guess work out of the equation..

[JayG80]

While you are back there make sure the clamp box on the steering cable pivot ball is tight. I had one that was loose about 20 yr ago. It eventually wore the box out enough to pop off the pivot ball. Wow, things got exciting real fast!

[LarryPL]

Related issue on our 2010 Ski Nautique 200 - seems the steering arm is slightly loose on the rudder shaft. Dose anyone have dwg of the rudder shaft to steering arm area they could share? Seems I will need to remove the fuel tank to be able to thoroughly investigate and correct the problem.

[Mateo_Vargas]

I had that problem on my 196. There was play where the rudder arm is bolted to the rudder. Had to remove the safety wire, tighten the bolt an re-install the safety wire. Easily accessible in the 196.

[DavidN]

No need to remove the gas tank.

Just remove engine cover (dog-house), remove rear bench (if installed at all), pull the rear seat back rest and the floor panel. Everything is accessible that way pretty easily.

 

Proceed as Mateo described.

 

 

[DavidN]

 

[Jody_Seal]

The Bryant 200s are not that easy. I did a steering cable in one last year. Truly a poor application on the cable as impingement and lot of disassembly as well as modifications to components to reassemble and correct the impingements. Was a pain in the ass!

Took me 8 hours on the first one i did

Prbably could cut the time down nearly in half on the next one.. saws All will be necessary!

[rockdog]

I've got this exact issue in my 196 and could not work out what the fix is. @Mateo_Vargas so it's as simple as tightening the top bolt? Did you replace packing or add some grease also?

[Mateo_Vargas]

@rockdog it's that simple. Have someone wiggle the rudder and you can probably see if that's the issue. I still grease periodically but tightening the top bolt took out the clunk I was getting.

[LarryPL]

Wow - thanks for all the great info ??

[Stevie Boy]

@Jody_Seal we wanted to change our steering cable on a Bryant 200, seemed like the impossible task, how did you get around the end fitting inpingement problem, we were worried about invalidating the warranty if we started cutting the pedestal about, also do they, still cable tie the cable down the internals of the boat ?

Does Nautique now have a recognized procedure, for this task ?

 

[Jody_Seal]

@Stevie Boy

You have to remove the cross bar that attaches the pylon to the the stringer That's a pain in the ass to get out . Once it is out that is the part that needs some love with a saws all .

Attached is the notch I sawed into the cross angle bar as well as trimmed about 1/6 if an inch off both ends to get it put back together. I also had to remove the tank to get access to the rudder port. And yes they have zip ties you can't reach so the best thing to do is with a pair of good bolt cutters cut the rack end off and pull it through the ties and yes you will have get tough and will break a few.

Getting cable back around under the helm area is a bitch too, it will take two people..

As far as warranty if your worried about that you need to take it to the dealer.

Good luck!

 

 

 

[Jody_Seal]

Ever wonder where the mold in your seats originate?

Steering cable replacement on this 206, bilge and interior panels were black. It also resides in the bilge . Pressure washing mitigates the problem to some extent. Also one stays cleaner when standing on head in bilge!