I have completed installing my new steering cable. I lake tested today, and it is really good. I did not realize just how stiff my old cable had gotten. Two fingers steering now. It took me three half days to complete.
I have detailed below the process I used. I used the method of pulling new cable from front of boat to rudder end of boat. Because I had no help, am shaped like a Rubics cube and not very flexible, I think this is the only way I could do it by myself. See details below. Thanks for everyone's postings on this subject.
Tom Smothers (oldmanskier)
These instructions are for a 2014 Centurion Carbon Pro with 5.7 PCM Excalibur engine.
This method snakes the new steering cable under the floor from bow end of boat to rudder end of boat.
1: Remove Engine cover.
2: Remove rear backrest cushion.
3: Remove rear floor panel to access rudder.
5: Remove observer bench seat.
6: Remove driver side plastic foot rest.
7: Remove driver side front kick panel. This allows you to see up under bow of boat.
8: Remove driver side-side kick panel. It is the panel left of driver left foot. Consists of a small panel facing towards engine (remove first) and the driver side-side kick panel (remove second). This was the hardest one to get to screws that held panel in place but by removing this side panel it allows easier access to hole in floor panel at front of boat to snake new cable thru to bilge area. May need to pull plastic vent hoses out of floor panel to get better view of area. These pull out easily and can be pushed back in somewhat easily.
9: Remove floor panel pylon goes thru. You may just have to swivel it to one side. This allows you to get to steering cable easier when snaking thru.
10: Remove old steering cable (rectangular metal box attached at steering wheel) from where it is attached to steering wheel.
11: Cut old cable from rectangular metal box that was attached to steering wheel. I used a bolt cutter to do this.
12: Attach old cable cut end to new steering cable end that attaches to rutter. I used Gorilla tape to attach cables to each other. Make sure the old and new cable will not come apart while snaking thru to back of boat. I also taped the cut end of the cable tight against the new cable with electrical tape due to cable ends were sharp where I cut the old cable. I also taped the big nut on new cable you use to attach to sleeve at rudder end tight against old cable. This allows it to not hang or dig into any hoses while snaking thru to back of boat.
13: Pull old cable from the rudder end of the boat till the attached ends of the cable is going thru hole in floor panel at front of boat.
14: Push attached end (where old cable attached to new cable) thru the hole in the floor panel to bilge area under the floor panel. This was the hardest part of installation due to hole thru floor has hoses running thru and made a tight squeeze. I was able to compress the hoses with my fingers and push the attached ends thru to the bilge. Once the long steel shaft and big nut of the new cable (this attaches to rudder) was thru floor, the cable was easily snaked thru by pulling old cable which is attached to new cable to the rudder end of boat. I was lucky in my case that the old cable was not zip tied to anything in the bilge area. Old cable was just lying in the floor of bilge area. New Cable is now snaked all the way from front to the rudder end of boat.
15: Attach new cable rectangular metal box to steering wheel gear.
16: Push new cable at rudder end thru sleeve and tighten big nut on new cable to sleeve.
17: Attach new cable to rudder.
18: Reinstall all panels you removed.
19: Lake test the new steering cable.
20: If all checks out you may need to recenter the steering wheel. I did.