Ray, I beg to differ. The Edson website has plenty of maintenance information. What part of pages 2 & 3 of the checklist isn't enough material for you? [url]http://www.edsonmarine.com//support/PDFs/inspection/EB372SteeringInspect...

Stu,

Maybe you are reading something that Ray and I do not see in the INSPECTION SHEET provided by your link to Edison.

It covers inspection and lubrication, suggests that you adjust cable tension but, gives no cable tensions or indication as to how to access the turnbuckles. I believe this is what Ray was asking for.

AHHHH. Retract that, I do see that they show the cables should be adjusted to 1" deflection per foot though it does not tell you how much force to apply for the 1" deflection.
Maybe someone could clarify this for Ray.

Steve and Ray, there is the associated installation manual, available right on the Edson site above the link I provided for the inspection sheet, that includes that info. The Edson material is quite good, but like one of my colleagues continues to remind our C34 message board registrants, Ya Gotta Read It!:):):)

I have only accessed them from the aft cabin, if that helps.

[QUOTE=raymond kalinsky;2484]My question or answer, which is not at the edison site, is how do I get to the cables. Best and easiest way. 1. Thru the aft cockpit lockers or 2. from the area under the cock-pit in the aft cabin.[/QUOTE]

Ray, I see. It would seem that it depends on what cable adjustment you are talking about. If it's just the cable clamps themselves, the lazarette because the quadrant is around the rudder shaft and I recall that on our boat you remove the cover of the quadrant enclosure box to expose them. If you wanted access to the idler pulleys and pins, then the aft cabin 'cause they're the primary reason for the bump back there. The Edson site shows our systems as the same ([url]http://www.edsonmarine.com//support/steering_system_replacement_parts/in...)

Given your experience, how do you deal with the "1 inch deflection per foot" thing that Steve mentioned, or is it one of those ""just snug but not sloppy" things?

Thanks, Stu

PS --- For others interested, this is the other link from the main Edson site with the detailed description of the How It Works: [url]http://www.edsonmarine.com//support/PDFs/planning/EB381SteeringGuide.pdf...

The main Edson site is [url]www.edsonmarine.com[/url]

Ray,
I made this adjustment last year, and I may have even posted on it. (It may be worth searching because I have probably forgotten some of the details) As I recall, the adjustment for the cables is actually inside the quadrant. The cables attach to an eyebolt, and there is a nut on the eyebolt that tightens the cable by pulling on the eyebolt. There should also be a locknut.

I adjusted the cable from the aft cabin, one side at a time, by swinging the rudder.

One important thing to remember is that adjusting the cables changes the relationship of the wheel to the rudder. I like to have a spoke pointing straight up when the rudder is centered. I centered the rudder by looking over the stern, then marked the quadrant with a sharpie so I knew where the centerline was. Then I adjusted the port and starboard cables until the wheel and rudder were in line.

You want the cables tight enough so that both cables stay taut when the rudder is under load. There should be no play in the wheel when you rotate the wheel back and forth. This will also improve the responsiveness of the autopilot BTW.

Dave

Ray,

I have no idea why it's taken me so long to "rediscover" what I consider to be one of the finest reference books in my library and I apologize for the delay. I was talking to a friend of mine in Chicago the other day about steering systems and he mentioned Calder's [I]Boatowners Manual[/I]. Boy, am I slow these days, must be the second surgery on my leg.

Page 435 of the second edition:

[I][SIZE="5"][COLOR="Blue"]"As a general rule of thumb for an open cable system, with moderate finger presuure, it should be possible to depress the cable between sheaves 1 inch per foot of cable run, but no more."[/COLOR][/SIZE][/I]