Stearing Cable Replacement

[joejoe7600]

Hello I have a 2002 GTX DI and i am having trouble replacing the steering cable. I have tried every lube possible and it is frozen solid. I have the new cable and in my eyes it looks simple. I was able to disassemble the rear part. I posted a couple of pics of the old one and where the new one connects at the top near the handle bars, but i can't unscrew it or take it out or whatever. That rectangular piece that the cable goes into i have tried to unscrew that too and it doesn't move. Any thoughts, tricks, something that i can remove it. Thanks!!

 

[pwcmaster_b]

This might be too late, but if you're still trying to figure this out... There's a bolt that goes through the end of what you have pictured in "old" (blurry in the upper right corner of your picture). Remove that bolt (10mm) then you can slide that out either to the left or right of the bolt you removed. I found that removing the glove box on the other side by carefully drilling out the rivet provides extra visibility and access. The rivets are 3/16". There's also two 10mm bolts locking the black part (steering adjustment) in your new photo. You'll need to remove those bolts and replace the nylon nuts (stainless steel M6-1.0). Those nuts are easily accessed with the glove box out. Note - you'll need a pop-rivet tool to install new large flange 3/16" rivets.

 

[joejoe7600]

Thanks yeah that bolt you were referring too just kept spinning for some reason, but i just sliced the cable and turned it with my hand and it came out, probably not by the manual way of doing things. Well i got it out now just trying to put it back together again. Visually looking at it it looks simple but when stuff sits around just loosening a bolt can be a bother. My brother in law changed it a few years ago in a couple of hours so i was getting pretty frustrated that i had been working on it for such a long time. I have changed the fuel pumps a couple of times with relative ease, but this was just giving me a hassle.

 

[pwcmaster_b]

So wondering if one of two things there's a nylon lock nut behind that bolt and held in place by the plastic steering arm. If that bolt was over-tightened it could strip the plastic that holds it in place OR the nut is missing from the back side. I'm still going through the process of replacing my cable, but I'd say the following might help. A new o-ring for the through hull part is a good idea. Before you pull the cable from the hull note how far the cable is sticking out from the cable lock nut (pump side), or how much of the metal part is exposed inside the hull where it goes through the hull. I thought the o-ring would hit some sort of stop inside the through hull tube, but it doesn't. I had my cable pushed in too far and even with that black adjustment knob back by the steering all the way out it wasn't enough to have the alignment right. On the pump side you have the o-ring in the cable groove, then I put the half rings into the cable lock nut, and slid it on, then tightened. After that you slide on the large boot, then the small boot, then you can attach the nut for the ball joint and the ball joint. You should count the number of turns to remove the ball joint, but I think 6-7 rotations is what you need to be within the spec in the manual. Good luck!

 

[joejoe7600]

i hear what you are saying. My new steering cable is an after market steering cable. I am way short like six inches. I attached it from the steering wheel and still way short and then attached it from the back first then to the steering wheel too and still short. So either way its just too short. Yeah i took out the nut and all that. I have two jet skis and it should work visually just analyzing it. I even took measurements of how much was sticking out of the hull and just does not seem to be the same. I think i ordered it from amazon and just came from a company that doesnt really check these things. I just ordered a used cable from the same model i have (although the new one claimed it would fit) so it will be here friday 06/26/2020. If that one doesn't work who knows. But i will post the results of what happens for those having issues doing this and where or where not to order from.

 

[pwcmaster_b]

Hmm, I also got my cable from Amazon, but it was through SBT's Amazon storefront... I didn't measure the old and new side by side. Don't want to pull it out now if I don't have to, but will if it still doesn't fit after adjustment. This was for a 2006 GTI SE.

 

[joejoe7600]

so this is what i ordered
Sea-Doo Steering Cable GTX RFI/GTX DI 277001323 1999 2000 2001 2002
Comparable to OEM # 277001323, 277001009 and 277000842

I just looked up the make and model and figured it would fit and did not check the part #, which i just checked and is different from amazons part model yet the same model and make, it says it will fit a 2002 gtx dI, just assumed it will fit. But this one was 6-7 inches shorter than one i ordered from ebay who said came off the exact model i have. Live and learn i guess.