Since I already had a hole there the center bit of the hole saw was useless.
BTDT...when I had to cut the almost 4 inch hole for my shore power, it turned out I had bought the right size hole saw on the label but the wrong one had been packaged
Good thing it was undersize, and not oversize
Anyway, I held a piece of wood stock across the back of the hole, marked the center using geometry, and used that as a guide for the center drill to make the correct size hole.....twisted my arm patting myself on the back..
Gave the steering system a full system check yesterday afternoon. All seemed to work fine. The only thing I notice is that when I turn to the right and then turn back to the left I can feel the steering rod bolt "slipping" or something (you can feel and hear a click/slip).
How loose should that bolt be? I currently have the bolt going through a washer, then through the steering rod, then through the starboard rudder bracket, then through another washer and that is where I put on the lock nut. There is probably 1/4 to 1/2 inch of threads that I could tighten down more but I figured it was supposed to be a little loose to prevent binding.
But now I get a slight slip (clicking feeling as I unload the steering rod from the right back to the left).
But it works great. The wheel turns much easier. Definitely doesn't feel like I am fighting the steering as it felt like in the past.
And from the instruction sheet that came with the system it says that I should "periodically clean the steering rod and apply a waterproof grease". The old steering rod was dry as a bone...probably why it "seized up".
Today I motored for about an hour (40+ minutes at WOT) and sailed for over 2 hours watching the parade of ships for Harbor Fest and Sail Virginia. No problems (except that slipping sound/feel).
Snug it down and see if that resolves the click/slip. You need very little free-play where those widgets are all hooked together. With the locknut almost snug, maybe a single drop of 30wt motor oil is all it needs ... orif you're planning to lube the pushrod anyway, add a tiny dab of grease into the bolt & washer stack.
I hope this thread is not dead because I too grinded the teeth off the rack on my steering cable to my 2005 M26...
I have several questions:
1) can I just replace the steering cable/rack without having to replace the the steering shaft/pinion?
2) I see that the "STEERING CABLE 8' TELEFLEX SSC13408" is listed on the MacGregor website parts list, but my cable also is labeled with "DETMAR B04 8 FT BCT". Did MacGregor change from DETMAR to Teleflex? If so, is are they interchangable (can the Teleflex rack fit with the Detmar pinion)?
3) I visited several website the have the Teleflex cable and say: "Upgrade the new backmount rack to dual cable steering with only a cable change. Works with either the SH5210P standard, or the SH5230P NFB backmount helms, will not work with older SH5097/5098 helms." Should I order the dual cable?
Unfortunately I'm too junior to this site to be able post my pix. Appreciate your help! EricM26
I also had the Detmar B04 on my 2005 and replaced it with the Teleflex SS141 (8').
Worked fine. It came with a new steering shaft as well. Basically all of the original parts were replaced...so no issues with interchangeability.
Replacement was not overly difficult...considering I am normally a mechanical clutz.
I have no info on the dual cables. I tried to keep it simple. But if you have the time and the inclination this may be a good time to replace with a rotary system...many here have said it works very well.
PM or EM me if you have any specific questions.
Jim
P.S. On Edit: The reason mine broke in the first place was the cable froze up. Apparently it must be lubed periodically. I believe there is another thread about lubing the steering cable.
I believe at some point in the not-too-distant past, Teleflex acquired Detmar, so it's quite likely same product, different name.
AFAIK the main reason for dual-cable is when you have two OBs. Or possibly you can have a symmetrical setup with a cable going to each side giving a balanced push-pull operation. I've heard this can be done but never seen it, probably only useful for power boats with big OBs. I can't see much benefit in dual-cable on a Mac, and you'd have to do a lot of modding to install it anyway.
C130king, I was the SIGINT O in 1983-86 at DM. I participated in the site survey for Sembach. I got my parts delivered this afternoon and plan to take off from work early tomorrow to try and put it together. Hope to be able to sail a few hours in the evening without having to reach back and heave the engine to turn. We'lll see how it goes....
I further improved the standard teleflex by moving the point where it attaches to the rudder arm which now gives 3.5 turns lock to lock and it is that smooth you can turn it with the steering wheel shaft but did also lube it.
I think by moving it out it helped also by taking a bit of bend out of the tube.
Well I finally got it all fixed. Friday I had to take the whole pedestal box off the pedestal stand/shaft and take it home to work on because I found that the new steering cable with its rack teeth would not fit into the existing pinion gear on the steering shaft. (The new steering shaft does not have the 'probe' arm that is on the original steering shaft.) I had to disconnect all the wires, fortunately I numbered the wires with tape so I could easily match them together later. So Saturday in my garage, I removed the steering wheel and then discovered that I had to use a jigsaw to the hole for the steering shaft in the pedestal box and enlarge it to 2" in order to fit the new steering shaft. Once I got the rack and pinion cable and steering shaft all connected I took it back to the boat on Sunday. I dropped the steering cable down the pedestal stand/shaft and then tried to bolt the four bolts that attach the pedestal box to the stand. Unfortunately I could only get three of the four to align, but it seems really tight. As I said, I was glad that I numbered all the wires because (several of the wires are the same color) it made it easy to connect them. Not withstanding being slowed up by three fifteen minute thunderstorm cells with soaking rain and high winds, I was able to get it all hooked up. The wheel steers smoothly, the rudders and motor turn responsively, and all the electrical systems work. I finished with a nice sunset over the marina, so now I've got to take it out for 'sea trials'. Thanks for all you advice. Eric
Today, on my second sailing day on the M26, I ran aground while trying to help my wife trim the sails. I got so excited about trying to get off the grounding as soon as possible that I forgot to raise the rudders while motoring out of it. After getting out, I started to notice problems with the steering to the left side and mostly while sailing, motoring was easier. I felt some resistance when turning left that yielded to some force on the wheel with the sound and sensation of a click. ( I had felt the same resistance- although not as bad- on the sea trial and yesterday on my first day with the Mac. I was a little concerned about it but since I did not have a clue about it's origin I thought it was some junction getting loose or something like that. The prior owner noticed my concern in the sea trial and commented that he used to resolve that by lubricating the junctions...).
After the grounding, the resistance followed by one click when turning left became an even stronger resistance with a louder click. After a minute it turned into resistance when turning both ways, and right after that it became many soft clicks to both sides with little to no-resistance. I lost complete control of the steering. Had to throw the anchor, when the boat pointed windward, lowered the sails, call for help, and a fellow sailor towed me to the marina (for two hours). God bless you Jason!
After reading your excellent posts, it seems to me that the boat already had one or two teeth of the rack and pinion failing and that the grounding just made the problem worse and accelerated the process. It was very hard to steer the boat ever since I tried it the first time, usually when turning to the left. ( ? Makes me wonder if the cable had been ever lubricated- the prior owner just mentioned he used to lubricate the junctions in the aft cabin, no mention of lubricating the cable ever- and this was the basis for the very onset of the problem...)
Finally, I need some advice. I have no skills, tools, time, or guts to mess with the mechanics myself. I have to rely on mechanics to get the job done. The boat is in the marina's shop for repairs. What do I need to know/do to oversee or direct- if needed- the repair process? How much should it approximately cost after all is said and done? You guys mentioned multiple different rack & pinion systems made by multiple manufacturers, as well as satellite systems. Which of those systems would ultimately be the best compromise between ease of repair, longevity, reliability, and quaIity of steering? Have any new better systems with the right fitting dimensions been released since the last posting?
I cant help the guy above but i will say the whole steering system seems marginal. I read somewhere that M models have exceeded 17 knots under sail. I will certainly attempt that with mine, and if it takes a good surf down an eight foot wave to help her do it, then so be it. I sure dont want steering troubles during that little advnture.
What was the matter with the cable and pully systems that saw many boats across oceans?
Would it be possible to get a machine shop to fabricate the pot metal gears out of some real marine metal like ohhhh i dont know, hmmmm what kind of metal would like last freeking forever? Hmmm now , could it be...BRONZE??
Id pay a few hundred bucks to prevent problems in the first place, before i thrash the yacht across 90 miles of Bahama banks to Chub Cay. Where if anything does break youll be limited to what you can find in the town dump. Been there done that already, with the v222. Made a whole new tiller, thats still on the boat today.
The rudders on all my boats, bar none, seem to have required attention. I dont want the frickan things falling off or screwing up some dark night when your down to the third reef and you really need them to work.
Ixneigh
and replaced it with the 
