Fitting Drive Unit Srd12; Changing The Steering Cable - Simrad AP14 Manual

• Use the bezel plate as a template to mark the
mounting holes that will need to be drilled.
• Take care when drilling not to damage or
sever any wiring or cables behind the dash-
board - if necessary tape these out of the way
temporarily until the holes have been drilled.
• If it is necessary to enlarge the existing steer-
ing shaft hole in the dashboard for the drive
unit, use a piece of wood clamped over the hole
as a guide for the hole saw. This will ensure
that the hole is cut accurately and the bit does
not jump while drilling, which could scratch or
damage the dashboard. Exercise caution while
doing this.
Fit the bezel plate to the dashboard, but do not
fit the plastic cover at this point.
Remove the steering cable from the helm unit
by unfastening the retaining bolt at the cable
entry and exit ports. Pull the cable outer away
from the helm unit (Fig 5.4), then the cable
inside can be wound out by turning the steering
shaft (it may help if the wheel is refitted).
• Make a careful note of how the helm unit is
fitted to the dash and which side of the helm
that the cable is inserted - if this is refitted incor-
rectly the steering will work in reverse.
If the steering cable is not compatible with the
SRD12 drive unit it will need to be changed for
a Morse cable, which can be ordered from any
Morse stockist. The part number of the cable is
304411-xx, where xx refers to the length of the
cable required in inches (1 inch = 25mm).
See section 5.4 for advice on changing the cable.
5.3 Fitting SRD12 Drive Unit
Before winding the cable into the SRD12 drive
unit, apply a thin coat of Teflon grease to the
exposed section of the cable. Insert the plastic
take-up tube into the exit port and refit the
retaining bolt to hold it in place (Fig 5.5).
If required, fit the cable adaptor to the steering
cable to enable it to fit to the drive unit.
Insert the steering cable into the entry port of
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Fig 5.4 - Remove retaining bolts to allow cable outer
to be disconnected
Fig 5.5 - Fit take-up tube to the exit port and replace
retaining bolt
the drive unit and wind it in by turning the
steering shaft. The cable should wind into the
drive unit and emerge through the exit port into
the take-up tube (Fig 5.6). Push the cable outer
retainer into the entry port and refit the retain-
ing bolt to hold it in place.
Position the drive unit behind the dashboard,
and bolt it to the bezel plate. Fit the plastic
cover over the bezel plate (this should simply
snap into place). Secure the bezel retaining ring
to the drive shaft, insert the locating key (or
"woodruff key") into the recess on the steering
shaft and refit the steering wheel (Fig 5.7).
• Depending on the layout of the dashboard and
steering system, it may be easier to fit the drive
unit to the dashboard first, then insert the cable.
Rotate the wheel fully from lock to lock to check
that the steering works smoothly across its full
range and that it is steering in the right direc-
tion. If the rudder moves in the opposite direc-
tion to the wheel, the cable has been inserted
into the drive unit the wrong way and needs to
be inserted in the other port - swap the cable
and take-up tube over.

5.4 Changing the Steering Cable

The accessibility of the steering cable run will
depend on the size of the boat - on smaller
powerboats the cable is usually easily accessi-
ble, but larger boats may run the cable through
ducts that are more difficult to access.
• Changing the cable will be easier if a mouse
(or "tag line") is attached to the end of the exist-
ing cable before it is removed. This can be used
to pull the new cable through.
• Use a strong line for the mouse that is not like-
ly to snap easily, but is thin enough to pass
down the duct behind the cable.
• Tie the mouse securely to the cable and use
tape to reinforce the joint. Pull the cable
through from the rudder end while feeding the
mouse line from the steering end. When the old
cable has been completely removed, attach the
mouse to the new cable and use it to pull it back
through from the rudder end.
Fig 5.6 - Wind steering cable into helm
Locating
("Woodruff ") key
Fig 5.7 - Fitting drive to dashboard and attaching
wheel
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