What to use?

[Damien]

I?m running a 3/16 flex cable just wondering what is the best thing to use between drive dog and strut gap??

[30nitro]

Normally just a gap between drive dog and strut...no washer or bushing.... Cable shrinks a bit when under load, You don't want the drive dog hitting the strut at all.....

[HTVboats]

https://www.offshoreelectrics.com/proddetail.php?prod=Octura+3%2F16%22+Shaft+Thrust+Washers%2810+pack%29

Put 2 washers on and a bit of grease and the drive dog will never hit the strut.
Mic

[fweasel]

I prefer to just run with an appropriate sized gap, and no washers.

[RaceMechaniX]

The gap for a collet set-up should be set based on the length of cable. For short cable lengths, smaller gaps around 1/8" are OK. Longer cables should have a larger gap, start with 3/16".
Look for signs of contact between the end of the strut and drive dog and adjust as needed. Ideally, you do not want too much gap.

[Damien]

Thanks guys for feedback I also noticed it takes in a bit of water between gap and runs up the back of strut through the stuffing tube and in the boat any ideas how to stop it

[ray schrauwen]

The gap for a collet set-up should be set based on the length of cable. For short cable lengths, smaller gaps around 1/8" are OK. Longer cables should have a larger gap, start with 3/16".
Look for signs of contact between the end of the strut and drive dog and adjust as needed. Ideally, you do not want too much gap.

Than you for confirming something I have pondered for years!

[NativePaul]

A piece of silicone water tubing or heat shrink tubing over the stuffing tube on the inside of the boat so it lightly touches the flex or wire, will stop most of the water coming up the shaft.

[tales]

marine grease on the cable

[Revolt Flash]

marine grease on the cable

Marine grease works really good for me sporting around on the water.

[785boats]

Beveling the front edge of the drive dog also reduces the water being forced up into the stuffing tube.

The bottom one is beveled. The top one is not.

005.jpg

[Fluid]

Because the cable will shorten differently in each application due to length, stiffness, clearance in the stuffing tube, and load it is not possible to determine a perfect gap. Using washers between the strut and drive dog with no gap means that the cable will be in tension, causing excess drag and stress on the cable. As Tyler mentions above, a minimal gap is best, but you must not have the drive dog touching the strut.

I seldom have used one, but as mentioned a short piece of silicon fuel tubing on the inboard end of the stuffing tube can virtually eliminate water intrusion from the drive line, see below.



bd4r5we4.jpg

[properchopper]

Beveling the front edge of the drive dog also reduces the water being forced up into the stuffing tube.

The bottom one is beveled. The top one is not.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]167501[/ATTACH]

Well I just learned a good tip - Thanks

Dogz 20191227_122226_resized.jpg

In exchange , here's another method which works well to keep water from entering the joint between the stuffing tube and strut - cover the joint with siliconed-inside shrink ; has substantially cured water intrusion for me :

Strut shrink 2.jpg

Here I had to notch the strut to allow the shrink to slip on :

Strut shrink 20191227_123802_resized.jpg

[Capt'n Crash]

I had a similar problem with one of my Pursuits with water entering the stuffing tube. All I had to do to solve the problem was change my method of greasing. After greasing the flex shaft I would put a couple pumps of grease from the gun in the stern end of the stuffing tube before inserting the shaft. Never had a problem after using that method. You do have to make sure to clean the end of the shaft of any grease before inserting it into the collet.

[martin]

As Paul has shown the bevel on the front of the dog helps prevent water being forced into the strut/stuffing tube. I have also been using this method for a long time now along with other usual mods to prevent water coming up the stuffing tube into the boat.