Running Trim Tab Wires Forward

[Biscayne208]

Hey guys I purchsed a new set of Lenco tabs for my 208 and plan to install them this weekend. Do any of you guys have any helpful tips for running the wires from the transom of the boat to the helm? I am a little skeptical about how easy or hard this is gonna be.

Thanks,

Ed

 

[Strikezone]

Ed
You should have access to a rigging tube that runs from the stern to the helm. Here's a page from a 208 manual that illustrates the location. Hope this helps.

 

[enfish]

Those rigging tubes are a pain to run wires. What we ended up doing is getting about 30 feet of parachute cord and pulling it through by attaching it to an existing wire we were pulling out to replace anyway. The cord is long enough so that we can attach a new wire to it and pull it through from either direction without losing the cord inside the tube. The cord stays in there permanently and makes running any new wires much easier. If you don't have any existing wires to pull, you'll have to use fish tape. You'll love the trim tabs! Good luck with the install!

 

[Biscayne208]

Strikezone,

Thanks a million for that diagram. I would love to be able to run the wires through the tube. Onoerics parachute cord idea is great if the tube doesnt work, however I would really rather have all the wires running through the same place.

 

[BobP]

Grady installs PVC rigging tuibes from the stern to the bridge area, look under your starboard stern seat, and take the panel off the the back of the console from the cabin side. Same place the steering lines and motor control cables run.

Use the same tubes, you need fish wire, tie a line to it, then pull your new wiring and leave pulling line in place for future pulls.

Alternately, you can pull out something already in there, just tie a line to the end of it when pulling out then you can repull the new Lenco wiring plus whatever you pulled out.

Make sure transom is well sealed for holes you create on the outside.

 

[enfish]

Strikezone,

Thanks a million for that diagram. I would love to be able to run the wires through the tube. Onoerics parachute cord idea is great if the tube doesnt work, however I would really rather have all the wires running through the same place.

Just to clarify, the parachute cord runs through the rigging tube and it's left in there so I never have to fish wires again.

 

[Strikezone]

You'll have to use the rigging tube. Just like Ono said you should leave a pull string in the rigging tube when you finish for the next time you add something

If you do need to use a fish tape just be careful when pulling your cable back through. Make sure everything is taped up with no sharp edges.

I've run cable thru my rigging tube before and it's not too bad a job. Good luck!