Steering cable conduit needed?

[gpeacock]

Hi all
I have a 43 ft center cockpit with Edison pull/pull steering and the cable conduit has disintegrated. I can replace the conduit for $23 a foot but am now wondering why I need to? Its not like the cable is ever pushed. Sure the run is long as it snakes 12 ft back to the quadrant but why cant I just use pex (or something similar) to protect the cable and call it done?
Thanks
Gary

[PamlicoTraveler]

Seems like penny wise/pound foolish to me. The terminations on the conduits are critical, and you know Edson is going to have high quality material that will handle the constant movement. I'd say don't do it,

[gpeacock]

Originally I was thinking the same thing but then I priced things:
12 M at 23 per meter: $275
8 end fittings at 30 per fitting: $240
$100 shipping
The big issue with this idea is its special order and there is no guarantee that the new end fittings will fit on my sheaves. Spending over $600 with no certainty of it fitting is problematic for me.
3/8 pex fits almost perfectly in the existing end fittings. Im not sure why this wouldnt work.
The only thing I can think of is that it needs to be a stiffer conduit because when pulled the cable will want to line up and take the shortest distance between the sheaves which it cant do because of the path it takes from the wheel to the quadrant. This would put expansion loads on the end fittings at the sheaves but how bad could it be.
Maybe I should just try this and see how it works?
Gary

[Blue Stocking]

The closing of the loop with pull/pull removes the "lost motion" play. Push/pull will leave you with a spongy helm response.

[S/V Alchemy]

What exactly is this conduit and how does it differ from a length of pipe you can lubricate? Or am I missing something? (One boat is tiller and the other hydraulic steered, so I may be failing to grasp why this is not simply running on little fairleads or sheaves as a tensioned setup in the first place).

[Blue Stocking]

I converted my C & C Redwing from tiller toEdson conduit system about 20 yrs ago. AFAIK, my drawings are still at Edson.
If it were practical to do so, I would convert Blue to the same thing and eliminate those huge sheaves and alignment supports that take up so much of the cockpit lockers.
The flexible cable/conduit system allows much neater and compact packages, IMO, over rigid steering points type.
The almost absence of sponginess and "lost motion" are, I think, strong points.

Edson have all the details online. No connection , just like the system.