Pulling cables through already tight passages

[HeadedToTexas]

The engine room of my 2007 Mariner 37 (Helmsman 38) is lined with aluminum faced insulated “pegboard” material. What is the best way to pull nearly an inch worth of cables through an already tight passage between the ceiling of the engine room and the chase between the pilothouse bulkhead and the aft face of the shower? I got the bundle to the tight spot, but no further. Visualizing the actual hole is almost impossible.

 

[Comodave]

Have you tried cable lube? It may help.

 

[Ken E.]

I've used Dawn dish detergent many times.

 

[Comodave]

This is what I use. Got it on Amazon.

Gardner Bender 79-006N Wire-Aide Wire Pulling Lubricant, Greaseless Fiber-Optic Wire Insulation, 1 Qt. Squeeze Bottle, Yellow , White

 

[HeadedToTexas]

Sorry for the slow reply. It was a hard stop when the cables hit the jam. No problem getting the fish tape through, but the four cables added up to more than ¾" in diameter and they hit a hard stop when pulling down into the engine room

Sure seems to me that a new hole is in order. What is that aluminum faced "pegboard" material like inside? Sure would like to know before I start cutting in to it.

 

[cafesport]

Cable and wire restrictions are often asymmetric. Before you break out the power tools you might try an electricians fishing rod ( Klein tools has a variety of diameters and lengths). Perhaps pushing with a rod from the ph to the er would allow you to grab and pull the wire bundle through the restriction.

 

[gonesailing13]

Have you tried spacing the cables one inch short of each other then use electrical tape to tape them together. This way your pulling a tapered bunch like a upside down funnel. Just make sure you tape them up good and use a string to pull them through

 

[Piaro]

I've been fortunate as I worked with a guy once where there'd be a pull and I'd be thinking "no way in hell is a cable going through there" but just keep pulling and sure enough the cable shows up on the other end eventually!



As mentioned lubricant is essential and don't be afraid about using too much! well within reason anyway. Enough to keep it wet but not like you're drenching pancakes. A big help is to pull a shop rag coated in the lubricant through first. Next is to have a helper at the feed end give whatever you're pulling a couple drops every foot or two. If you have the room to lay it out straight that helps too. Cut about a foot of the jacket away, trim/bevel the leading edge of the jacket with a razor knife so it won't hang up on an edge anywhere.


Lastly, if you cut your wire to length first give yourself at least an extra 10 feet for a long pull and a few feet on a short pull. Nothing like making a pull with 10 feet of extra and having only 5 feet extra when it's all done. As it was explained to me, cut it 10 feet extra and you measured right you only lose 10 feet. Cut it even an inch too short and you've wasted the entire run.



Good Luck!

 

[HeadedToTexas]

Wow, great insights, guys. Thank you. I'll give it another go. A few things were working against me on Thursday.

1. I was working alone with no helper
2. I had no lubricant
3. My cables were not "stepped" to create a taper (love this one)

I like the electrician's fishing rod, but my "access" from above is at the bottom of a 48" wall with virtually no visibility. Pushing the tape up from below made it clear that a hole is open, but it's nothing I can see or reach from above.

The bottom of that space is approximately 3" fore to aft and 30" port to starboard. There is what I think is a hole and a half full of wires and cables coming up from the engine room. A new hole would not be a bad thing, but way more difficult than getting these bilge pump cables through the existing hole.

 

[Piaro]

One way to get a fish line or fish tape through some crazy opening is to tie it to a foam ball that you know can fit into the opening, and then have someone hold a shop vac on the other end and try to suck the proverbial golf ball through the garden hose. the person feeding the string can tug or yank on it if they feel it get stuck. It can just be a piece of wadded up cloth, felt, or foam if there are no obstructions in the pull but when there's other stuff in there a small foam ball is about the best thing to use.

 

[DW1979OA]

Sometimes more room can be manufactured by using a fid type device. I made up several sizes using oak dowels that I tapered one end to help get it started. Push it into the space where you want the wires to go and work it around. Starts all and work up in size fid.
Use some of the other suggestions too. Also, is it possible that some of the existing wires are abandoned in place?
A trick told to me that has helped is to use a tapered cone as the leading part of the wires. Cone could be from a sealant cartridge

 

[HeadedToTexas]

At what point does the compressing of wires into a somewhat jagged hole made in that aluminum-faced "pegboard" material risk compromising the insulation on the outer cables?

 

[SteveK]

Have you tried pulling one wire from the bundle at a time?
IF there is room for the bundle it may just be the bundle does not flex and bend enough in a group.
Run a pull string through allowing an extra length to allow tying one cable every say 6 inches staggered.

 

[HeadedToTexas]

That was the trick, Soo. I tried the staggered approach, but that pulled the fish tape out of the tape. I bought a ridiculously expensive long flexible drill (that I hope to use in dirt home projects) that only drilled into an aluminum brace. Dead end.

I had four cables to pull through that bundle and probably should not have gone that safe when selecting cable, but I had what I had. One at a time, they went through with relatively little effort. Done! We launch this morning.

 

[wkearney99]

When I've had to pull cables I've used a wifi-connected inspection camera (aka borescope or endoscope). It's helped QUITE A LOT for seeing where things go, or if I can get something to go through some points.

Bear in mind if you're pulling things were other cables already exist, be mindful to avoid using anything that'll snag on or otherwise tear the insulation on them. That and also avoid excessive tugging force as you don't want to break the conductors inside the cabling. If the cabling doesn't move smoothly then STOP and re-think it. This is where the inspection cam is very handy. Get a look from both sides of a sticking point to see if maybe you could do something like put in a new hole, if there's clearance. Most paddle/auger bits can be had with 1/4" drive ends on them, and you can get extensions for longer reach.