Conversion to hydraulic power steering

[HotTommy]

I recently put my old pontoon boat (24' with 115 HP) in the water for the summer and was reminded of how heavy the steering is. That started me thinking about converting to hydraulic steering some day. So I'm interested in hearing from those who have converted from mechanical steering to hydraulic. How easy / hard was the conversion? Was it worth it? Are there other less costly ways to significantly reduce steering effort?

 

[HotTommy]

Disregard the word "power" in the title. It was just habit at work.

 

[GA_Boater]

Are there other less costly ways to significantly reduce steering effort?

Yes.

First make sure the motor swivels freely when the steering cable is disconnected and second, a full helm and cable kit.


Hydraulic will work easier until the swivel finally freezes if it's binding with old, hard, crusty grease and rust.

 

[Scott Danforth]

hydraulic steering is great....when properly maintainted

PSA - remember, if you see a drop of oil your hydraulic system has a leak. if it leaks more than a few drops you may not have any steering. two people died down here recently in a bass boat doing 70mph and couldnt steer when they hit the bridge during a fishing tourny. they were told the day before that the oil on the carpet (by fellow tourny folk) under the helm was a leak in the helm seal and to get it fixed before they went out.

 

[ahicks]

I would be watching for used stuff. Sometimes you can pick that stuff up pretty reasonable - as long as you figure you are buying a rebuildable core.

 

[NYBo]

GA_Boater has it right. It sounds like your steering system has a problem. A 115 should be okay with a properly working cable system.

 

[ahicks]

Tommy, I have a 120 Johnson on my latest project boat. I can move the engine from one side to the other quite easily. I'm here to agree with you though, that this boat, when trimmed out at speed, does NOT turn so easily. The trimming process does load the steering, and under those conditions, I understand the hydraulic setups offer quite an advantage. There's good reason they are used on the bigger outboards.

No, you don't have to have one on a 115, but it would be darned nice IMHO.

The other advantage would be a "no slop/play" steering system I would think. Nice on a windy day when the boat is "hunting" in a narrow channel. -Al

 

[HotTommy]

I went to the marina and did some troubleshooting. Turns out the motor is fine but the helm/cable is bad (likely more than 20 years old). I've been reading up so I can order replacement parts before I remove the old stuff. In addition to the length of the cable, it appears the two essential questions are (1) will the shaft on the replacement helm fit my steering wheel, and (2) will the cable and shaft fit the tube on my outboard. ... Does anyone know if there is a standard size for these items, or do I need to measure them to be sure? ... Are there other questions I should have answered before I order replacement parts?

 

[GA_Boater]

The helm is a 3/4" taper. Been a standard for a million years

The tilt tube size has been a standard for 2 million years.

So yes, it will fit and yes, it will fit.

No feedback steering may be a consideration, but I'll let others weigh in on that.

 

[HotTommy]

Good info. Thanks. ... From what I've read, the NFB variant has a clutch that tends to hold the steering where you point it until you apply force to point it somewhere else. So I assume the plus is its ability to hold a turn hands off, and the minus is it takes a little more force to turn the wheel when you're ready to do so. I'd like to hear from anyone with experience with NFB on a 24' pontoon boat, especially while pulling tubes or skiers.

 

[HotTommy]

Replacement helm and cable kit with NFB ordered. I'll provide a short review when its in.

 

[Cat nip]

I installed NFB on my 20' witch is now my 22 or 25' depending on how you measure it pontoon with a 60hp and man its nice not having to always need to keep pressure in the steering wheel. I think you will like it a lot, maybe not as much as hydraulic steering but a lot. Did you order the 3 turn or 4.2? I kinda wish i got the 3 i mean its not a speed boat i dont need the super fine adjustment. Its also nice cause the motor wont flop side to side when trimed up with NFB.

 

[HotTommy]

Installation is done and I like the NFB feature. It does take a little more effort to start a turn, but is easy after that.