Mercury 150 Black max steering saga continues....

[jgaryc3]

OK I have a 1978? (per someone else on this board) Mercury 150 Black Max. I took off my old single cable rotary steering system to install a dual cable rack steering system.

I took the old system off no problem.

I ordered a "dual cable connection kit" from iboats for a Mercury Black Max. Upon looking again, it says 1980 Mercury Black Max and newer. The way it mounts is 8 screws in the mount that are supposed to go to 8 pre threaded holes in the motor. My problem is that there are no pre threaded holes in the motor. I am getting so frustraded with this thing I am thinking of just taking it somewhere to have it done. Is there a kit for 1980 and older?

The kit I bought is here : http://www.iboats.com/Dual_Cable_Si...19707005--**********.957031329--view_id.40161

Like I said the holes that are supposed to be there arent. Is this because it was made for 1980 and newer and I have a 78.
Is it possible to connect my motor to dual cable steering? What should I do?

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Mercury 150 Black max steering saga continues....

It sounds like there is no way to bolt the cable holder to the motor. If that is the problem, you may be able to get a splashwell mount for that cable holder. This mount would bolt to the boat's splashwell and has a ball joint which allows the cable to pivot as is necessary.

Check the Teleflex web site.

 

[j_martin]

Re: Mercury 150 Black max steering saga continues....

Check with teleflex, but I bet you could mark the holes with a centering punch (prick punch guided by the hole) drill and tap them.

It's a little more work, but that's the pleasure of running one of the GOOD OLD ones.

Splashwell mount won't work, as the tube has to be close to and parallel to the one in the pivot tube.

hope it helps
John

 

[jgaryc3]

Re: Mercury 150 Black max steering saga continues....

I thought about that. What would I mount it to though? the transom? the motor. there doesnt seem to be a flat place on the front of the motor to mount the mounting bracket to.

Could I mount it to the transom, as far up as it will go, closest in line with the other one?

Should I not use a dual cable system?

 

[jgaryc3]

Re: Mercury 150 Black max steering saga continues....

should I just send it back? the connection kit that is

 

[j_martin]

Re: Mercury 150 Black max steering saga continues....

I thought about that. What would I mount it to though? the transom? the motor. there doesnt seem to be a flat place on the front of the motor to mount the mounting bracket to.

Could I mount it to the transom, as far up as it will go, closest in line with the other one?

Should I not use a dual cable system?

Call Teleflex. They will either tell you how to use this kit, or what the right kit is.

Attached are pictures of a dual cable rig. They weren't intended to be pictures of the steering, but you can see the relationship between the 2 tubes. They have to have a specific spacing so the cross link/steering link adapter.

Do you have a V6 or an inline.?

 

[j_martin]

Re: Mercury 150 Black max steering saga continues....

I just put up a query on a go-fast site with many poor folks like you and I on it. If nobody there knows what to do, you may have to fall back to a single rack system.

hope it helps
John

 

[j_martin]

Re: Mercury 150 Black max steering saga continues....

On the querie, got 2 replies already. Go look.

http://forums.screamandfly.com/forums/showthread.php?t=166788

 

[jgaryc3]

Re: Mercury 150 Black max steering saga continues....

the way they do it in the 2nd post looks good. Where could I get those steering link rods though? they look different than mine. Awsome though, I really appreciate it!

 

[jgaryc3]

Re: Mercury 150 Black max steering saga continues....

Do you have a V6 or an inline.?

I am not sure? How do I know?

Here is a pic of my engine:

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Mercury 150 Black max steering saga continues....

That is a V6 motor.

 

[j_martin]

Re: Mercury 150 Black max steering saga continues....

That's a V6. The inline is 6 in a row, the tall skinny one.

(The other guy beat me to it because iBoats did it's daily scheduled hang on me.)

The only difference is that the mounting for the older twin tube is by the tilt tube nuts. Shouldn't be too hard to fabricate it.

Spacing between the tubes so the link fits without binding is the only critical measurement. The mounting tabs would have to be quite rigid, though, to prevent the flexing you're working so hard to eliminate.

My next question on the other board is where do I get one. Give it a day.

hope it helps
John

 

[j_martin]

Re: Mercury 150 Black max steering saga continues....

Didn't take a day, took about a half hour.

From RK_Outlaw

Have got NOS spacers and nuts, no tube, You can cut and weld two later tubes together to make a longer tube with longer threads on both ends. There are several ways to do this, more than what the info shows.

From gmjim

Hi, i got a complete kit NOS (PN 78834 a2) from a place called sea-way marine, over there in the states! (Seattle i think?) http://www.sea-way.com/index.htm it was only a month or so ago so he may have more?
I dealt with a guy called Paul Shager & i could not recomend him more, great all round service.



The part number from gmjim looks like a mercury part number. Might google it. It may be the wrong number.

RK has the spacers. A little welding and yer good to go, probably pretty cheap. You'd just need to find another junk tube somewhere to add to your's if it isn't long enough. Just tell him I sent ya.

There's some more options for ya.

hope it helps
John

 

[jgaryc3]

Re: Mercury 150 Black max steering saga continues....

John, talked to the guy at sea-way a minute ago. Hes says he has them for my motor. I went ahead and ordered one and will be shipping the other back to iboats tomorrow.

I cant tell you how much I appreciate it!!! Please tell the other guy as well. Paul at sea way remembered the guy from Australia.

Hopefully this will be the one I need. I am curious as to how it will mount though. I guess I will have to wait and see!

Once again, thank you so much for putting your time into it!

 

[j_martin]

Re: Mercury 150 Black max steering saga continues....

You'll help someone someday, I'm sure.

John