Stick Steering without a tilt tube setup

[gm280]

I have a 1976 Johnson 40HP engine (totally rebuilt) that doesn't have the typical tilt tube steering setup of the more modern designed engines. And I know others have had to work around the same issues. The boat came with an antiquated pivotal ball type mount that I was initially thinking of reusing. But since that time I contacted EZY-Glide corporation out of Florida for further options. they offer two steering setups. One being the EZY-STIK II model 840 and the other their EZY-STIK III model 870. The real difference being the distance required to turn the engine. Model 840 is 206 degrees and the 870 is 161 degrees. So you have to make that chose. But the real issue is setting up either of those steering systems without a tilt tube on the engine.

Well that company also makes a system called an Engine Connection Kit. It looks like a tilt tube that mounts right under the clamps on the engine on the transom, and offers a tilt tube type setup. My question is, has anybody on these forums actually installed and used the Engine connection Kit? And if so, how did you like it and how did it allow your engine to actually tilt?

My question is being how the actual tilt of the engine is still at the tilt section of the engine, how can a tilt tube setup mounted below that actual tilt work without binding? I tried my best to make sense of this, but the geometry just doesn't add up. :noidea:

I attached a picture of that tilt tube setup. Any ideas before I purchase it? :noidea: