replacing hydraulic steering hoses on pontoon, how ?

stang32

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Jul 16, 2004
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i am replacing the hydraulic steering hoses on a 2004 sundancer pontoon boat, the hoses run into the floor & out an access hole in the stern to the piston. do i need to remove the lower side rail on the boat to get the hoses out or are they just laying in there & I can pull them out once they are disconnected? is there anything holding them into the cavity below the floor & above the pontoon?
one of the hoses ruptured, looks like it was rubbing on something but i found nothing in the area to cause it.
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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attach new hose to old hose and pull thru, or attach a piece of rope to old hose, pull thru, then use rope to pull new hose back the other way
 

ahicks

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Sep 16, 2013
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This may be a stupid question, but have you been under it yet? Most 'toons I've owned/worked on have exposed cables and wiring running along the top of the RH pontoon, in and out of the M brackets. If you can get under there and see/get to everything like I think you might be able to, this is a pretty easy project. When done, it would allow you to take a bunch of tie wraps under there to secure everything out of harms way.
 

stang32

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Jul 16, 2004
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yeah no access under the boat, its like the floor is a sandwhich
 

Scott Danforth

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i am just concerned the hoses are secured somewhere under the floor

you give boat builders more credit than they deserve.

its a slap it on its arse - out the door make another boat business to produce a product that will last 10-15 years for the least amount of money while maximizing profits
 

ahicks

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yeah no access under the boat, its like the floor is a sandwhich

OK, so what about the outside, under the floor. They usually have a cover over the "m" brackets for a clean look, but that cover may only be fastened with 1/2 dozen sheet metal screws.

Bigger point being, most boats are not fully rigged when built. It's only afterward that many options, including the engine or hydraulic steering for instance, are finally settled on. I would be very surprised if the manf. didn't allow easy access to this area - somehow.
 
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