Steering for Jon Boat and 15hp 1956 Evinrude Fastwin

[cjohle]

Hello all - I have a 14' jon boat and a 1956 Evinrude Fastwin. I would like to set up a small console and remote controls for it. I know it can be done, I'm just a little confused as to what equipment I would need and the level of effort to get it done. I also don't know if stick steering or steering wheel would be best. I would probably just go with the cheapest.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

thanks,
Casey

 

[gm280]

:welcome: aboard cjohle, great to have you join iboats...

Stick steering will be the cheaper, but that also depends on how your engine is made. If you don't have a steering tube made into the engine, you will have to add an adapter for that as well. But either way will cost a few hundred dollars for sure.

And You will also need the controls for either setup also. That will be the throttle control and gear control. So you will need to find such a control unit and the associated wiring harness. Can it be done? Sure it can. But realize it will cost maybe more they you may want to pay. That is where you will have to decide...

 

[cjohle]

Hi gm, thank you for the warm welcome and info.

They definitely do not have steering tubes built in. They have connectors for remote controls and what I'm trying to figure out is what adapters, cables, etc. I need to purchase.

As far as what I have to pay, well, lets just say sometimes in life purchases aren't about what you 'need'. At least that is what I try to convince my wife . . . If I can figure out exactly what I would need, I will then figure out if I want to splurge on something that would just be a 'cool project'.

I just think it would be cool if I pull it off and I have a bad neck so turning my head using that tiller handle for long periods isn't a comfortable experience.

 

[gm280]

The two control cables you will need can be purchased but you buy them for the engine specific and the length as well. As for the electrical wires, that too will depend on the engine specific. As for the actual control unit itself, you can get what ever unit can work with your engine. There are a lot of difference controllers for engine that change over the years. So if you are clever, you can mix and match a setup. But I would stick to something that was designed for your engine and go from there.

Read some of the different threads on here to get some ideas and info about such setups and then you will understand what you need to get. JMHO

 

[briangcc]

May or may not be of help.....

Our family's very first boat was a 1956 MFG with matching 1956 Evinrude Big Twin 30HP. The steering on that boat was via a steering wheel and cable driven - had pulleys and coated wire for turning the engine. The engine itself was electric start and had a Johnson box that the wiring ran into. Push buttons on the dash for start and electric choke...and pray that the switch didn't stay shut (burnt the choke solenoid out). The engine was also capable of being pull started....in theory. The controls were Johnson controls with (2) levers. One moved between F-N-R (small lever) and the other was the throttle (large lever).

And thanks for bringing back the memories of changing shear pins in the water. Ohh the horror....

Back 20 years ago parts were scarce for this engine, and finding a competent mechanic who could actually work on it was even more difficult. I'm not sure the days of the internet have changed that.

Good luck with your project.