steering conversion help

[JasonCarp]

Hi all,
New poster, long time viewer of this site. I have a 1978 25' Tiara Sport Salon with an OMC 800 series I/O with OMC TruCourse steering. My cable broke, and now I am considering converting to Hydraulic Steering. I contacted Teleflex and they prescribed a Hynautic k-5 cylinder to be mounted to the stern and the outdrive (I needed to come up with the mounting attachment to the outdrive.)

In searching for an affordable version of the K-5 cylinder, I ran across a boating parts website that informed me that the k5 is a brass cylinder and should not be mounted on the exterior of the boat.

Further research has proved that for the age and type of my outdrive, there is no Teleflex conversion cylinder listed.

Has anyone ever converted a boat or drive of this type to hydraulic? If so what cylinder was used. If I find a stainless steel set up with the same travel length and bore as the brass version, is there no reason this wont work?

I have a Teleflex Helm pump already and it is my understanding that if I can figure out how to mount the right cylinder and bracket, it should work.

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: steering conversion help

I'd reconsider. Those trucourse cables are still available in some lengths.
How long is your broken steering cable? (the last 2 digits of the number on the sheath is the length in feet)

 

[chiefalen]

Re: steering conversion help

Welcome aboard ! Replace the cable. The older stringer used a exterior rod similar to what you want to do. After thinking about it i came back to edit, there was 2 mechanical steering models way back.

E-bay has cables all the time.

 

[JasonCarp]

Re: steering conversion help

The cable is 19' very hard to come by. Been scouring e-bay and the net for over a year and have only found one or two up to $500

 

[chiefalen]

Re: steering conversion help

http://stores.ebay.com/Cheap-Boat-Parts-Warehouse_W0QQssPageNameZl2QQtZkm

Call Joe.

 

[83mulligan]

Re: steering conversion help

hey chief, I encouraged jason to come here and ask some questions because of the extensive knowledge all you guys provide. Can you explain to me the disadvantage of just going with a ss cylinder on the stern if he already has a helm pump? I work at a stainless fab shop and can construct any bracket required for the job. Are there other disadvantages to hydraulic?

oh, and also, if we went the cable route, would a longer cable work?

 

[chiefalen]

Re: steering conversion help

Where on the drive you going to mount the arm?? No provision for it.

How much longer is the cable your posting about??

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: steering conversion help

disadvantage of just going with a ss cylinder on the stern if he already has a helm pump?

not sure of the exact specifics of the method proposed, but it sounds like you ar planning a full hydraulic steering system. If so the drawbacks are:

1. hose, or connection failure = loss of steering

2. cylinder failure (internal seal leak)= loss of steering

3. pump failure = loss of steering

4. vee belt failure = loss of steering

Also. that K5 cylinder (per google) appears unbalanced -meaning it will extend slow and retract fast due to the different effective volumes as the rod of the cylinder comes in. therefore steering will be faster retracting than extending. Good luck docking that. For equal steering speeds, you'd need 2 cylinders, or 1 double rod cylinder.
Also, an unbalanced cylinder has more force going out and is weaker retracting due to the force/pressure/area relationship in an actuator.

If you can find a healthy looking 19' trucourse cable, you just bolt it on and go... $500 aint that bad if it last another decade or so... keep it clean and greased

 

[chiefalen]

Re: steering conversion help

This is a big world somewhere, someplace is a cable. Be patient it will come up on e-bay.

You want to in essence turn the clock back to a earlier model.

You have a manual, i use seloc i could point out the page so you would understand the system in the older system.

You called Joe?

 

[JasonCarp]

Re: steering conversion help

The other downfalls to me of replacing the cable other than cost and availability:

1. The outdrive needs to be pulled to replace. I'm not a mechanic and have to pay my marina mechanic by the hour to pull and replace. The tru course attaches into the outdrive.

2. Steering was never that great in cold weather with the cable, nor that accurate when trying to track

3. The way old system steered an autopilot would be out of the questinon, and that is on the "someday" list for this boat.

Appreciate all the candid posts, but I'm thinking I may be hearing what I don't want to hear and I need to come to grips with that.

 

[JasonCarp]

Re: steering conversion help

Where on the drive you going to mount the arm?? No provision for it.

How much longer is the cable your posting about??

hey chief, I encouraged jason to come here and ask some questions because of the extensive knowledge all you guys provide. Can you explain to me the disadvantage of just going with a ss cylinder on the stern if he already has a helm pump? I work at a stainless fab shop and can construct any bracket required for the job. Are there other disadvantages to hydraulic?

oh, and also, if we went the cable route, would a longer cable work?

Steve, Longer cable will only mean more money. Haven't looked for one longer, but I know the 14 or 15 footers are easier to come by and are cheaper. Can we manufacture a Stainless super bracket that would hook a dual action cylinder centered over the outdrive and weld it onto the top of the outdrive?

Kind of concerned about the stronger one way weaker the other way steering thing but I just don't want to go back to a cable if I don't have to.

 

[chiefalen]

Re: steering conversion help

Why do you think you got to pull the drive to install a steering cable?

You don't have a manual??

Sir you asked what i thought, i think get a new cable.

You want to do something else do it and post a pic after, maybe you can come up with something.

Good luck !

 

[JasonCarp]

Re: steering conversion help

Chief,
The mechanic at my marina is the one that told me that the outdrive has to come off in order to install the Tru Course steering cable. I have a picture of the snake head coil that attaches into the outdrive. I'll try to get it up here.

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate all your posts on this. I have been struggling with this for over a year now, and the time has come to be done with this one way or another! I'll keep you posted!

Thanks,

Jason

 

[83mulligan]

Re: steering conversion help

Jason, I think Chief is right about consulting the manual. I believe he even offered to post the page that shows how to install it. Before you give up on the cable, consider that the sloppy play in the steering was with a cable that was near failure and probably hadn't been cleaned and greased. Maybe some others with the same steering system will chime in about performance.

And even if you need to pull the outdrive, that's not a bad thing. They are expensive as heck to repair when they blow up, and doing the yearly maintenance on it will be important especially after a long lay up.

I'd suggest getting the manual. It will tell you how to install the cable and how to pull and service the drive. Plus a million other little things you can do yourself.

To answer your question, for sure a bracket can be made.

 

[chiefalen]

Re: steering conversion help

One other thing your working without even a seloc manual. You don't want to part with 35 bucks to buy one??

One i have is OMC Stern Drives 1964-86 Repair Manual # 3400 upper right hand corner.

 

[chiefalen]

Re: steering conversion help

What you want to do is go to a mechanical steering in essence turn back time to the older system and it is covered in the manual.

So get one read it and then post again and i will reply, don't buy the manual and post, is alright also. Someone will try to help you i'm sure.

 

[JasonCarp]

Re: steering conversion help

Chief,
Thanks, just found one o e-bay ending in a couple hours. I'll let you know how it goes.

Jason

 

[chiefalen]

Re: steering conversion help

New?

 

[JasonCarp]

Re: steering conversion help

New?

Used, manual. Cable I am still in search of.

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: steering conversion help

you do have to pull the drive so you can slide the steering shaft out of the cable drum, but if careful, you can leave the shift cable...just pull the trunnion caps and quadrant and gently lift the drive port-side enough to slide the shaft out while a helper holds the drive.

keeping an eye out for a 19' cable...