Trying to sort out steering….

[amuller]

I don’t like the steering setup on this boat, an aluminum Crestliner with a 1971 85 hp V4.

The setup is ordinary and looks like this: https://tinyurl.com/yd48s87f

But when the motor is tilted the cable moves too much and tends to hit the opening in the boat, chewing up the jacket. And with the motor fully tilted it tends to hit the drain pan.

Obviously this motor just has a 3/8" bolt for a tilt pin, but I’ve seen some setups like this where people have mounted a fixed tube:

http://www.whalercentral.com/infusions/ … er_id=7367

But it looks to me as if the steering arm would hit such a tube when fully tilted.

Another setup has the tube bracketed to the transom: http://i1227.photobucket.com/albums/ee4 … oat076.jpg

Suggestions?

[frankr]

You have just illustrated why push-pull steering does not work well on motors that were designed for cable-pulley systems. I’ve seen all the "fixes" except the second one you showed. No matter which and all of them, none have the geometry correct and there will be a shortcoming somewhere. At the very best, steering arc will be severely compromised because the attachment point is too far forward of the steering pivot shaft. Rig up some sort of gizmo to move the attachment rearward, and I’ll guarantee there will be an interference somewhere. Usually it won’t fully tilt without bending or breaking the steering. Don’t tilt it all the way you say? Yeah, right. When you run over that log at 30 MPH?

In the case of the third one you show, the tube is way too far below the tilt pivoting point. So when the motor tilts, the geometry is again way out of whack. The steering cable needs to go through a hollow tilt pin, as it does on newer motors. That way the geometry doesn’t change as the motor tilts.

So what to do? Do the best you can and live with the shortcomings. Or get a newer motor. Or an old Merc.

[amuller]

Thanks, Frank.

I’ve been chewing on this on and off since getting the boat, without coming up with something good. It can be set up so nothing breaks on full tilt, and steering is OK when motor is down, but it’s messy. I keep thinking there must be a solution….

This outfit has various links and brackets, but obviously none can put the cable on the pivot axis without a hollow tube to put it in: http://www.trmarine.com/cat.html

[amuller]

OMC made this one: https://tinyurl.com/ya3j7hn4

I’m having trouble getting my head around the geometry involved. The offset between the tilt axis and the cable axis should mean that the offset of the drag link needs to vary. If that is doable it should work?

[jerry-ahrens]

quote amuller:

OMC made this one: https://tinyurl.com/ya3j7hn4

I’m having trouble getting my head around the geometry involved. The offset between the tilt axis and the cable axis should mean that the offset of the drag link needs to vary. If that is doable it should work?

That one is intended to add dual cable steering on a V6, such as a bass boat. required for operation above 60 mph.

[frankr]

quote amuller:

OMC made this one: https://tinyurl.com/ya3j7hn4

I’m having trouble getting my head around the geometry involved. The offset between the tilt axis and the cable axis should mean that the offset of the drag link needs to vary. If that is doable it should work?

You would think so. But you probably will run into tilt interference or something. And will still have the reduced steering arc. A pain when picking up a skier or docking the boat.

[amuller]

Spent the afternoon on this. It will be usable–motor can steer and tilt. But it’s not thrilling. Roughly measured: The travel lock to lock of the steering arm hole is about 10.75. Travel of the steering push-pull cable is about 8.75. So you were right (not that I would expect otherwise!) about the "reduced steering arc." It’s about 80 percent. Is this intentional on the part of Teleflex, etc?? Now, tilt tube steering is a much cleaner setup, but does it cure the limited travel?

[labrador-guy]

amuller, here is my steering setup. I used a tie rod end from a junk car and welded a small chunk of 1/2" pipe to it. Made a mounting bracket to attach it to the transom. I needed more up and down movement so I rebuilt the thing to get another pivot point. It does work darn good. These steering cables are way better than the old pulley type. I hope the pictures will make some sense to you!

dale

---

Attachments:

[amuller]

Looks good, Dale. Can you tilt the motor up without problems?

Alan

[labrador-guy]

My first effort was not the best. The ball part worked fine but the thing needed some up and down movement. I added the bolt that you see at the transom it allows the the anchor to move up and down as the motor is tilted. It does work good so far!

dale

[Author]

Posts