hyd steering to I/O from power alpha

[wildthing]

Hi folks just in the process of an engine swap 4.3 V6
and would like to go hyd steering
my buddy has a sea star set up for sale but the ram mounting looks like it just bolts to the transom
is the no mercrusier bracket that go's from the gimbal ring housing like the power assist hyd cable does
as i want to try loose the power steering pump(cable steering) from the setup as it would mean me changing out the closed cooling system
thats on the engine now to my old one and keeping the the cable steering
also not another pulley to drive and robbing more hp from the engine

anyone with any help or tips to get me to hydraulic steering from the cable setup would be most welcome

leg is alpha 1 gen 2
engine is 4.3 v6 vortec kem kodiak with vee belts 4 barrel 262
and will be using a sea water pump

 

[wildthing]

just a quick update
i was going to fit the seastar ram when i figured i could just use the ram off the power assist
well a few guys said yes a few said no
well i jimmy rigged a couple of lines to the uninstalled helm steering pump just to see if it will pull push the ram?
i have the older style power assit with the two steel lines coming out the ram to the
so disconnected the actuator from the ram and had the local hyd shop give me some adapters
to go from the steel lines to 3/8th compression and after a bit of bleding the report is that
the helm pull's and pushes the merc ram ?

the reason for trying this was that its quite restricted in the transom area on my boat
and the mercrusier ram fits too the gimbal mounting
so trying to use whats already there
can't see why this has not been done before?

 

[Gypseas]

Don't touch the power assist hydraulic lines. The hydraulic pump ran by your engine "assists" your cable (hydraulic) steering

Use one of these http://www.marinedeal.com/product_p/88-6519.htm in place of the cable where it mounts into the power assist.

Obviously you'll need hoses and a hydraulic pump to make it come together. Snap some pics of what you've done or have so far (they are worth a thousand words)

Good luck

 

[wildthing]

here you go a merc ram being pushed// pulled by sea star helm
no pump as its not needed by the helm
excuse the poor pic's as there from crappy cell flip phone
i will change the lines with proper sea star one's once i move it to the boat

 

[MOBY DICK]

here you go a merc ram being pushed// pulled by sea star helm
no pump as its not needed by the helm
excuse the poor pic's as there from crappy cell flip phone
i will change the lines with proper sea star one's once i move it to the boat

i hope that works cause i can do the same thing, but will it swing the leg?

 

[wildthing]

Hi Moby
i'll let you know by the weekend
as i can fit it in about 10 mins back
as is just to test it out

the merc steering ram is the older one hence the two steel lines
what i will do is replace them fella's with braided steel brake lines with a 90 or 180 bend
on the ram connection side as the it will need to be flexible due to the pivot of the leg
and small changing angles also the main hyd feed lines will come from left side to the leg (looking at transom inside the boat )

another way to save drilling hole's is modify a manual non power steering swivel block part No 95846
and adapt this to your hdy ram cylinder

 

[wolf]

I too had the same thing took out the power steering pump you dont need it went with hydraulic .. and I did a system so i can steer from the back it take 7 lines and 2-3 way shut offs and a T and the second helm .Now i can steer from either back or front on the main.... then a flip of the valve goes for the same on the kicker(needs a separate little ram)...... its really not hard to do just need the components coast industrial in Vic has them all and good price and helped out alot ....if you are down this way your more than welcome to come take a look( BTW mine is a volvo) but it doesnt matter can do it with any system ...

Good luck wolf

 

[rockdog]

I'd like to do this to my boat aswell. Mine is a 3.0l stern drive, alpha 1.

 

[wildthing]

I too had the same thing took out the power steering pump you dont need it went with hydraulic . ....if you are down this way your more than welcome to come take a look( BTW mine is a volvo) but it doesnt matter can do it with any system ...

Good luck wolf

Hi Wolf any chance you can post a few pic's here as it may help out me and by the sounds quite a few others
also how did you do your ram on the kicker ?
external ram on transom ? or inside
there was not a lot to be found when i went goggling on the net
just a lot of dedicated manufactured stuff which starts to become quite expensive

i'll likely stick to the ez steer tie bar from leg to the kicker or
i do have a panther transom mount saltwater steering that i can/could use independent for the kicker
and get a cheap wireless winch remote from flea bay so don't have a long cable to put some where
and just keep the ez steer bar for back -up

 

[wolf]

it has a little ram on it the motors come Tubed to slide a ram into it had to make brackets etc have fun....

 

[wildthing]

here's a few pic's with the helm in and notice the pipe and funnel for bleeding

also ran a set of shut off's down near to the ram
and a few pics of the leg its tilted up
but lock to lock moves no problems