Cmoney

I am thinking about going to hydraulic steering this fall in my 310 Sea Ray Sunsport. The boat does 60mph now, and after the new 540's that are going to be installed this winter I hope to see 70mph. I can't decide on the add on or just go full. I think the add on system will be fine for my application but I am still undecided.
I have read that the steering gets stiff at idle with the add on system. And I don't want to spend the extra money for the full if I don't need it.
Also can anyone explain why your steering wheel position is never the same with the full.

1_bigdogg

day and night add-on vs full hyd. most of the time. for your application if your not going to go over 70.....I would just deal with the add-on. There are ways around the stiff wheel at idle most of the time(depends on the shuttle valve wanting to be cooperative)
As for the wheel not returning to center...there is a bypass built into the helms and the pumps for that matter....ie after a hard over at the wheel....you can't return to the same spot.

Now if it were my ride...I'd opt for full power anyways...set it and forget it.

Cmoney

I am leaning toward the add on system, I can always upgrade later (even though it costs more later).
How bad is the stiff wheel at idle? They tell me it depends on the boat, some bad some not so bad. I mean is it so stiff you need two hands to turn the wheel? If it's that stiff seems like you could bend or break parts?

articfriends

iTrader: (1)

When i first upgrade my single engine boat,i increased the speed from 62 stock to upper 70's. The boat was fine acclerating but once you reached 72-78 and were no longer accelerating it was spooky/out of control feeling so i added on twin ram imco external hydraulic,the boat felt much better and my steering effort thru no wake zones really wasn't noticebly different. I upgrade the motor further last year and got boat into lower to mid 80's and to reach those speeds i need to run it at max trim which created chine-walking and felt dangerous,this spring i upgraded the steering full to the helm and it is 100% better, the steering effort is slightly stiffer now but keep in mind your outdrive isn't going to be wiggling around due to play in cable anymore so you won't have to make as many corrections while idleing. For your application i would just use the external. I can still steer my boat with two fingers when idleing,not two hands,Smitty

CMS Racing

I would install full hyd steering and forget about it . trust me it is worth every dollar.every time I install a system the custmore tells me how much he loves it and should have done it a long time ago.

rslick

iTrader: (1)

I put a single add on sytem on my 27 fountain. I works great with no stiffness at idle in the wheel.

1_bigdogg

Here's the deal...

The factory steering has a cylinder with a volume = Y and the add-on system from the major mfg.'s have combined volume of Y x 2 or more. The system was originally designed to handle the velocity and volume requirements of Y not Yx2. So in effect you actually can starve the after market cylinders if you try to turn the wheel too fast at low speeds(low RPM). Now what happens most of the time is that once a boat starts to reach planing speed or RPM, the pump puts out more volume and the demand is met more easily. Some time this can be overcome by going to a smaller diameter pulley to speed up the pump RPM at idle....thus having more volume when you need it. There is also the opening up of the orifice at the pump housing to help with volume to the shuttle valve. Then come in the worst case scenario where neither of the fixes work cause the shuttle vale is not cooperating and you have to go the full hydraulic anyways.

Thats why everyone suggests to get it done with once and for all.

Later...

~1_BD~

Bryanw

What happens with a full hydraulic system when you lose pump pressure (IE: engine quits, thrown belt, etc). Do you just lose the just power assist or all the steering?

Bryan

blackhawk

Yes

outriggers

I was told that full is much safer, because if a add on throws a belt it can go hard either direction. At 60+ not good. Where a full system will not. I'm not sure this is true. Maybe somebody can verify this. Doug