Aquasport 17.5 Osprey Steering Problem

[Cakes]

Hi everyone…..

New to this board -- found you as I was hunting for some help with a steering problem on my 17.5 Osprey.  This boat was owned by a guy who had (now deceased) quite a few boats -- and all were usually well-maintained.  When he passed away, his wife put this particular boat up for sale and I had always liked it -- anyway, I ended up with it.  

Big surprise when we took it out and it steered like a Mack truck with no power steering!!  Everything seems mechanically OK -- but obviously something is not right because it takes two hands and a hard pull to turn the wheel most of the time. Even guys we know who went out with us agree that the steering is way too difficult.  It is sort of like turning the key off in your car and then trying to steer it.

One bit of advice we were given:   "Could be your Steering wheel, the cable or the swivel at the mid-section of the motor. Ever been greased there?  The only way to tell for sure is start taking things apart to isolate the problem.  
Start by disconnecting the steering cable at the engine (usually port side) and see if the motor goes from side to side easily.  If it does then it's not the swivel.
Next would be the helm (steering wheel), disconnect the steering cable from the bottom of the helm.  If the wheel turns freely it's not that AND you had to remove the cable from it for the repair - it's your cable.
Getting the cable out of the sleeve on the motor is a pain but that is what you need to do."

It is pouring down rain today, so today isn't the day to begin tearing into all of this -- but the first sunny day, we will.  We have poked and pulled around a bit -- and we feel pretty sure it is the cable, too.  

IF it is, indeed, the cable, is there any place in particular you can recommend for a replacement?  The motor is a Johnson 90.  Both boat and motor are 2004 or so.

We live in the Central Gulf Coast area of Florida -- Tampa Bay area.  Do quite a bit of boating in our local sphere. Looking forward to meeting all of you.

Cakes

[seabob4]

Well welcome aboard, Cakes! Yes, you have a lot of Aquasport company in our area...

How is your steering at low speeds?  The same, or easier?  How is the torque tab on the underside of the skeg oriented?  It should be at about 1:00 when looking at the motor from behind it.

One thing that's relatively easy to do when you get into her is disconnect the drag link off the end of the steering cable and spin the wheel.  If the wheel spins relatively freely, this pretty much takes the helm and cable out of the troubleshooting equation...

[wingtime]

How long was the boat sitting? It doesn't have to sit for very long for the cable to get stiff inside the torque tube.  What side of the bay are you on?  I'm in north St Pete.  We have a bunch of members in the Tampa Bay area.

[Cakes]

The boat sat more than it was used for about a year -- used a couple of times, that's it.  I am in Madeira Beach, on an inlet off the Intercoastal about 1/4-1/2 mile from John's Pass.  

The steering at low speeds is the absolute pits!  Once the boat is on plane, it is much better.

Tomorrow (Monday, the 14th) we will try some of your suggestions and see if we can narrow it down a bit more……

Thank you both for your thoughts and ideas.

[Cakes]

A friend of mine (mechanically inclined) poked around my boat and found that the cable is most likely the wrong size, it goes around here and there with excess taken up, etc.

He even feels that where / how the cable is attached to the motor is off set incorrectly.  

I would like, at this point, to take the boat to a RELIABLE, knowledgeable, and trustworthy marine mechanic to fix the steering in whatever manner they would deem appropriate:  the whole thing, just the cable, re-position the attachment, if needed, etc.

Can any of you, in the St. Petersburg / Tampa Bay area, recommend a place / mechanic?  

Of course, I would prefer someone who knows the quirks and ins and outs of Aquasports.

Any information is much appreciated.

[slvrlng]

You need a rigger!  seabob to the white phone please.

[wingtime]

Yeah any more bends in the cable  than are necessary will cause binding.

I'm not that far from where you are.

[Cakes]

I'm in Madeira Beach, but can trailer just about anywhere that is reasonable.

I have been talking with another fellow about skipping fixing the mechanical cable (Johnson 90) and just spending a little more money and putting hydraulic steering (Baystar) on it.   The 90 seems right at the line where maybe it is just better with
hydraulic steering opposed to the mechanical cable.  

What are your thoughts regarding a 90 hp with mechanical vs hydraulic?

Thanks,

Renee

PS -- Also, do you have any idea how long of a mechanical cable that a 17.5 Aquasport Osprey uses?

[icemanbryan]

I'm in Madeira Beach, but can trailer just about anywhere that is reasonable.

I have been talking with another fellow about skipping fixing the mechanical cable (Johnson 90) and just spending a little more money and putting hydraulic steering (Baystar) on it.   The 90 seems right at the line where maybe it is just better with
hydraulic steering opposed to the mechanical cable.  

What are your thoughts regarding a 90 hp with mechanical vs hydraulic?

Thanks,

Renee

PS -- Also, do you have any idea how long of a mechanical cable that a 17.5 Aquasport Osprey uses?

I would change it out to hydraulic without a thought, just me though.

[fitz73222]

The smallest engine I have with Hydraulic steering is my 60 Bigfoot Merc on the flats boat; with a hydraulic jackplate and big diameter prop it would yank the steering wheel out of your hand with mechanical steering if you loosened your grip. Now I can let go of the wheel or steer with two fingers in any trim position or engine height. It is a much safer system to use; I have a Baystar unit on this boat.

[RickK]

I have a Seastar on my 170 and love (also have one on my 230 and love it too)

[seabob4]

I am available, cakes.  PM if you want to chat.  A 175 needs no more than a 13' cable, maybe even 12'.  The install is pretty straightforward, but if you want to go with Baystar, I'd recommend it.

The "problem" with a 175 is the motor has to come off the transom to remove the old cable.  I do have that capability...and I know a bit about Aquasports...

[wingtime]

I'd go see Ben at Cost Plus marine on Mad beach. He can get you a great deal on a Baystar hydraulic steering kit for your 175.

[CTsalt12]

I replaced my steering cable last weekend on my 175.  14 Feet is what you need, I got mine on ebay for about 100 bucks.  Easy job if you know what you're doing.  Hardest part is pulling the cable through but just takes time and a bit of fumbling around.

[seabob4]

Jimbo, were you able to pull the rod out of the tilt tube with the engine in place?  If the rigging port is pretty close to being in line with the tilt tube, the motor doesn't have to come off...