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[Ifish274]

Hi.  I just joined the site.  Looks like an amazing group.  I picked up a 1974 170 yesterday.  I found it about a week ago so and had sometime to think about it. 

This may sound a little unorthodox, however, I have been thinking about eliminating the console and going with a tiller steer motor.  This would provide a open deck for the type of fishing I do.  I did a search and didn't see any rebuilds moving to a tiller steer. I want to put the tank back in the floor.  Would like one captains seat in the aft and maybe a bench seat midship. 

If I go back with a console I would want to shrink it down narrow as possible.  Luckily the boat was stored inside for the past few years.  Thanks!

Any thought on this arrangement and what horse power would y'all suggest?  Planning on a transom replacement and new floor. Stringers may be okay.  Fresh paint and some accessories also. Thanks for allowing me to join the group. Looking forward to this project.

[RickK]

Welcome aboard iFish274 
The 170 12 degree hull is pretty sensitive to the designed center of gravity (COG). The tank and console are mounted to balance the boat out. I have a '71 170 and can actually steer the boat by stepping toward the side of the boat from the center.  If you move the console to the side, the boat will want to steer to that side. You could try to counter that by moving the steering skeg on the engine. A tiller type engine wants the driver to be off the center line, right or left of center.
If you want a narrower console, you can cut 6-8 " out of the center of the console. There is very little storage in the 170 so to lose some will be replaced by a bucket or....
Also, the fore/aft movement of weight will affect the balance too. The closer the weight moves toward the aft, the lower the drain scuppers will move toward the waterline. A heavier engine will do the same thing. If you go tiller, get a long handle so you stay forward a bit.
Hope that helps.

[Ifish274]

Thanks ! That makes sense. What horse power range would you recommend. For either setup? Looks like 115HP would be the high end per original design. Tiller with the long hand setup maybe 70 or 80HP low end? Thanks again.

[dbiscayne]

The hp range you quoted sounds about right, but focus more on engine weight than hp. A Suzuki 140 is about 420 lbs the same weight as a 115, same block, but the 90 is only 350 lbs.

[Ulysses485]

Welcome! Like Rickk said, they are weight sensitive so how you place loads in the boat is important. Regarding the stringers, depending on where you are and how it was used over the years, the foam in the stringer could be water logged. Taking a few core samples of the foam would be your best bet. It wouldn't hurt to add some stringer glass tabbing to ensure some more life in them if the foam is dry and you have the floor cut out. I dont have experience with the 170s but everyone I have seen with anything heavier than a 90hp 2-stroke looked over loaded weight wise. I would consider a 70hp even. With a tiller setup I would eliminate the console (do you really need it for a tiller setup?) and keep as much forward as you can. Seating midship would help along with fuel and cooler storage as forward as possible. Hope that helps.

[Ifish274]

Thanks for the feedback!  If I go with the tiller I would eliminate the console. I do plan on addressing the stringers testing and re-foaming if needed, re-glassing.  Again thanks!

[dbiscayne]

Mercury Big Tiller! Crazy to think of a tiller controlled 300 but they've got options for just about anything.

Mercury Big Tiller with power assist locates a hydraulic valve manifold with the tiller handle. Two hydraulic lines carry fluid to and from an electric pump mounted under the aft deck, while two other lines feed the hydraulic steering ram on the motor bracket. An amber light on the underside of the tiller illuminates the area around the motor at night.

https://www.boats.com/reviews/outboard-expert-mercury-marine-big-tiller/