CONTINUOUSWAVE

After years of dreaming the dream, I finally own a 1970 13-footer. While not entirely new to boating, I am new to Boston Whaler boats, and I have spent a lot of time enjoying the information I’ve read on this site. This boat has a 2012 Yamaha F25 outboard which is attached to an external fuel filter.

Q1: Since I am using a 3-gallon external fuel tank, is [having any sort of external fuel filter in the feed hose to the 25-HP engine] necessary?

This boat has its original wire rope and pulley system for the steering. It looks like many [13-footers are] upgraded to a Teleflex or similar brand of steering. The current wire rope and pulley system works fine, but it seems like it is a bit “fussy”’ and at some future time I may need to fine tune it—which I don’t know about.

Q2: is [some unspecified alternative steering system] a worthy upgrade?

The old plastic steering wheel is falling apart. I would like to change to a stainless steel steering wheel.

Q3: is the steering shaft size universal, or are different sizes used?

ASIDE.
I am excited to get on the water.

I replaced my steering wheel with the following:Amarine Made 5-Spoke 13-1/2 Inch Destroyer Style Stainless Boat Steering Wheel with M Size Knob - 9310SRF1, and have been quite happy with it.

Regarding retaining the wire rope and pulley steering system or installing an hydraulic steering system or a mechanical cable steering system: a properly maintained wire rope and pulley steering is fine for outboard engines of modest horsepower.

Wire rope and pulley steering is certainly very suitable for a 25-HP engine.

If in the operation of the boat you experience a lot of steering torque through the steering wheel, you can mitigate that with adjustment of the steering torque tab on the engine gear case. See the engine owner’s manual for guidance. Also read the boat’s owner’s manual, or read my HTML version:

https://continuouswave.com/whaler/refer ... index.html

https://continuouswave.com/whaler/refer ... ml#trimTab

If you want deluxe steering, it will be expensive—but worth it—to get hydraulic steering.

For information about a stainless steel steering wheel, see

https://continuouswave.com/whaler/refer ... ml#SSwheel

Most outboard boat steering helm actuators use a standard tapered shaft. See

https://continuouswave.com/whaler/refer ... xSeal.html

Exactly what the steering actuator on your boat uses in unknown to me and other readers.

Thanks for all this [information].

Regarding the necessity of having an external fuel filter in the fuel hose to the outboard engine: using an external fuel filter is a very common practice, particularly when the fuel tank is below deck and has large capacity. If the fuel is being supplied from a small-volume on-deck fuel tank, and the gasoline is purchased from reliable suppliers, having an external fuel filter may not be considered a necessity.

However, modern engines, particularly if they use fuel injectors, may benefit from fuel filtering. It is common that modern outboard engines already contain a fuel filter under the engine cowling.

The only concern with having a second fuel filter in the supply hose to the engine is the possibility of creating too much restriction in the fuel flow. However, at the 25-HP power level, a modern engine is only going to produce a fuel flow at full throttle of about 2 to 2.5-GPH, so there is little worry about an external and proper fuel filter causing a flow restriction.

If you lived in some dark, third world, backwater in Asia, maybe a fuel filter would be essential. In the USA, not really necessary if buying fuel from reliable sources.

In addition, I took advice and got a Amarine Destroyer spoke stainless wheel.

When removing [the existing steering wheel], I took notice that it still had the original vintage Kainer wheel from the c.1960-1970.

It seems the helm has a straight shaft with a cross-pin, which I read was common on the original cable-and-pulley steering systems. Since the current shaft is a straight cylinder, the new wheel doesn't fit as it has nowhere to "wedge" onto and nothing to lock the rotation.

I read Seastar makes a shaft adapter for these systems.

Q5: would [a Seastar shaft adaptor] be my best option?

Q6: where can [a Seastar shaft adaptor] be purchased?

Tracking down a vintage wheel seems a bit tedious.

It looks like WholesaleMarine carries them [unclear, are you talking about the SeaStar shaft adaptor or a vintage Kainer steering wheel] for about $50.

I believe this [unclear, are you talking about the SeaStar shaft adaptor or a vintage Kainer steering wheel] is what I need. Then again, I believe these old shafts are 5/8-inch and this piece would be too big.

Without a working URL that links to the product you are asking about, to assess if that product is useful will be a challenge to readers.

Upon further research it sounds like my only option is to either find a vintage wheel that will fit—what I believe is—a 5/8-inch diameter shaft and roll pin setup, or convert to a Teleflex steering.

I suppose if I go [with Teleflex] steering I’ll need to keep in mind the notched transom and that I’ll need a standoff bracket.

Q7: in addition to the standoff bracket, what other hardware will I need to connect the steering actuator to the outboard?

In another post I saw some [type] of bracket but that engine also didn’t have a tube.

Q8: would I need to go a foot shorter than the typical 9-feet cable if I use a standoff?

I saw other individuals fashion two aluminum brackets, find an old tilt tube, and complete the connection that way.

Q9: is there a piece of hardware that is manufactured for the brackets?

I think many just fabricate their own [brackets].

Also, I received the OEM rub rail today. It’s a small but simple cosmetic improvement.

When you say your are going to choose "Teleflex steering", there are many types. The two general types are a mechanical cable steering system or a hydraulic fluid steering system.

The mechanical cable systems are available in several types. One of the types is a "no-feedback (NFB)" model. My assumption is the NFB model has some sort of ratchet mechanism that locks the steering in place once you stop turning the wheel, and that removes the engine steering torque forces from the wheel.

My experience with mechanical cable steering is very limited. I only recall one instance of steering a boat with a mechanical cable steering system, a MISCHIEF 15 with an E-TEC direct-injection two-stroke-power-cycle engine. I think the engine was perhaps a 60-HP. I was very surprised by the large amount of steering torque at the helm steering wheel. The wheel was much harder to turn than the wheel on my 24-foot Boston Whaler with 225-HP engine.

I guess I have been spoiled by the hydraulic steering systems, which really remove most of the steering torque from the steering wheel movement.

TMO8419 wrote:Q5: would [a Seastar shaft adaptor] be my best option?

I can't say much about this product without seeing what it actually is. Please give a working URL to the product.

TMO8419 wrote:Q6: where can [a Seastar shaft adaptor] be purchased?

I can't offer advice on that topic. Many marine retailers carry Seastar product. The best place to find information on what retailers carry that product would be to contact Seastar sales and ask them for a referral.

The design of the transom on the classic 13-foot hull changed in c.1970 to a 20-inch transom height from a 15-inch transom height with a notched transom. In that regard, if your 1979 13-footer has the 15-inch transom height and notched transom--which I doubt very much that it does--then see the illustration below in Figure 1 for a good overview of how a mechanical cable steering system can connect to a 13-footer with a notched transom.


Fig. 1. An older 13-footer with a notched transom and also and older outboard engine that does not have a engine tiller tang extension. The rod actuator connects to a clevis fitting that allows movement in two planes in order to prevent binding in the movement of the rod and the engine.

Most modern engines that are intended for remote steering will not have a long tiller extension handle with a throttle control for the operator to use to steer the engine, but instead will just have a tiller tang or metal extension projecting a few inches in front of the engine cowling.

To connect the moving ram rod from a mechanical steering system to the tiller tang, some sort of a clevis fitting is necessary. I would expect that the clevis fitting would be an accessory available from the manufacturer of the cable steering actuator. I would not expect that everyone who employs mechanical cable steering has been left to their own devices and had to manufacture their own method of attachment of the actuator rod to the engine that is to be steering by movement of the rod. That sort of situation seems very unlikely. There must be many thousands of small outboard boats that use mechanical steering in which the owners did not have to create their own steering attachment fittings.

If your 1970 13-footer has a 20-inch transom height and does not have notched transom, and if your outboard engine has a tilt-tube mounting bracket, you might be able to use the normal through-the-tilt-tube mounting of the steering actuator. I cannot offer really good advice on that situation. You should research that topic.

If you use through-the-tilt-tube mounting, you will need a fitting called a DRAG LINK that connects the steering actuator arm to the engine tiller arm. A drag link could be an accessory available from the engine maker or it could be an accessory available from the steering system maker.

TMO8419 wrote:Q7: in addition to the standoff bracket, what other hardware will I need to connect the steering actuator to the outboard?

A clevis fitting or a drag link is necessary, depending on how the steering actuator is mounted. See Figure 1 above.

TMO8419 wrote:Q8: would I need to go a foot shorter than the typical 9-feet cable if I use a standoff?

You should calculate the cable length based on where you will mount the actuator rod, not the distance to the tiller tang fitting.

TMO8419 wrote:Q9: is there a piece of hardware that is manufactured for the brackets [that I saw]?

I do not know what "brackets" you saw, so I cannot comment on if there is a commercial version of the brackets you saw.

Again, if you want readers to be aware of a product you want to ask about, you should give readers a link to the product or you should post an illustration with an in-line photograph of the product you are asking about.

To be clearer, my 1970 13-footer does have the notched transom.

The best and only option--unless I want to opt to keep the original pulley system--is to install [a Teleflex cable steering actuator yet to be determined and also buy the Teleflex] standoff fitting [for mounting with the notched 15-inch transom as illustrated in detail above in Figure 1].

Then I will have to find the matching connecting hardware [that is, the clevis link] for my 2012 Yamaha F25 engine.

I need instructions on how and where to install the standoff bracket [on the notched transom of a 13-footer].

Some posts have suggested [the location of the standoff] needs to be precise to get the best range of movement and clearance.

I need instructions on how and where to install the standoff bracket [on the notched transom of a 13-footer].

If you study the installation shown in Figure 1, you should not have too much confusion left. Also, I am sure Teleflex has some instructions, too. The installation shown was done by a nephew at about age 13 in a small town in northern Ontario many years ago.

Some posts have suggested [the location of the standoff] needs to be precise to get the best range of movement and clearance.

The claim that the position of the standoff bracket must be precisely located does not see to be reasonable.

The way the standoff bracket works to retain the steering actuator is to CLAMP around the portion of the actuator that does not move, fixing it in position so the MOVEABLE part of the actuator can exert FORCE onto the engine TILLER tang. As you can see in the photograph in Figure 1, the actuator can move or slide port-and-starboard in the clamp before the clamp is tightened to adjust its position over several inches.

The obvious method to make sure when you install the actuator in the clamp that the resulting range of motion of the engine tiller will be equal in both starboard and port directions will be to CENTER the steering wheel and actuator rod in the middle of the range of travel, attach the actuator rod to the clevis that is attached to the tiller tang on the engine, and then position the clamp onto the non-moving part of the actuator, and locate the best position on the transom where the mounting bracket can attach. There is quite a range of adjustment possible in where you could ultimately tighten-down the clamp. As long as you get the mounting bracket within a few inches of where it needs to be, there should be enough room on the actuator to move it in the clamp to fine-tune the final position to produce equal left-right turning movement.

Mark the position on the transom for the standoff. Then carefully mount the standoff bracket to the transom. There is going to be a lot of force on the standoff bracket so you should try to mount it where there is wood embedded in the hull. If no wood is available, it will be best to through-bolt the standoff on the transom. Note that the design of the mounting bracket allows for the angle of the actuator assembly to move freely in two planes of motion. You should also consider the position of the engine when it is tilted up to the full-up position. Note that if the engine turns somewhat as it is tilted to the full up position, that may be unavoidable. However it really makes no difference as you won't be operating the engine while in the full-up tilt position.

Before all that you need to decide what Teleflex cable steering system you are going to buy, and how long the cable needs to be--which you will have to estimate. See some old threads for advice on cable length, but there may be conflicting remarks.

Thanks for this helpful information.


Re the amount of force on the transom with the bracket.

Q10: will [the added forces] affect the integrity of the transom?

The transom seems solid in my estimation and tests but it’s also 50-years-old.

Q11: would a compact hydraulic steering system from Baystar fit without hitting the transom?

Give me suggestions for a particular model [of compact hydraulic steering that will fit on the transom of a 13-footer without causing something to hit the transom]

Thanks.

TMO8419 wrote:Q11: would a compact hydraulic steering system from Baystar fit without hitting the transom?

Readers will have trouble answering that question without you indicating the particular model of steering actuator you are asking about.

I was initially looking at the Vevor 90 as users from another forum stated it is small enough to clear the transom. However, users also state it is not compatible with my particular outboard (2012 Yamaha 25HP) despite the specs saying otherwise.

I then looked at a Uflex compact hydraulic system but it is priced well over $1,000.

It’s either the stand-off or fabricating some brackets similar to these using aluminum stock and a parts tilt tube.

Reviews of Vevor products, in general, are mixed. Hydraulic steering on a 13-foot boat has no value except for a person with a disability. A Teleflex [mechanical cable] type steering system is what you should be looking for.

TMO8419 wrote:It is either the stand-off or fabricating some brackets similar to these using aluminum stock and a parts tilt tube.

I do not understand what “it” refers to. Please explain.

I do not understand what “these” refers to. Please explain.

Also, the component “parts tilt tube” is not clear to me. Please explain.

Q12: what are all the options that can be used to drill into the transom for installing a stand-off bracket for the mounting of a steering actuator ram on a 1970 13-footer?

BACKSTORY
I will be installing a stand off bracket. I want to do it correctly.

I’ve drilled into transoms before for transducers but since the bracket will be bearing a bit more stress on the transom, I’d like to do it right.

The plan:
1. Drill a hole that is significantly larger than the diameter of the bracket bolt.
2. Apply painter's tape to the exterior side of the transom to act as a dam.
3. Backfill with epoxy and cure fully.
4. Drill a smaller hole exactly in the center of the hardened epoxy plug.
5. Seal the hardware using 3M 4200.

Q13: Is this method excessive?

My Dad used this process in other boats. [I am] open to other suggestions.