Expected Cost for Steering Repair

Repair or modification of Boston Whaler boats, their engines, trailers, and gear
seamuspg
Posts: 18
Joined: Fri Jul 24, 2020 2:57 pm

Expected Cost for Steering Repair

Postby seamuspg » Wed Jul 06, 2022 10:10 am

In 2019 I bought a 2002 Dauntless 160. The steering has always been rough. To have a smoother steering would be nice.

Give me a quote for the cost of parts and labor to fix the rough steering on my 2002 DAUNTLESS 160 which is on the south shore of Massachusetts.

For readers near me, recommend a trusted repairman.

RLSmith
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Sep 02, 2021 10:23 am

Re: Expected Cost for Steering Repair

Postby RLSmith » Wed Jul 06, 2022 3:52 pm

I can't help with a cost estimate, but I suggest some troubleshooting to narrow the problem. I have a 2000 16' DAUNTLESS with the standard Teleflex Tilt NFB steering system. When I experienced too much effort required for steering that increased the "dead" space when changing steering directions at idle speed, I disconnected the steering cable from the engine's steering arm. Unfortunately I discovered the steering system worked great. But the engine did not move back and forth smoothly. I suspect corrosion within the engine steering tube. The steering tube has only a single grease fitting at the top and applying pressure with the grease gun causes grease to exit the top seal but not the bottom. I am living with the problem for now because fixing it would require hoisting the engine, and the boat is on a lift. It is probably not worth paying someone to do this on a 2001 Suzuki 115 DTS. I would repower if I didn't want a bigger boat.

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Phil T
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Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2015 6:08 pm
Location: Was Maine. Temporarily Kentucky

Re: Expected Cost for Steering Repair

Postby Phil T » Wed Jul 06, 2022 8:55 pm

The grease fittings are on the engine pivot and not for the steering cable. You will need to remove the cable and manually lubricate the cable. Substituting a nut with a grease fitting (steersman nut) for the port cable nut will make annual maintenance easy.

Yard rates vary and range from $120-170 per hour.

The typical solution these days is to throw parts at the problem.

Tilt helm NFB kit with steering cable - $350 - $450
Installation $360 - $510
Shop supplies $60
Sales Tax. ??
Total - Ridiculous.

Everyone is booked out weeks/months. Contact Nauset Marine for an estimate. They will want you to drop the boat off and it will be many weeks wait till they get to it.

If you have basic DIY skills you can do it all yourself.
1992 Outrage 17
2019 E-TEC 90
2018 LoadRite 18280096VT
Member since 2003

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GoldenDaze
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Location: Virginia

Re: Expected Cost for Steering Repair

Postby GoldenDaze » Thu Jul 07, 2022 9:59 pm

If you're going to do all that work, you may as well make a nice upgrade to hydraulic steering. I don't think you'll regret it. See https://continuouswave.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3456 for my upgrade on my 2003 160 Dauntless.
2003 160 Dauntless Golden Daze

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GoldenDaze
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Location: Virginia

Re: Expected Cost for Steering Repair

Postby GoldenDaze » Wed Jul 13, 2022 9:25 am

It looks like the part numbers have changed since I did my upgrade in 2018. At the time, the full kit with the tilt helm was 1-HK4200-T. I'm not sure that there even is a new kit with the tilt helm, certainly it's not one of the options on the Dometic BayStar website. I found this kit, which looks to be all the correct stuff:

https://www.fredwarner.net/product/seastar-teleflex-marine-hk4200ts-3-baystar-tilt-hydraulic-outboard-system-boat/

It's just under $1000, but it's out of stock. The page does have a nice list of all the necessary part numbers. I can't find another seller of the whole kit in a casual google search, but maybe there's somebody else out there. Or contact Fred Warner at that website and see what the outlook is for availability. Or buy the parts separately, if you can find them.

It doesn't seem hard to get BayStar kits with the regular helm HK4200A-3, so that's certainly a possibility if you don't mind giving up the tilt. Those kits seem to be about $900.

Good luck!
2003 160 Dauntless Golden Daze

dtmackey
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Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2017 9:29 pm

Re: Expected Cost for Steering Repair

Postby dtmackey » Wed Jul 13, 2022 9:56 am

If you shop around, you can get the Baystar kit for under $800.

https://boatstore.com/seastar-hk4200a-3-baystar-hyd-steering-kit.html?utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=cse

I've run the NFB cable steering on many Whalers over the past 37 years and it's OK. On my current 15' Whaler, I upgraded to hydraulic and it's a night and day difference. I will never own another cable steering system.

D-