Repair cable steering or replace with hydraulic

C

Ctarmigan

Member
22 Cruiser with a Honda 90.

The tilt tube for my cable steering setup is too coroded to continue using for long. I can replace it for $500 in parts and some sweat equity. For $1,500 in parts, I could instead replace with a Baystar hydraulic setup.

I haven't had real anxiety about my cable steering's ease of use, and haven't before considered going to hydraulic for easier steering. My two largest considerations are a) reliability and b) cost. My limited understanding is that hydraulic doesn't specifically offer higher reliability.

My current plan is to replace the tilt tube, and stick with cable steering.

This is a good point to consider all my options, though (and to access the group's collective intellect). Given my interests, is there any reason I haven't thought of yet to go with hydraulic steering?
 
I have had both types now. In all of my past boats, mostly 17'-20' boats with 70 to 125 hp motors, I have had the cable type steering and in each case after a few years have had to replace the cable no matter how careful is was to keep things greased and or oiled. Salt water gets into the sleeving and corrodes the cable, end of story. I've removed and revived them to get more usage out of them but that is usually short lived (1 more year). On this boat, 25' with 150 engine I have the hydraulic steering and love it. It's been on the boat since I've owned it and I suspect it came with it in 2007. I have had almost ZERO issues with it since I've owned it. I say almost because the only issue I had was when I got it it was low on fluid and I had to fill the reservoir and bleed the system. No problems since in the last 4 years.
So in my opinion I'd go for hydraulic steering if it fits your budget. Hope this helps. Good luck
 
My Steering is okay but is slightly jerky. another member offered that tha wasn't unusual. I said I was, in the long run, considering hydraulic. Is hydraulic smoother? Furthermore, as far as you know, is hydraulic steering the only type of steering that accommodate autopilots?

How do you access the cables for adding lubricants? I have Twins and good steering is a big concern.
 
Thanks Jody - a good consideration I hadn't thought of. I don't foresee installing autopilot.

My approach in general is to operate with the minimum number of systems needed to do what I want to do - I prefer maintenance simplicity, and reduced likelihood of something critical failing when I'm somewhere it would be dramatically inconvenient to address it.

Excellent to hear about the multi-year reliability of your hydraulic system, Dave. I hadn't ever considered my steering cable itself seizing - I presume the current one is original (2004), and it's never caused me trouble. I suppose a refresh now may reset the clock on an (inevitable?) steering cable failure. Alternatively, a replacement steering cable is pretty economical - replace both cable and tilt tube, and I'd be well under total cost of hydraulic steering parts.
 
with your boat and plans, it would seem best to replace the entire steering system/including helm. With time the gears wear, grease gets worn out etc. Be sure to get "non feedback" helm if you replace it.
 
I’ve had lots of years of reliable cable service, but also had one break on the water and multiple frozen cables. In my experience, hydraulic steering is easier to install and there is zero torque steer. If you are keeping the boat I’d go hydraulic.
 
Thanks all - this is all very helpful input.

Has me thinking longer-term; my outboard's original to the boat, and will at some future point require replacement. I'll assume/hope that any new steering system would still be in good shape by the time I swap motors. Is there any consideration for which system (cable or hydraulic) may be most easily applied to a new motor, or am I inevitably looking at steering system replacement at repower time?
 
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