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Does anyone know the seastar hydaulic hose length required for a 1982 BE Outrage 18? I am replacing my old 2 cable system with a Seatar Hydraulic system this year.
Tom,
You may try a heavy gauge wire or some hose or tubing and run the length yourself as a "dry run". Then measure off the length. The hydraulic hose needs sweeps (no sharp corners). Good luck.
Garris
Hi Tom,
I'm with Garris and Phil in recommending that you do a dry run with some type of tubing. I used hose from my radiant heating system (NOT PEX...).
I have a side mount cylinder on my Outrage, and ended up getting a 16' hose kit. I have a picture on my Personal Page which (sort of) shows the routing I took. While the steering becomes a bit asymmetric, the side-mount does help with a tidy rigging bundle.
Tom, my sister-in-law has a 2-cable system on her Outrage 18 and the steering effort is off the charts. I can't for the life of me figure out what's causing it - if you disconnect the steering arm, both the motor and the wheel turn easily. Do you have the same problem?
My 1982 Outrage 18 (1994 mariner 125 HP) was new to me last year but 34 years old. No telling how old the steering was. that said, while the helm pressure was strong, once I raised the engine up some and adjusted the trim skeg with the right up/down trim the pressure on the helm was manageable. My big issue was more the amount of play in the system. I had as much as 30 degrees free play which made the boat really hard to control, particularly for my wife and daughter. One ride on a friends Outrage 17 with hydraulic steering convinced me it was the way to go; constant light helm pressure and no play . every one who has made the switch agrees even if expensive. I had looked into the the less costly Baystar system but with the 18 rated for 150 hp I would be right at the limit for that system if I re-power. A call to Seastar Solutions confirmed they would not recommend the lighter duty Baystar system for me.
Soon as winter really quits here in Vermont I'll tackle the installation. Folks who have done it say it's not that difficult
