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I know this is an old thread, but I thought I'd add some information on the matter of BayStar and SeaStar hydraulic steering for the Montauk...and probably applies to many others. This has been a nightmare trying to get the right application info from Seastar....because I WANT my hydraulic steering retrofit to match the OEM steering 100%.

I'm retrofitting a 1999 Montauk 17 with 100HP Merc....all original. That year has a 3/4-inch thick console and OEM Teleflex Safe-T steer mechanical steering. It uses an SB27150 plastic bezel which sits between the console and steering wheel hub. Projection of OEM steering shaft is just under 4 inches. The bezel is about 2-inchs deep and the wheel accounts for another 2-inches.

Just like every blog and forum warns, installation of any front-mount BayStar/SeaStar system results in your wheel sticking out at least another 2 inches. Personally, I don't find this to be an acceptable compromise. But to each his own. I'm simply sharing an alternative for those who would prefer an OEM result.

BACK-MOUNT KIT HA5476
If you dig deep enough and talk to the right people, SeaStar may recommend the HA5476 Back-Mount Kit. It is exactly what it sounds and what many people are referring to in the thread. It essentially provides a mechanical mounting for inserting the front-mount helm INTO the console face....flush to the back surface of the console. Correctly stated elsewhere...this pushes the wheel back ONE inch. This also replaces your factory plastic bezel with the "BayStar" bezel trim....and leaves two self-tapping screw holes which were used to hold the original Teleflex bezel. This also results in enlarging the 3-1/4 helm hole to 4-3/8!! That is getting awful close to not leaving any meat between the helm and the gauge/switch panels on each side. AGAIN, I find none of these factors as much of an improvement....so I ruled this option out.

ALTERNATE SOLUTION - as noted in other comments by those who share my same objective of an "OEM" hydraulic upgrade, you can use a Rear-Mount helm pump. SeaStar makes two variations of the rear-mount helm pumps - one uses a 3.5-inch shaft and the other uses a 6-inch shaft. Since the "standard" 3.5-inch shaft leaves no room for plastic bezel between wheel and console, this results in your wheel being 2-inches CLOSER to the console.....the opposite problem to the front-mount helm. I rule this out as an acceptable solution. Alternatively, SeaStar makes exactly TWO models of rear-mount pump with 6-inch shaft. The HH5279-3 and HH5281-3. And just for clarification...BOTH 6-inch helm pumps will accept either a 3/4-inch OR 1-inch wheel. The shafts are turned to 3/4 for standard wheel, and include a machined aluminum bushing for 1-inch wheel applications. So DON"T LET ANYONE tell you that these two helm units "won't work"....because they don't know what they are talking about...period!!!! Even the SeaStar documentation and technical support is wrong!!!

I went with the HH5281-3. This helm has a 1.7-cu.in. displacement, and when matched with the HC5345-3 cylinder, will yield just over 4 turns lock-to-lock. Much closer to the OEM steering of 3 turns lock-to-lock. By comparison, the "standard" BayStar and equivalent kits will give you 5.1 turns lock-to-lock. Again, my preference is stay as close to original steering characteristics as possible.

The HH5281 helm unit is a rear-mount with a 6-inch shaft. This requires NO butchering of console and only adding about 1-inch of spacer block at back of console. I fabricated my spacer block from two scraps totaling 1-1/4 inches. I drilled and used the spacer block as the drill template for re-drilling the console for new hole pattern. My Whaler console is 3/4-inch thick...so net console depth is 2 inches with spacer. That leaves nearly 4 inches of shaft projection...equal to that of OEM mechanical steer.

The rear-mount helms are provided with a round stainless bolt plate which is applied to face of console when bolting helm unit with three 5/16 bolts. This plate will interfere slightly with original Teleflex plastic bezel installation. Simple use a steel cutoff wheel to notch those screw locations of stainless plate. Now you can re-install original SB27150 bezel on front with original self-tapping screws. Install your original Whaler steering wheel....and NOBODY knows that it was upgraded, other than the addition of fluid port on top of console, which decided to locate just behind compass.

A couple other points and reminders:
1. The standard rear-mount helms have a 3.5-inch shaft....so trying to use one of those on a fiberglass console will result in steering wheel hub being flush up to console. This is problem on 1999 and similar Montauks because the console angles back out on the right side and might pinch your fingers!!

2. Some people will try to convince you that the HH5279-3 and HH5281-3 helm units won't fit your steering wheel. WRONG, WRONG, WRONG. Works with 3/4 or 1-inch wheels using provided hardware.

3. The rear-mount helms are supplied with 5/16 x 1-3/4 bolts. Accounting for spacer block, I used 2-1/2-inch bolts. Make certain to use LockTite since SeaStar supplies pre-locktited bolts.

4. I specifically used the HH5281-3 because it has a displacement of 1.7-Cu.in. instead of 1.4. This reduces lock-to-lock turns of standard BayStar/SeaStar 1.4 helms from 5 turns to about 4 turns. This is closer to the OEM 3-turn steering. I haven't operated a BayStar, but the SeaStar operation is absolutely amazing. Effortless steering at full throttle out of the hole with ZERO feedback.

I have spent many hours trying to plan a well-designed hydraulic steering upgrade for my cherished Montauk....that isn't a butcher job!! So I hope somebody else finds this info helpful and maybe avoid some of the misinformation...or at least be additional input for your particular situation.

I've posted photos of install on Dropbox link at https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8aclz73syn...2xtWa?dl=0