looking for BayStar Hydraulic steering system experience

[c18]

I was looking for BayStar Hydraulic steering system experience for my old 2 strokes Johnson 90 hp (34 years old), but could not find any. So, I am posting this to help others who have older motors and want to upgrade from mechanical cable steering to Hydraulic steering.

I needed to address 2 issues:
1. Tilt tube was rusty so I need to clean it constantly. The steering cable gets stuck every few trips, and it was getting worse. So, time to upgrade.
2. My steering helm was only 1" deep, so my fingers were robbing against my Garmin GPSmap498 when I turned my steering wheel - pain in the rear.

The user manual was very useful, but didn't pay close attention to little things. Overall the installation was not hard. The most difficult was to beg my wife to help - LOL, I also solicited my friend to help the day before but he had to leave early too.

I did a test drive on the Potomac river with the new steering system. It was so nice, easy and smooth to make a 180 degrees U-turn. I used to slow the boat way down and turned in a much bigger radius. Now, piece of cake to turn at high speed. Very glad I upgraded the steering. Feels like a brand new boat.

I had a chance to go to Bass Pro shops boat lot, and I found out the $10K to $20K bass boats don't even have hydraulic steering. I thought every new boat is using hydraulic steering now - LOL

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...35FLk9h8YdnEsP

[M R Dux]

If I had ordered my Excel Bay Pro 203 with a 150 HP engine, hydraulic steering would have been required. Same with all the manufacturers I checked. That might be the reason you are not seeing the hydraulic steering on BPS boats. My next boat will have it. When I raised my engine up one hole higher than it came from the factory, the steering torque went away.

[c18]

yes I heard that too. If you tilt your motor up a little, then the steering to turn becomes easier. wouldn't that cause the boat to go less efficient?

[M R Dux]

yes I heard that too. If you tilt your motor up a little, then the steering to turn becomes easier. wouldn't that cause the boat to go less efficient?

Not mine. It causes the bow to lift and my speed goes up.