1997 Steering Part 2

[Hudini]

First of all thankyou for the responses to my post on same subject a few days ago. This is really a great site.

Based on the responses I got and a review of the mod pages I have seen some conflicting info that I hope someone can clairify with respect to upgrading to the Teleflex steering.

1 Cable length ( a model # would be very helpful)

2 Do you have to get a different steering pedestal?

Also I would like to add an auto helm at sometime in the future. Any recommendations on a model? Any considerations with the Teleflex upgrade. I may go ahead and both mods at the same time.

By the way when my steering failed I removed the linkage piece that goes to the engine, screwed it out to lengthen it for leverage, removed a rubber plug from the front of the engine, put the linkage bar in the hole in the front of the engine and steered the engine with my foot. I am sure ther is a better way but it got me home. I will make sure I have some kind of a poll that I can use that I can steer by hand in the future.

Chuck

[Steve K]

If your boat is a 1997, it has the smaller pedestal and a "rotory" helm unit. Newer boats have a "rack and pinion" type helm and a taller pedestal to house it.

Here's the site with all the answers, including a part# crossover chart. You will also see the visual difference between the two steering systems mentioned above in the products area. Lots of other good info here too.

http://www.teleflexmarine.com/default.asp?ID=17

SK

[dclark]

1 Cable length ( a model # would be very helpful)

There are a variety of lengths available. MacGregor choose an 8' cable and you will be fine to buy another 8' cable. However, many have found that a 10' works better. It's your choice. If in doubt, look at the one you have and how it runs thru the pedestal, into the aft berth, and back to the motor. Then ask yourself if 2 more feet would make a smoother bend and therfor a better choice. Or is it just more cable to do something with for no real benefit. I have an 8' cable now, my next will be 10'.

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

Have a lot of people had failures with the rack and pinion designs like on the the stock 2000 Mac? It seems like such a simple system and with my sportpilot off, it was 1 finger easy.

[craiglaforce]

If it were me I would get a replacement rotary teleflex safe-T-QC.
Although technically it is listed as being for a slightly smaller boat, so its your call. Just look through the teleflex info and pick what you want to pay for.
Measure the old cable and either get the same or add a couple feet as previously suggested. The rotary helm and cable come together in one package if you buy it the whole thing.

I and a lot of others have a Raymarine Sportpilot or sportpilot plus. It fits right on under the steering wheel. Its a little light duty, but it fits nicely and doesn't get in the way. SUggest getting a helm cover to protect the autopilot from UV damage. (it has a rubber seal on the control stalk that will degrade with extended sun exposure).

Others have put on the much larger autopilots (simrad WP10 etc) with autotack features and such. I tried one and sent it back because It was too large and obtrusive for my tastes.

Not sure why you would want to go to the trouble of changing out the entire steering console just to fit a rack and pinion unit. But if you are handy there are some console mods posted in the mods section.

[Volador]

I just replaced the rotary steering unit in my 1996 by contacting the people at Blue Water Yachts. They knew exactly what I needed and even gave me instructions for the replacement process. They really know the MacGregor boats and I have had great success ordering a number of things through them. For contact info etc. go to:

http://www.bwyachts.com/web%20catalog%2 ... 20Home.htm

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

I'm not sure if it was stock from the factory in the old days or a retrofit by the previous owner at some point, but my 1996 boat has Ultraflex, www.uflexusa.com . It's a rotary unit that fits easily in the early pedestal. It is made in Italy. It is butter smooth, not expensive, and seems better built that the others. The end nut is not cheap aluminum that corodes away from the inside but is bronze, much more durable in the marine enviroment. Mine works great. I just installed a autopilot on it.

[ferd johns]

I could not agree more with Duane's comments about the uflex unit. I replaced my original 1996 frozen unit and cable with the uflex system. It appeared far better engineered (a planetary gear drive system rather than a single gear drive) and is just as he describes it. It required fairly minor modifications to mount it on the pedestal. These were posted on the old site, but I have sorta forgotten by now exactly how I did it. It took a "hold it up there and measure" session, reading the instructions, looking inside the pedestal for clearance problems, a piece of plastic cutting board, a gear puller, and maybe three or four hours careful work. A great unit, and a bit cheaper than the Teleflex I had looked at.

[dclark]

I pretty much agree with the others. I'd replace it with anohter rotary unit. Trying to enlarge the pedestal to accomodate a rack sounds like a lot of work.

To the guy that asked about failures with the rack and pinion system, mine failed, but it had nothing to do with the rack (or the pinion). It was the attachment point at the steering bar - push rod thing at the stern.

I did have to enlarge the hole in the pedestal for the new helm to fit. It's pretty thick there (1" plywood covered with fiberglass if I remember right). I used a dremell and it was ok. I good jig saw may be better.

[Frank C]

... I did have to enlarge the hole in the pedestal for the new helm to fit. It's pretty thick there (1" plywood covered with fiberglass if I remember right). I used a dremell and it was ok. I good jig saw may be better.

Dave,
You surely cannot mean the pedestal is 1" plywood?? Maybe half-inch, right? You replaced helm because of the problem w/ cable? Helm is from what company?

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

For auto pilots chsck out this thread

http://macgregorsailors.com/phpBB2/view ... highlight=

It discusses the Raymarine Sport Pilot I just installed. Many have the sport pilot, others have the ST4000 Plus wheel pilot. The sport pilot is a really simple and clean installation that looks great at the mac pedestal, but it does lack some of the sailboat features in the ST4000 such as auto tack. Most also find that they need a bigger wheel with the ST4000 as it makes finger room pretty tight when installed on the stock wheel. The recent West Marine ad has the ST4000 Plus for $899.

They sell the Sport Pilot Plus for $899 as well but I had them match boaters world price of $799.

[craiglaforce]

http://www.onlinemarine.com/cgi-local/S ... 1082195489


Not sure if that long link will work without cutting and pasting it.
I bought my sportpilot from online marine . com a while back.

Sometimes they have a good sale.
The link above is for the sportpilotplus.
Online marine was OK except at the time it was lmost impossible to get anyone on the phone.