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dt5150

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Posts posted by dt5150

  1. Turns out that my ap still works without the main motor running. My ap head unit was still in the old setting for the old system. Changed it to a type 1 pump and boom, works great with either motor. 

    The feel of the steering now compared to before isn't even a comparison really. It's that drastic. Light years better. I should have done this years ago! 

  2. I haven't had the chance to test it again since last time, no. I work a lot and it always seems to rain on my day off! Today being no exception, rainy where I am today. 

    I may put it in the water today if the weather clears up, without testing that again. We'll see. I went into this project not knowing of this detail about the ap, and the only time I use the ap is when trolling. I don't use the ap a ton, but it was kinda nice to have when things get busy and there's only 2 guys on the boat or when fishing solo. 

  3. If there is still air in the system, I wouldn't be able to get it out. I've bled this 3 times. The last time was yesterday. Tubing run from the cylinder to the helm to form a continuous loop. Bled following the instructions and continued after that in both directions on both bleeders, left and right. No bubbles whatsoever and steering is smooth. I still need to see what it does with the main running, haven't done that yet. 

  4. that's interesting.. i just finished this project today. My ap is working but it is super slow turning the outdrive. it does it in a bumpy motion, it isn't smooth. This is without the main running, but that's how I will be fishing as well. Using a kicker. My steering feel is light years better than it was with the old cable setup and the smart pilot, but if you are correct, I'll have to live without an ap when I'm fishing.. which is the only time I use it. I'll test the ap again tomorrow with the main running, see what it does.

  5. it will work like a champ. i had a 2012 superfisherman 186 that had the seastar hydro steering on the main motor. i added a merc pro kicker and tied the two together with a panther stainless connecting rod to the front of both motors. it steered beautifully.. i could turn the wheel lock to lock with one finger.

  6. slight change in plans.. materials actually.

     

    i ordered that sheet of starboard over a week ago and just yesterday i get an email from the company (boatid.com) that it is too large for ups shipment, so they canceled my order. gee thanks.. that could've been useful info a week ago when i ordered it! i looked online some more, and can order a sheet, but shipping kills it. $200-250 in shipping costs.. nope. i also called a couple local marinas that can order it, but they were both really expensive, around $600. nope... so, i went to lowes and bought a sheet of 3/8" pvc for $79. it's not my first choice, but we'll see how it works out.

  7. thanks, ordered the tubing and some elbows from sailrite. nice to be able to order short lengths! all the other hardware is on the way too. so is an ez-steer.. need to improve my kicker steering, big time. so she's back home and out of the water for a little while for upgrades.

  8. i have one side from a 350 chevy, can't remember which side, i haven't looked at it in forever. but you're welcome to it if you can use it. i don't know if the v8 stuff fits the v6 though.. they might be different. i seem to remember something about having to upgrade the heads too when doing the conversion.. mounting holes for the brackets i think. i could be totally wrong about that though, it's been a long time since i did that project (sbc swap in a jeep). i sourced all the parts from a local junk yard for cheap. i think the serp setup i used was from 1997-2001 model years if i recall correctly. but again, that was a 350 v8.

  9. yeah they are. i got a price on one of em, $3600 plus shipping!! uh.. no thanks.

     

    i found a decent price on a sheet of starboard so i've got that coming. i'll need to source some stainless or aluminum tubing and other odds and ends. i've got a fairly simple design sketched out so i'll see how it goes.

  10. hey guys. i'm kicking some ideas around for an overhang on my hardtop. the aft/back edge of the top ends or stops directly above the backs of my seats. why they designed it this way, i'll never know but it's not a good design. water from the roof drips down onto the seats, or onto you if you're sitting in it, and it would also provide more shade if it were longer.

     

    ideally, i would like it to be removable if possible so i can use the rocket launcher if i need to (hardly ever use it). and, i would prefer something other than fabric. the top itself is aluminum so aluminum would be fine. i'd also be fine with fiberglass or starboard.

     

    i expect this would be something i would likely have to make myself. money it tight as always, and with this kung-flu crap a lot of shops are either closed or have minimal support. right now, i'm brainstorming some type of brackets attached to the outside (2 per side perhaps for support purposes). then, a piece of starboard (would be the easiest for me to work with) with brackets attached to it that would slide inside the brackets attached to the top. then use pins or something to secure it and possibly some set screws to tighten down to prevent rattling and snug things up. another thought i have is using tubing, mounted horizontally to the top, then attach smaller tubing to the starboard piece that would slide inside the tubing mounted to the top. then pin/set screw secure.

     

    i think i'll likely have to mate or fit the starboard to the back vertical edge of the top since the top surface of the roof has a bit of a ridge to it down the center with a slight slope down to the sides. a bit of a crown you could say. trying to make a piece of starboard fit that contour would be pretty hard.

     

    what do you guys think? any other inexpensive, relatively simple ideas? here's some pics of the top. thanks!

    20200420_105718.jpg

    20200420_105739.jpg

  11. well, i found the shakespeare qc (quickconnect) antennas, but all they had for a mount is a ratchet, which i don't want. i found a shakespeare qc flange style mount on ebay so i ordered one up, and a 4 ft. qc antenna. i got the antenna already, but the mount is coming from england i think, so i'm still waiting on that. fingers crossed.

  12. hey guys. hoping somebody can provide some insight here. i had some radio problems last year where my buddies couldn't hear me even if they were only a couple hundred yards away. i suspect my antenna cable has been damaged by screwing it on and off every spring and fall. i do this so i can wrap the boat for winter, and i can't have the antenna sticking up. but i think that doing this so many times has likely broken the center conductor within the cable causing my problem. my antenna is mounted up on the roof of my hardtop with a flange type mount. the flange mount is basically a short section of tubing bolted to the top/roof. the antenna cable goes down inside the tubing, through the hardtop and into the overhead electronics box where the radio is installed.

     

    i've been searching for an antenna that i can disconnect from the mount without the cable being attached to avoid the twisting. some type of quick disconnect system. i found that shakespeare makes a quickconnect antenna that would work perfectly, exactly the design i need, but they only seem to offer ratchet mounts for it, which i don't want. i don't want to drill 4 more holes in my hardtop to install a ratchet mount, and then have to route the antenna cable some other way into the electronics box. i want to utilize my existing flange mount so, a: i don't have to drill more holes. and, b: simple cable routing directly into the electronics box. 

     

    is anyone aware of another brand or manufacturer that makes something like that?

     

    here's an old pic of my rooftop. right now, my vhf antenna is on the flange with the gray cap on it and the lowrance gps antenna is long gone, my am/fm antenna is on there now. but my vhf radio is in the box directly under the antenna, cable goes down through the tube and right into the box.

    IMG_20170514_135551510_HDR - Copy.jpg

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