Raymarine EV-200 with Sport Drive Wheel Pilot - Wheel Pilot on its way out - options?

[vetting]

Currently run a Raymarine EV-200 with Sport Drive Wheel Pilot package (T70159) for auto pilot. The Sport Drive wheel pilot is going on 6 years old now and is starting to slip. Looking to see what my options are. Go full hydraulic or something else?

EV-200
EV1 Sensor Core
ACU-200
p70R Autopilot Control Head
Sport Drive wheel pilot
All networked with a Raymaine A77 and Axiom MFD.

 

Boat is a 89 cobia. 26ft cuddy with a Mercruiser 5.7 with a Alpha One Gen 1 outdrive.
Boat is currently cable steer with power steering assist on the main.
Newer Yamaha high thrust 9.9 extra long shaft kicker tied to the main outdrive with a ez-steer rod.
Salmon trolling at 1.8 to 3.5 mph using just the kicker without the main motor running. So Sport Pilot physically turns the wheel which turns the outdrive which turns the kicker via the ez-steer rod.
I use the autopilot for motoring out to the fishing spot and for trolling.

The Sport Pilots are no longer sold or serviced.

 

So what are my options?
Just go full hydraulic and continue to steer the main which is then linked to the kicker?  I assume that would include purchasing a type 1 pump and then a new helm and ram in the rear?  
Any other options?

Thank you ahead of time for any info you can provide.
 

[orangediablo]

Going fully hydraulic wouldn't be cheap, plus the pump alone is over $700.  If you're okay without AP motoring out, are there still options to just add AP to kicker?

[vetting]

Yeah I think will be around $2000 for the pump/helm/ram.  I would think I would still need a hydraulic system of some sort if I just did AP on the kicker with my current setup.  

[orangediablo]

If you stick with the EV200, grab the rudder reference as well.  

[GAMBLER]

I put in hydraulic steering and the EVO 150 on my 245 Penn Yan Contender.  It wasn't cheap but I can use the autopilot with the big motor or the kicker and it works flawlessly.  

[L&M]

You could just switch the sport pilot out for an octopus type s helm and leave everything as it is if your happy with what you have. 

[vetting]

57 minutes ago, orangediablo said:

If you stick with the EV200, grab the rudder reference as well.  

I think one already came with the old kit.  Does it really add anything besides it knowing the actual position of the rudder?  Right now the I already have speed feedback since its hooked up to a Raymarine MFD.  That way the autopilot knows how hard to correct and it also uses the data from the multi axis puck. 

[vetting]

5 minutes ago, L&M said:

You could just switch the sport pilot out with an octopus type s helm and leave everything as it is.

I was also look at that.  However, the steering cables are also 30+ years old.  Would the autopilot control physically move the wheel with the Octopus drive? 

[vetting]

54 minutes ago, GAMBLER said:

I put in hydraulic steering and the EVO 150 on my 245 Penn Yan Contender.  It wasn't cheap but I can use the autopilot with the big motor or the kicker and it works flawlessly.  

@GAMBLER  What helm/pump/ram did you go with?  

 

[GAMBLER]

37 minutes ago, vetting said:

@GAMBLER  What helm/pump/ram did you go with?  

 

I got mine through Yankee Troller at Krenzer Marine.  PM him.  He knows which one to get.  

[L&M]

1 hour ago, vetting said:

I was also look at that.  However, the steering cables are also 30+ years old.  Would the autopilot control physically move the wheel with the Octopus drive? 

 

It will act the same as your sport pilot does now. When pilots engaged wheel will turn but can be overridden, not engaged you have your normal steering & I recommend a new cable when its installed anyway & especially with 30 years on it. If your doing it yourself you should be able to get by for under a grand, cable and all. 

 

 

[vetting]

Yeah thats what Im thinking my top 2 options are right now.

Octopus drive and a new set of cables.
or 
New helm, steering cylinder, and type 1 pump. 

Going Octopus and new set of cables is probably cheaper, but I really want what is going to give me  the best performance while trolling at 2mph.  Anyone with experience what is the better setup performance wise?  

[vetting]

I'm leaning more towards going full hydraulic now.  Since I troll on my kicker with the main shutoff (power steering pump not running), should I look at cylinders that will completely eliminate the power assist system?  

[GAMBLER]

7 minutes ago, vetting said:

I'm leaning more towards going full hydraulic now.  Since I troll on my kicker with the main shutoff (power steering pump not running), should I look at cylinders that will completely eliminate the power assist system?  

Mine was bypassed.  The steering is like butter and the kicker runs flawlessly with the autopilot on!  My mechanic called and they told him the exact parts he would need.  They didn't have a kit yet for the EVO 150's.  They might now but I have no clue.  

[vetting]

Snagged a Raymarine Type 1 Pump for $550 brand new - so almost $300 off.  
Currently trying to figure out what helm to purchase.  

Edited February 6 by vetting

[vetting]

@GAMBLER do you run your hydraulics hooked to your main and then have you kicker tied to the main with a bar?  

 

[vetting]

So now that I got the Raymarine AP pump, what helm should I go with if I eliminate the mecruiser power assist? 

1.7 HH5271
2.0 HH5273
2.4 HH5272 

[GAMBLER]

On 2/6/2024 at 2:30 AM, vetting said:

So now that I got the Raymarine AP pump, what helm should I go with if I eliminate the mecruiser power assist? 

1.7 HH5271
2.0 HH5273
2.4 HH5272 

I will have to go to the boat and see which one I have.  

[GAMBLER]

EV-150 Power Pilot | Autopilot Packs | Autopilots | Raymarine

 

This is what I bought.  You will also need the Sea Star Hydraulic steering kit.  

[vetting]

3 hours ago, GAMBLER said:

EV-150 Power Pilot | Autopilot Packs | Autopilots | Raymarine

 

This is what I bought.  You will also need the Sea Star Hydraulic steering kit.  

Yeah that would be awesome if you could look to see what helm you have installed.

I already had a EV-200 with the newer Sport Pilot installed - the one they dont sell or even service anymore.  
You run a I/O with a kicker tied to the outdrive right?  

[GAMBLER]

22 minutes ago, vetting said:

Yeah that would be awesome if you could look to see what helm you have installed.

I already had a EV-200 with the newer Sport Pilot installed - the one they dont sell or even service anymore.  
You run a I/O with a kicker tied to the outdrive right?  

Yes.  Bravo II drive and a 9.9 Honda kicker tied in with an EZ steer bar.  

[GAMBLER]

43 minutes ago, vetting said:

Yeah that would be awesome if you could look to see what helm you have installed.

I already had a EV-200 with the newer Sport Pilot installed - the one they dont sell or even service anymore.  
You run a I/O with a kicker tied to the outdrive right?  

Just heard back from my mechanic that installed mine.  He used the 1.7 HH5271-3 Dometic

[vetting]

24 minutes ago, GAMBLER said:

Just heard back from my mechanic that installed mine.  He used the 1.7 HH5271-3 Dometic

Do you feel like you have to turn wheel a ton to dock?  The 1.7 is less effort but a lot more turns from lock to lock than the 2.4

[GAMBLER]

4 minutes ago, vetting said:

Do you feel like you have to turn wheel a ton to dock?  The 1.7 is less effort but a lot more turns from lock to lock than the 2.4

Not at all.  Its better than the system cable system that was in there before put in hydraulic steering.  I  sent you a PM.