97 Convincor 253 Tilt Helm

[253SED]

Has anyone had to replace the factory Tilt Helm...If so...which Teleflex helm did you use....Have some slop in the wheel before drive actually moves...Everything else looks good...think it might be in the helm....A part number would be helpful also...Thanks in advance

 

[corey331]

I replaced everything in mine last year, I'll look through my receipts and see what all I ordered later today.

 

[corey331]

Ok, my boat had the Teleflex Safe-T helm behind the dash and I replaced it with this

http://www.seastarsolutions.com/products/mechanical-steering/hps-rotary-steering-2/

Works a million times better than what was in there. A lot less play in the wheel.

On the outside of the dash I used part # sh91800p. That’s the tilt piece.

If you decide to replace the inner helm, have fun. Checkmate put all that stuff in when the deck was still separated from the hull, and did not leave room for it to be removed. It took me a few hours to get mine out. If you have the deluxe cabin with the fridge, it might actually be easier than it was in mine. I will say that replacing the inner helm took a lot more play out of the wheel than replacing the tilt mechanism.

 

[253SED]

thanks for the information...I will look into it...You are right..it is gonna be a bear...it looks very tight....im sure it will come out but will take time....did you have to change or modify anything to get the helm to fit inside the dash ...or was this part a direct replacement with good a good fit....I don't have any slop in the tilt part of it...suspect its the inner helm.....

 

[253SED]

just looked at there site...damn there is a lot to choose from...Do you happen to have the Kit # you used...which style cable.... ect...If not I can contact them directly and see what they have to say...but if you have the # perfect...you have installed and tried and know it fits and works properly....Thanks and sorry for all the question

 

[corey331]

No problem man. I didn't use a kit. I actually bought the helm off of Jason at Kunkels Marine. It used the same cable that was already in the boat, so I didn't replace that. I did have to do some filing and sanding to the back side of the dash to make the new helm fit, but it wasn't too bad and was also worth all the work as it steers a million times better now. The only reason I replaced the tilt mechanism was because the steering wheel was seized on to it so bad that I damaged it getting the wheel off. The wheel was seized so bad that I had a breaker bar on the pulling tool to get it off. When the wheel finally let go, it sounded like a shotgun went off and the pulling tool shoot clear across the barn!!! This is what it did to the tilt helm trying to get the wheel off.

Then I spent hours trying to wrestle the helm out from behind the dash. That resulted in this pic......

 

[253SED]

WOW...thanks for the info..i cant wait to get started on this project..lol

 

[ezstriper]

you think that was fun try doing full Hyd under there, the back of mine was far from flat(has to be) and weighs a ton to hold in place, not to mention 4 large hoses

 

[corey331]

you think that was fun try doing full Hyd under there, the back of mine was far from flat(has to be) and weighs a ton to hold in place, not to mention 4 large hoses

That's my next project and I'm not looking forward to it. It might actually get sent to Kunkel's to do that, LOL.

 

[Budman]

Bringing up an old thread
I can't stand the play in my helm.
What helm did you use @corey331?
Looks like it will be a chore either way I look at it

 

[corey331]

Bringing up an old thread
I can't stand the play in my helm.
What helm did you use @corey331?
Looks like it will be a chore either way I look at it

This is the inner helm that I used, its the Sea Star HPS Rotary. It's a million times better than what I had in it and it's more compact, so it was easier to re-install. http://www.seastarsolutions.com/products/mechanical-steering/hps-rotary-steering-2/

The outer helm is part# sh91800p. That's the tils steering piece that the steering wheel bolts to and has tilt steering.

Not sure when you are wanting to replace everything, but after this season(Maybe sooner) I will be taking it all out to go full hydraulic. A ProCharger is in the works, so I need to upgrade, but the stuff I have now is a vast improvement over the stuff that Checkmate initially put in.

 

[Budman]

So the helm is universal and I just need to find the length of the cable?
I thought you reused the cable

 

[corey331]

So the helm is universal and I just need to find the length of the cable?
I thought you reused the cable

I did reuse my existing cable. I replaced the two pieces that attach to the dash. The inner helm mechanism that the cable goes into and the outer tilt helm. My cable was still fine.

 

[Budman]

Thank you
I looked at replacing it years ago and wondered how it was even possible.
I don't have the fridge option
I thought a sawzall would be my best bet lol

 

[corey331]

I don't have the fridge either. I think it would be easier if I did. I didn't have to do any Sawzall work, but there was some gentle massaging involved, lol.