1999 Grady White 209 Escape

Daddys Boy

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Can someone help me and tell me how to go about changing my mechanical steering over to Hydraulic steering . Which hydraulic steering system and kit do I use ?Sea Star /Teleflex? I'd like a tilt helm and am want to order the kit.

Is it as easy as telling the distributor that I have a 1999 GW CC with a 1998 Yamaha 150 HP outboard and they know which kit I need . Sorry if I sound ignorant regarding this upgrade , I just want to get it right.

Thank you,

Mike
 

Parthery

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Call or email customer service at GW and they will tell you the exact length of the hoses that you will need.

As far as the kit, you can use either the Sea-Star or the Bay-Star. The Bay-Star kit is rated for up to 150 hp motors and is about half the cost of the Sea-Star.
 

Daddys Boy

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Parthery , thank you . I looked at the Bay star series .I have a Yamaha 150 HP two stroke . On the Bay Star site do I assume that if it doesnt say 4 stroke it is for two strokes?

Thanks , Mike
 

seasick

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If you were to repower, you would probably go bigger than 150 assuming you go 4 stroke. I would go for the Sea Star. That said, I have a 208 with the 150 motor and mechanical steering. It works fine for me and I rather spend the hydraulic money on something else. Unless you plan on adding auto pilot, what is the need for the upgrade?
 

BobP

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Since you want the tilt steeting, the helm unit is different from the base fixed unit.

The Baystar is a less powerfull and less costly version of the Seastar, but in the future will not be good enough for higher HP motor which is readily so with the 20 footer. So consider it now.

Hydraulic steering is very expensive relative to mechanical.

The helm unit you saya you want is a tilt one, more expensive then the usual fixed on, and mdoel of helm unit may be a choice as to surface or behind the surface mount, others may be able to have a photo for you or say so from theirs, of look in catalog of boats on Grady website for photo or call Grady HQ on it too, besides hose length. (an extra foot of hose length is never a bad idea by the way, it will lay down below the bridge fine).

The ram in back is standard based on motor model and year, two hoses of given length, the helm unit, fluid and instructions. The kit will not be a packaged off the shelf one price deal as you want a tilt unit, so it gets to be customized but no big deal. Once the helm unit is picked, there is a Seastar distributor/retailer by me I recommend and have used for plenty for my onw boats, can PM you with contact, he can price up what the cost is and answer questions. If you are a DIYer you can do it, need new mounting on console - mounting not the same I bet as what you have now, and step by step fill and purge instructions. hydraulic steering is like night and day to what you have now, it is not power steering, but much different. Same steering wheel works, it has a woodrift key and taper fit. Dont loose key, If in trouble getting off, get back here for advice.

Keep old mechanical steering system as one day if selling boat and you prefer to keep the (expensive) system to take to next boat, convert back ! Can readily sell it used too!

As I don't know Baystar system, above applies to Seastar.

Good luck.
 

Daddys Boy

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Thank you all for the posts . Has anyone installed a tilt helm on a 1999 209 Escape and have pictures that they can share of the mounting on the console and behind ?

Bob ,I sent you a PM

Much appreciated .

Mike
 

BobP

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Mike, I didn't get a PM, try it again. If I don't get one, I'll just PM you.

Also, to learn about helms, google - seastar tilt helms.
Just don't go crazy when you see the prices !

You will learn a lot and also who sells them, good thing about the internet is shopping, as my contact is one more on Long Island NY.


I think you would be a 1.7 helm, not the "pro" ones.
And you will also see the basic helm w/o tilt, and is a basic part of the others, can mount different ways.
Parts numbers too.
 

colecaz

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Here's what the installation looks like on my 2005 209 Escape with F200.
 

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Daddys Boy

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Thanks Colecaz, Question ? what length hoses did you use . My boat is a 1999 209 escape -will 20' get it done?
 

colecaz

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I don't know what the length is because I bought the boat the way it is. I do know that 20' of transducer cabling will just make it from the transom to the electronics box in the helm. I would guess that 25' is about right, given the loops in the hoses.

The tech support at Grady has been great about all my detail questions, so why don't you call them and ask. They probably can tell you off the top of their head.