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Anyone know how difficult it is to change a new outboard with tilt and trim from controls to a tiller?

I think it boils down to money more than difficulty for the parts. Could be wrong haven't researched it much.

broccoli wrote:Anyone know how difficult it is to change a new outboard with tilt and trim from controls to a tiller?

I work on my own outboard. Have done all sorts of modifications and repairs.
What you suggest is beyond the skills of an every day guy.
I wouldnt try it wirhout a repair manual and jehler.

I inquired about this when I looking at a motor for a bigger boat I was looking to buy. The boat guy said he thought he could get a used tiller handle for a 70 horse Johnson for about $400.

I wouldn't think it be very hard at all to convert.

It's pretty simple.

Its not too bad if you have all the right parts. Biggest PIA is adjusting everything afterwards. I did one and the next time I needed a tiller I waited and just bought one.

Baysider wrote:Its not too bad if you have all the right parts. Biggest PIA is adjusting everything afterwards. I did one and the next time I needed a tiller I waited and just bought one.

By adjusting, do you mean the throttle and all that. What besides the throttle needs a tweaking? Not belittling the effort it would take for a throttle readjustment, just wondering. Ive wanted to ask this question for a decade. Just been too scared.

How big is the motor. I made a tiller handle for little more that $35 for a small outboard. It works really well and saved me $400 that I would have had to shell out to Yamaha. I would post a link to the DIY thread that I posted for it, but it happens to be on another forum not to be mentioned here.

It's not as easy as all motors being the same. The year, size and make will be what decides if it is something worth doing. In most cases, it is quicker and easier to sell the motor and controls and buy the tiller model.

This may be silly, but my experience with boat motors is limited. And pretty much just involves a gas can.

Why can't you just mover the controls to the gunwale on one side or the other next to the rear bench, where you would have to sit for a tiller anyway? It's my understanding that all the controls are just cables, anyway- could they not be looped to shorten them, and just put a side mounted wheel and controls back there? I despise running that tiller I've got. If I could find a way to put a steering wheel on my hybrid, I would.

It's still something that's immovable in the boat for all your other gear to get wrapped up in. It's all about the floorspace.

I guess. But I would love to mount a steering wheel right on the front of the hybrid. It's look like one of those little pink boats at the amusement park or some shit.

To give you an idea of what you are getting into.
I had an auto-wreck where my boat and it's engine were destroyed.
Later on I got another boat with the same exact engine. The old one had a power-pack and a starter so I took them off and put them onto the motor that works. That took me almost a full day. Getting the wires into the exact position they had to be in so they didn't rub on anything was a challenge. Routing everything was TOUGH.


I really don't see an amateur completing the modification and it working perfectly. Maybe if you had two or three days to blow.
Working on an outboard is a lot harder than it looks. Having tiny little elf-hands really helps.

assateague wrote:I guess. But I would love to mount a steering wheel right on the front of the hybrid. It's look like one of those little pink boats at the amusement park or some shit.

Hahahhaa. Wouldn't know whether to laugh or applaud seeing that. If you can get air I believe a standing ovation would be in order.

Flightstopper wrote:It's all about the floorspace.

^^^this^^^

In my experience, if you have a console it's better to have a center console versus a side console. That of course depends on the design of the console, but in most cases a center is better.

Assa with a steering wheel on the hybrid.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8qUPtNKicAs

Flightstopper wrote:Assa with a steering wheel on the hybrid.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8qUPtNKicAs

Love watching those races.

He's driving that thing like the co-pilot owes him money.