Boat help!

Recently bought a Palms Whitecap 222 22 foot cc boat. It's at a local inland lake mechanic, and he has determined that the helm is not working properly. Apparently it turns good in one direction, but locks up and won't turn the other direction. Cylinder that pushes outboard seems to be fine as oil comes out when bleeding. Any ideas?
Also I am thinking about installing an auto steer system if I have to replace this helm any recommendations on a system? Have a hummingbird 999SI chart plotter, but don't know if it will link with an auto steer other than minn kota.
I need your help and advice if anybody has any. Thanks in advance.

If it is a Merrcruiser Alpha the problem is most likely in the steering shaft / gear where the Gimble housing meets the stern, Merccruiser makes a kit to rebuild it same thing happened to mine about 10 years and two boats ago . , not to hard to do with a little patients and time I did myself...

Mercury 200 outboard with hydraulic steering. Thanks

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Originally Posted by Whopper

Recently bought a Palms Whitecap 222 22 foot cc boat. It's at a local inland lake mechanic, and he has determined that the helm is not working properly. Apparently it turns good in one direction, but locks up and won't turn the other direction. Cylinder that pushes outboard seems to be fine as oil comes out when bleeding. Any ideas?
Also I am thinking about installing an auto steer system if I have to replace this helm any recommendations on a system? Have a hummingbird 999SI chart plotter, but don't know if it will link with an auto steer other than minn kota.
I need your help and advice if anybody has any. Thanks in advance.

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The Mechanic should be able to determine what is wrong!

There is another area that has not been mentioned and that is the cable that goes from the helm to the steering cylinder. Those cables wear thru their outer covering over time and usually where they make the bend under the CC or where they make the bend going to the engine steering cylinder. A strand or 2 could be broken and protruding slightly out the worn cable cover. When turning one direction the helm will work fine but when going the other direction that protruding wire from the cable will hang up on the cable covering as it tries to pass back thru to continue the turning radius. I have had this happen twice over the years.

The mechanic thinks that the helm is bad, however he has never seen one like is in this boat, which doesn't help the situation. Any ideas on the auto pilot systems?

Maybe a second opinion. Just a thought.

Sounds to me that the mechanic is not the sharpest tool in the box.
Virtually all Hydraulic Steering systems are relatively simple.
The steering wheel is attached to a hydraulic pump which as you turn the wheel turns the pump which moves the hydraulic fluid down at the cylinder that pushes your OB motor either to the left or to the right.
Seastar is the big name in Hydraulic Steering Systems and all parts are available.
The steering wheel pump can be serviced with new seals, but not expensive to replace it, with a new unit.

Autopilots, you get what you pay for!
We had a Wellcraft 23ft Center Consul fishing boat and I fitted the Garmin GHP20 which happily kept the boat on a heading at down to 1.5 mph trolling speed.
That unit also when coupled up to a Garmin GPS would steer any course that the GPS could plan or follow a trolling track in reverse to go through the active pod again :rolleyes:
This autopilot cost about $2,500 installed and will happily work with most hydraulic steering systems.
You can see more about our Wellcraft CC here > http://www.g4dyr.com/wellcraft230.html

I installed the Lowrance outboard autopilot a couple of weeks ago.......LOVE IT! It works great with my Lowrance HDS sonar