kicker motor conversion

[fd235158]

Hi everyone,<br />I'm big into fishing and just bought a 89' chris craft sea hawk 19 ft last year. I have a 140 horse evinrude for the main engine and a 9.9 evinrude for a kicker motor. The 9.9 is currently a tiller handle which is a huge inconvenience when trying to use multiple downriggers. So I've ordered a conversion kit, remote throttle assmebly, and a steering bar so I can control the engine from the center console. I think the most difficult part of this project is going to be running a new set of throttle/shift cables through the boat. I don't want cables just laying on the floor and I was hoping someone could give me some advise on the easiest way to run them without making this a huge production. I would really appreciate the help.

 

[Solittle]

Re: kicker motor conversion

I think I would have linked the 9.9 to the 140 for steering and left the throttle & gearshift alone but I can't really speak for your needs.<br /><br />I know - - this reply is useless - - just one of my two brain cells speaking up.

 

[Bondo]

Re: kicker motor conversion

I'm with SoLittle...........<br /><br />Many, Many times,<br />I Wished I could have Shifted, or Reved the motor, while tending the riggers........<br /> With Some of my Fishing Buddies, Any More than Steering, Is Just Too Much to Ask.......

 

[suzuki115]

Re: kicker motor conversion

I have a remote conntrolled steering kit for my kicker, made by Panther Marine or something like that. It only controls steering and not the throttle but I really like it and I can be any where in the boat to control the kicker steering.

 

[farginicehole]

Re: kicker motor conversion

If I understand you correctly, by steering bar, you mean one of those linkages with ball joints that connects your main outboard to your kicker, right? Those work pretty well, allowing you to steer your kicker from your main console steering wheel. I'm not familiar with the remote controlled steering that Suzuki 115 speaks of, but it sounds interesting. If you look in Cabela's marine catalog or their website, there's a remote kicker throttle control called TrollMaster. I don't have one yet, but the way I understand it from the ad and the pictures, it appears to have a small servo that mounts under the cowl of your kicker and just a small electrical cable that goes from the remote throttle control (wherever you decide to mount it) to the kicker. I'm sure someone on this forum has first-hand experience with these to share?

 

[fd235158]

Re: kicker motor conversion

I just wanted to thank everyone for your responses. Here's what I ended up doing and hopefully this can help anyone else looking into this. As farginicehole2 said the Cabela's website has a steering bar for $25.00 that connects your main engine to the kicker so you steer from the main wheel. As for the throttle linkage I did some research and spoke to a few people at the marina I use. Center console boats have a tube that runs through the hull and all cables and wires are fed through there. I picked up an elecrical snake for running wires at the local harware store for $15. I got a remote conversion kit off of ebay for $10 and a dual lever binnacle throttle set for $50. The shift and throttle cables cost another $50. In the end it cost me roughly $150 and about 3 hours time to install everything. Now I can use the kicker the same way you would use your main engine. If anyone else is looking to do the same thing and has questions feel free to email me at fd235158@yahoo.com. And thanks again to everyone who responded.