Autopilot suggestions for a Bayliner 2556

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kolyo

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Now that I've decided to keep the boat despite my wife's knee problems, I 'd like add on an autopilot to the existing hydraulic Mercruiser 454/Bravo 2 steering. I have never before used an autopilot so please enlighten me.
 
kolyo said:
Now that I've decided to keep the boat despite my wife's knee problems, I 'd like add on an autopilot to the existing hydraulic Mercruiser 454/Bravo 2 steering. I have never before used an autopilot so please enlighten me.
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How long do you cruise for.
 
kolyo said:
Now that I've decided to keep the boat despite my wife's knee problems, I 'd like add on an autopilot to the existing hydraulic Mercruiser 454/Bravo 2 steering. I have never before used an autopilot so please enlighten me.
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hi kolyo i fitted a raymarine auto pilot acu 150 30 foot boat best thing i ever did, fitted by myself over two weekends easy plug and play
hydraulics were a bit of a chore cost about £2600 all in.
 
Elessar said:
Are you sure it’s hydraulic? It’s teleflex cable as standard.
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That's what my mechanic told me: Make sure the autopilot is for hydraulic steering.

I'm not mechanically minded so I rely totally on the advice of specialists for everything to do with engine, stern drive, steering and boat electronics.
 
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seastoke said:
How long do you cruise for.
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I better elaborate on this. The need for autopilot came up in a discussion with my mechanic. My usual boating is a combination of cruising and trolling. Roughly 50 hours of proper cruising and 200 hours of trolling per season. For the trolling I intend to use my 9.9hp Yamaha High Thrust mounted on a Garelick bracket to stb. Initially I intended to use the Bravo leg as a rudder but my mechanic told me it would be too difficult to steer it because the steering mechanism of the main engine setup was hydraulic. Then he suggested an autopilot to solve my problem which would have other benefits too, the downside being a hefty price.
 
Your mechanic is not getting confused by the servo steering part of the system? I had a 2655 myself and its a teleflex cable down to the servo assisted cylinder at the back, you can’t fit a hydraulic auto pilot to this setup. My current boat has this setup and I installed a Lowrance electric helm unit which moves the steering cable when on Autopilot, Raymarine used to have a system called Sport Pilot which did this. If you have hydraulic steering you will have a small plug on the casing just in front of the wheel to top up the oil, if you have this then its no problem to fit a hydraulic autopilot as it ‘T’s’ into the system down in the engine room. Mechanical cable steering will come to a hard stop on full lock, whereas hydraulic is a softer stop and you can creep the wheel further, you need to find out which you have before you order. I have installed dozens of Autopilots on all sorts of boats and finally got one on my own, its great when driving long distances, and with two extra wires connected it talks to my chart plotter and will follow routes and waypoints.
 
Just read your last post, to clarify all Mercruiser sterndrives have servo steering operated either by a mecanical cable or a second low pressure hydraulic cylinder, if you have the latter then its the low pressure system which the AP is plumbed into, but it will struggle without the engine running to power the servo assisted high pressure system. Either way the engine will have to run or it will load up the AP. The only other option is to have a plain low presssure hydraulic cylinder and disconnect the servo system but this will make for heavier steering overall.
 
kolyo said:
I better elaborate on this. The need for autopilot came up in a discussion with my mechanic. My usual boating is a combination of cruising and trolling. Roughly 50 hours of proper cruising and 200 hours of trolling per season. For the trolling I intend to use my 9.9hp Yamaha High Thrust mounted on a Garelick bracket to stb. Initially I intended to use the Bravo leg as a rudder but my mechanic told me it would be too difficult to steer it because the steering mechanism of the main engine setup was hydraulic. Then he suggested an autopilot to solve my problem which would have other benefits too, the downside being a hefty price.
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You are creating more problems than you are solving.
The outboard engine idea is potty.
 
spannerman said:
Just read your last post, to clarify all Mercruiser sterndrives have servo steering operated either by a mecanical cable or a second low pressure hydraulic cylinder, if you have the latter then its the low pressure system which the AP is plumbed into, but it will struggle without the engine running to power the servo assisted high pressure system. Either way the engine will have to run or it will load up the AP. The only other option is to have a plain low presssure hydraulic cylinder and disconnect the servo system but this will make for heavier steering overall.
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OP read this. Spannerman is 100% correct.
 
The easiest is the system I have if there is room at/behind the helm and that is a helm pilot which is an electric motor which turns the wheel and and therefore operates the cable as normal. In standby it drives just like normal but when the Autopilot is engaged a clutch locks the wheel to the motor and the wheel turns when instructed by the AP. I have just got home after a trip in the fjords and used mine on long straight runs and works great.
I have a Lowrance which has a small control panel next to the throttle to engage and disengage it, there is also two buttons to alter course to port or starboard in increments, and a Nav button so it takes course information from the plotter. Also I have a master disconnect switch to disable the AP in an emergency. If you look online you may find Raymarine do one and maybe other companies, very easy to fit and only a few wires plus the fluxgate compass to install.
 
spannerman said:
The easiest is the system I have if there is room at/behind the helm and that is a helm pilot which is an electric motor which turns the wheel and and therefore operates the cable as normal. In standby it drives just like normal but when the Autopilot is engaged a clutch locks the wheel to the motor and the wheel turns when instructed by the AP. I have just got home after a trip in the fjords and used mine on long straight runs and works great.
I have a Lowrance which has a small control panel next to the throttle to engage and disengage it, there is also two buttons to alter course to port or starboard in increments, and a Nav button so it takes course information from the plotter. Also I have a master disconnect switch to disable the AP in an emergency. If you look online you may find Raymarine do one and maybe other companies, very easy to fit and only a few wires plus the fluxgate compass to install.
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Thanks again. I looked online but couldn't make out which one of the Raymarine or Lowrance range of AP systems will work for my setup.
 
kolyo said:
Thanks again. I looked online but couldn't make out which one of the Raymarine or Lowrance range of AP systems will work for my setup.
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Start at the beginning.
The make is irrelevant.
Find out hydraulic or cable first.
Hydraulic is easy, autopilot wise.
Cable needs an electric helm essentially.
get that sorted and any make of autopilot software will be fine.
 
OK, understood. I'll report when i find out precisely what kind of steering does my 1989 Bayliner Command Bridge with a 7.4L Mercruiser 454/Bravo 2 has.
 
Its probably standard Teleflex cable down to the servo cylinder on the transom. US boats often use the rack type helm instead of a rotary helm as this takes less room, you need to see how much room you have behind the dash and check if an ekectric helm will fit. Its a bit deeper than a standard rotary helm
 
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