Hydraulic Ram Size for 1988 3218?-gctid808025

[Dave907]

Hi All:

I'm trying to order an autopilot to install on my new (to me) 3218 that was recently shipped to Alaska. I'm in Florida, so I can't just pop down to the boat and check on this.

Does anyone know the Hydraulic Ram Size for a 1988 3218? The RayMarine dealer says he needs to know this before he can recommend a system.

Thanks!

Dave

[colbournee]

On my 1987 3270 it's a hynautic K-19 at 9.0 cubic inches. I believe most late 1980s 32 and 38 had this ram. Myself and a couple other BOC members purchased a Raymarine EV-100. This is the smaller unit with 9 cubic inches at the upper limit of the type 0.5 pump that comes with this system. Mine is not installed yet but its works ok on both a 3218 and a 3870 as reported here on the BOC. Raymarine will recommend the EV-200 unit but it's twice the price but a more robust system.

[Dave907]

Awesome! That's exactly the info I was hoping for. Thanks man!

Dave

[colbournee]

Finally got my EV-100 Autopilot installed and tested on my 1987 3270. Its a great system to work with just a couple of unexpected issues. I obtained the 5/16 nylon steering with brass compression fitting from Parker, took awhile to get that, the brass inserts were very specific to the wall thickness of the nylon lines.

I went with 10 gauge wire from the pump to the ACU but its not necessary according to Raymarine, in spite of the manual, You have to strip it down for it to even fit in the connector box on the ACU -100 to at least 12 or 14.

Another issue is that you have to connect it to a speed/position data source for the system to fully calibrate and linearize the EV-1 heading sensor. That forced me to integrate my Lowrance HDS chart plotter with the seatalkng network. That turned out to be very simple indeed, I just cut a short sealtakkng spur cable and connected it directly to a cut off NMEA-2000 cable that fits the Lowrance chart plotter. The wires are exactly the same in both cables except the Seatalkng cable has a yellow wire for backward compatibility with their older seatalk units. That wire is not needed in this case.

The one thing I did not like about the system it that you have to acknowledge a waypoint change when following a route from the Lowrance chart plotter. Otherwise the system will steer straight. Raymarine argues that its safer to do that than change course automatically. I have trouble agreeing with that. Their concern is with dynamic targets not with with land feature.

That said the EV-100 will maintain course within plus or minus 3 degrees in moderate seastate. Have not tested with winds above 20 knots yet.