Air Nautique 216 Rear Seat Removal and Cable Replacement

[dkimball]

I am going to be getting the boat out of storage in the next couple of weeks and have a new steering cable to put in. I had a couple of questions regarding the accessibility with the built in ballast tanks as well as the seat removal. Prior to putting the boat into storage I tried to see how to remove the rear seat and didn't have much success. It looks like there are some removeable panels in the trunk that may provide access to whatever is holding the seats in place but they were really stuck in there and I didn't want to pry and bend them too much in fear that they would break. Are these typically pretty tight and difficult to remove? Are there screws that hold the back seat in place located under these? Anyone have any pictures of their trunk panels removed in a Nautique 216? Also, if anyone has replaced their cable in a 216 with the ballast was everything accessible once you were able to get the floor up or will tanks need to be removed? I changed the cable on a 91 a few years back and other than fighting the rigid part of the cable a bit it wasn't too bad but those seats just lifted up for easy removal. Thanks

[Skidave]

I just installed a new steering cable in my 206 and removed the rudder to clean and replace the packing. A few things, I left the rear seat back in place. It will not gain you anything unless you are planning to take the seat and gas tank out.

I removed everything needed by working under the gas tank with the floor section removed. I even took the whole clamp block out to clean and grease. The tiller arm and rudder components are accessible from the rear hatch once you remove the hatch floor cover. I have ballast tanks and it was still enough room to work.

For what its worth, my cable wasn't too bad, but the tiller arm / rudder was basically stuck. There was grease in there that had dried up and it was ridiculously tight to pivot the rudder with the steering cable removed. I removed the rudder, cleaned everything, replaced the packing in the nut, re-greased and reassembled. Smooth as a hot knife through butter. I ordered the steering cable from Nautique Parts and got the 19.5 foot cable. I was going to use Discount Inboard Marine, but their cable is a 20 foot cable. Honestly, the extra 6 inches would have been a pain to manage, so I'm glad I went with the 19.5. Order 3/16 packing material while you are at it. I got 3 feet to make sure I had enough.

I didn't really take many photos. Once you get in there, it is self explanatory.

If you want to get the seat back off, there are three screws with black knobs holding the seat back in place. You access them from the storage locker and have to feel / look for them. Once you take them out, the seat back comes right off towards the bow.

Things are busy here and I don't check often. Feel free to PM me if you have questions, that will generate an email for me to check-in.

[Skidave]

Here is one photo I have

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[dkimball]

Thanks Dave,
How did you get your seat base out while leaving the backs in? The base needs to come out in order to get the floor up right?

[James]

I am the original owner of a 2006 216 and though have not needed a new steering cable I did need to remove the muffler for repair so I am familiar with the process you are getting into depending on your exact model year. You can certainly access the tiller arm without removing the back seat and may be able to access the hull mounted steering tube that is located just fore of the tiller arm. At the forward end of that tube you will find the large nut that is on the tiller end of the cable. That nut needs to be removed to be able to pull the cable out. Of course removing the rear floor section and rear seat will improve your access to the cable and any zip ties that are securing it. However, keep in mind the gas tank is under the rear seat bottom so removing the seat bottom only gives you a little bit more room to work AND you may be able to remove the rear floor section with the seat bottom in place by first removing the engine cover and then sliding the rear floor section forward and out . Nonetheless here are to steps to remove everything. There are 6 somewhat flexible carpeted panels in the rear ski locker. The two aft most vertical panels come out first. They are flexible but breakable. Pull the bottom of the panels forward a while flexing the panels wiggle them out The two forward vertical panels come out the same way but obviously the bottom of each panel needs to be pulled rearward and then wiggled out. The bottom two panels are sitting directly on top of the ballast tanks and just lift out. Once the carpeted panel are out lift the starboard ballast tank up and just prop it out of the way. You then will have easy access to the tiller arm and hopefully the steering tube. Note, you may have to disconnect the power supply to the in tank water level sending unit since the wires are not very long but should not need to remove ballast tank hoses. If you decide you need the to remove the rear seat you first need the remove the rear seat back. From the rear ski locker look up and under the 4-6 inch wide fiberglass “decking” that runs across the back of the boat between the top of the rear sear back and the padded rear ski locker doors. There will be 3 or 4 large black plastic knobs that are threader on stainless steal bolts and spaced across the top of the rear seat back. You will have to reach your hand under the gunwale to reach the ones holding the part of the seat back the curves around to side of the boat. Unscrew the knobs to release the top of the rear back then slide the seat back straight up and off of the mounting brackets to remove it. Once the seat back is removed you will see two pins holding the rear seat bottom in place. Remove the pins and take the rear seat bottom out. Pull the two pins (one holding each of the two engine cover hinges in place) and remove the engine cover then remove the rear floor section. Hopefully this helps.

[Skidave]

My seat cushion slides out and then the base is held in with 2 stainless steel pins. Takes 2 minutes to pull it out.

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[James]

Skidave, on my 216 the outboard seat cushions at screwed to the rear seat base from underneath the base and therefore can not be removed unless the base is removed. The smaller center cushion is held in place with velcro and therefore can be removed easily and as a result the center section of the base can be used as a step. The location of the two stainless steel pins which are used to secure the base are in a location toward the outboard 1/3 of the seat base that makes then impossible to remove without removing the seat back. It is possible to put ones hand in the gap between the seat bottom cushion and the seat back cushion to see/feel the pins but the pins can not be pulled up and out because they hit the rear seat back fiberglass structural part that the seat back foam/skin is glued/stapled to. Apparently the 206 is designed slightly differently from the 216.

[dkimball]

Thanks for all the info. I am hoping I can pull the floor without removing the seats so I will try that route in a week or so when I can get the boat out.

[James]

While you have the rear ski locker apart don’t forget to grease the rudder port. My 2006 has the “rudder port service whip” with a Zerk fitting that you would find when you remove the black plastic cover/part that covers the rear lift ring assembly. If your model year doesn’t have the “whip” it will likely have a Zerk threaded directly into the rudder port. You may also want to consider just dropping the rudder to clean the port and shaft, repack and grease.

[Skidave]

No Zerc fitting on my rudder. My boat is a 2003.

I just dropped the rudder to clean and re-grease. It only took 5 additional minutes to remove, clean everything and re-grease.

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[pdublya]

dkimball were you able to get the cable replaced. Looking to replace my steereing cable as well. I got the locker floor up only to find the ballasts in the way of the rudder linkage. Having a hard time figuring out how to remove the starboard ballast for access.

[dkimball]

I didn't end up replacing the cable. After getting access to the rudder through the trunk I unhooked the cable and noticed some build up on the slide portion at the end of the cable. I cleaned that, dropped the rudder and cleaned and greased that and put it all back together and it worked great. It looked like it was going to be a job to actually get the cable replaced.

[dkimball]

pdublya did you ever end up replacing your cable? I think I might finally need to just bite the bullet and go for it. Steering was pretty stiff this year out of storage. I was wondering how you addfressed the ballast tanks as I will have the same issue.

[pdublya]

dkimball I did change the cable out that spring. Pulled the ballast and pulled the floor out aft of the engine. Tied a rope onto the old cable to fish the new cable in and it went much easier then I expected.