AR-210: NEW THRU DECK MAINSTAY PEDESTAL

[Yamaslade]

2022 AR-210: We want to install a new, more height-adjustable captain's chair pedestal with a thru-deck post. See attached photo (pdf).

We've looked everywhere, but cannot find any information on what's below the current pedestal that would impede/interfere with the pedestal's 6-inch long, 2-3/4" diameter thru-deck post.

We obviously do not want to hole-saw away into the deck only to find a problem.

No joy with the Yamaha Corp. Does anyone know what, if anything, is directly below the captain's chair's pedestal? Are we free and clear, or not? Or, has anyone installed a thru-deck pedestal on an AR?

Thanks, YamaPurp & YamaSlade

 

[biffdotorg]

As I mentioned in my reply on the other board, why would you want to do this? Those of us that have replaced our post with a Springfield, went with a surface mount adjustable and have had great luck.

Yes, the deck is gelcote covered aluminum. So super easy to drill/tap new holes. But I would never want to hope I had enough depth for a post.

 

[Ronnie]

I agree with @biffdotorg but if you want to install what you have pictured, I suggest you measure the distance from the deck to the top of the outer hull, I believe there is hollow space between the deck/inner hull and outer hull. How much space is the question. Also you will need a large hole saw or drill bit capable of cutting through about a quarter inch thick metal (SS) plate where the seat is currently mounted.

FYI I just added a new surface mounted pneumatic pedestal to my boat’s deck that required drilling and threading new mounting holes.

 

[drewkaree]

I agree with @biffdotorg but if you want to install what you have pictured, I suggest you measure the distance from the deck to the top of the outer hull, I believe there is hollow space between the deck/inner hull and outer hull. How much space is the question. Also you will need a large hole saw or drill bit capable of cutting through about a quarter inch thick metal (SS) plate where the seat is currently mounted.

FYI I just added a new surface mounted pneumatic pedestal to my boat’s deck that required drilling and threading new mounting holes.
View attachment 198914View attachment 198915

@Ronnie what are the details on that, it doesn't look like the similar suggestions floating around, and you often score great deals, so I'm interested in what you have going on there

 

[Yamaslade]

As I mentioned in my reply on the other board, why would you want to do this? Those of us that have replaced our post with a Springfield, went with a surface mount adjustable and have had great luck.

Yes, the deck is gelcote covered aluminum. So super easy to drill/tap new holes. But I would never want to hope I had enough depth for a post.

The thru-deck pedestal adds more height adjustment, especially on the low-end. Son's pretty tall, so this get's him below the windscreen when needed. The range on this mainstay is 8-3/4 to 14-1/2 inches. I think we'll drill a dead-center pilot hole and run a borescope down to see what's below. Appreciated your input. Thanks!

 

[Ronnie]

@Ronnie what are the details on that, it doesn't look like the similar suggestions floating around, and you often score great deals, so I'm interested in what you have going on there

I bought the pneumatic pedestal and seat base off Amazon. On my first yamaha I installed an adjustable but non pneumatic pedestal and hated it because I had to get on my knees to pull the pin with one hand while trying to adjust the height of the seat with the other hand because this the seat height was rarely if ever adjusted, worst “upgrade” I’ve ever done. This time around I had to have a pneumatic unit but could not find one with a matching mounting bolt pattern so ended up buying tap and die kit from harbor freight ($20) and a dedicated dewalt tap with drill bit from Home Depot ($11), watching a few DYI videos and reading some posts here before completing the job myself in under an hour. Here are pics of what I ordered off of Amazon, I don’t think I got a great deal on it but this time I did get the easy to use functionality out of it.

NOTE: if you go with the pneumatic version you have to get a new base to go with it unless the base you already have has the lever needed to depress the valve / pin in the center of the main shaft / mainstay.

 

[Ronnie]

The thru-deck pedestal adds more height adjustment, especially on the low-end. Son's pretty tall, so this get's him below the windscreen when needed. The range on this mainstay is 8-3/4 to 14-1/2 inches. I think we'll drill a dead-center pilot hole and run a borescope down to see what's below. Appreciated your input. Thanks!

Unless I already had a bore scope I wouldn’t go though the trouble. Instead, I would drill five pilot holes, one dead center and four more forward, to the rear and to both sides of the center pilot hole. The distance between the outer holes should be about the same as the diameter of the new pedestals main shaft/stay. After the pilot holes are drilled measure the clearance between the deck/inner hull and outer hull with an uncooked spaghetti noodle. This is how I verified clearance for the subwoofer I installed under my boat’s throttle arms. If you have the clearance you can try to use a hole saw to expand the diameter of the center pilot hole out to the other pilot holes but I think you will need a corded drill and a hole saw with a lot of small teeth, those used for wood (large teeth and less of them) won’t be able to cut through the metal plate. Another possible option is to expand one of the pilot holes, probably the center hole, with a larger diameter bit and use a jig saw to complete the job.

after salvaging everything I could from a 2017 AR 240 I am all but certain that there is nothing but air between the inner and outer hulls in that section of boat. In fact I didn’t see any foam / filler in the 2017. If you want to see how big the plate is under the pedestal and you have a convertible lounge / seat on the other side just take a look at the underside of that compartment there is a plate molded in from the factory at least there is on my 2010 242 Ls. As i recall it is 12” in diameter. I was thinking about installing a subwoofer in that location but changed my mind after discovering I would have to cut a 10” hole in a thick metal plate which is embedded in the fiberglass.

Good luck. I love my son/ only child but knowing what I know now I would not go though all the trouble so that he would be more comfortable driving my boat unless he was my informal driver more than 50% of the time the boat is in use. On the other hand I am hoping that this mod on my boat will motivate my wife to drive the boat more. After all these years I want more time riding instead of driving.

 

[zipper]

@Yamaslade I deleted your duplicate thread here. https://jetboaters.net/threads/2022-ar-210-thru-deck-mainstay-pedestal-install.41020/

 

[biffdotorg]

Good luck. I love my son/ only child but knowing what I know now I would not go though all the trouble so that he would be more comfortable driving my boat unless he was my informal driver more than 50% of the time the boat is in use. On the other hand I am hoping that this mod on my boat will motivate my wife to drive the boat more. After all these years I want more time riding instead of driving.

Exactly, the pneumatic mainstay i purchased, came from the springfield outlet for half price. I gambled and got lucky. But that post allows me to swing my seat around and lower it down to the level of the other seats and my guests. At full height, it lifts me above the windshield and my feet off the floor!. (i'm over 6ft) That's without sitting on the bolster, as my bolster is gone. That's literally more adjustment than needed, but I love it.

 

[biffdotorg]

Here are my photos from the old thread. That is a great 7 page write up of what we all did. I don't think anyone was disappointed with the outcome of this project in their own boat.

 

[knoxboatin]

Dang, $247 for that Mainstay I jut ordered the same one for $260 off Amazon its sitting in my garage and hoping to install it this week. This was already my second order since the first one (priced at $306) arrived scratched so I returned/reordered and saved $46.

Regarding the hole-saw to get the seat low, can't really relate to that. All of the time driving my boat with stock pedestal I am either up on the bolster, or standing, and I am 6'4". There is no way I would want to sit that low with the boat moving, I can barely even see out the "windscreen" anyway with my polarized Oakleys that I often wear. I think of the windshield on my AR210 as kind of for style and a little passenger protection, not for me to look through as the driver.

 

[Yamaslade]

Unless I already had a bore scope I wouldn’t go thought the trouble. Instead, I would drill five pilot holes, one dead center and four more forward, to the rear and to both sides of the center pilot hole. The distance between the outer holes should be about the same as the diameter of the new pedestals main shaft/stay. After the pilot holes are drilled measure the clearance between the deck/inner hull and outer hull with an uncooked spaghetti noodle. This is how I verified clearance for the subwoofer I installed under my boat’s throttle arms. If you have the clearance you can try to use a hole saw to expand the diameter of the center pilot hole out to the other pilot holes but I think you will need a corded drill and a hole saw with a lot of small teeth, those used for wood (large teeth and less of them) won’t be able to cut through the metal plate. Another possible option is to expand one of the pilot holes, probably the center hole, with a larger diameter bit and use a jig saw to complete the job.

after salvaging everything I could from a 2017 AR 240 I am all but certain that there is nothing but air between the inner and outer hulls in that section of boat. In fact I didn’t see any foam / filler in the 2017. If you want to see how big the plate is under the pedestal and you have a convertible lounge / seat on the other side just take a look at the underside of that compartment there is a plate molded in from the factory at least there is on my 2010 242 Ls. As i recall it is 12” in diameter. I was thinking about installing a subwoofer in that location but changed my mind after discovering I would have to cut a 10” hole in a thick metal plate which is embedded in the fiberglass.

Good luck. I love my son/ only child but knowing what I know now I would not go though all the trouble so that he would be more comfortable driving my boat unless he was my informal driver more than 50% of the time the boat is in use. On the other hand I am hoping that this mod on my boat will motivate my wife to drive the boat more. After all these years I want more time riding instead of driving.

Perfect, super info. Thanks ever so much! Pics are a great help, too!

 

[Ronnie]

Dang, $247 for that Mainstay I jut ordered the same one for $260 off Amazon its sitting in my garage and hoping to install it this week. This was already my second order since the first one (priced at $306) arrived scratched so I returned/reordered and saved $46.

I think $247 is high but at least it includes the seat base, relatively speaking it’s a lot cheaper than buying a new boat which may not come with a pneumatic seat pedestal. I’m my case I’m upgrading from the 2010 oem seat to a 2017 seat oem seat so the new pedestal completes the upgrade.

 

[drewkaree]

I think $247 is high but at least it includes the seat base, relatively speaking it’s a lot cheaper than buying a new boat which may not come with a pneumatic seat pedestal. I’m my case I’m upgrading from the 2010 oem seat to a 2017 seat oem seat so the new pedestal completes the upgrade.

For as long as I've been debating this swap, the price has always seemed to be above the $200 mark. I was really hoping the deal-finder in you would result in a sub-$200 price, but your info is still great, and I already have all the tools I would need, so there wouldn't be any extra expense in my case.

If this is someone's first time tapping something, it might be wise to watch a video or three of just how the process will go. I have seen people manage to make tapping/threading a bigger production than it needs to be, with a few more trips back to the hardware store and several newly-minted swear phrases

 

[biffdotorg]

For as long as I've been debating this swap, the price has always seemed to be above the $200 mark. I was really hoping the deal-finder in you would result in a sub-$200 price, but your info is still great, and I already have all the tools I would need, so there wouldn't be any extra expense in my case.

If this is someone's first time tapping something, it might be wise to watch a video or three of just how the process will go. I have seen people manage to make tapping/threading a bigger production than it needs to be, with a few more trips back to the hardware store and several newly-minted swear phrases

I think a revisit to the old thread may uncover the Springfield outlet many of us were buying it from. As I am super cheap, and know I spent around $100. Like the others, for some reason, we got a crystal trophy with the purchase as well. No idea what it had to do with a seat post, but it was funny and many of us posted a photo of the trophy.

To the OP, be careful what you wish for. If you go too high, you will have to remove your bolster for sure, as your knees will hit the steering wheel.

 

[biffdotorg]

Grrr, I found it in the old thread

SPRINGFIELD Products - Cascade Depot

cascadedepot.com

Seems to be down until further notice.