Steering kit selector
Three questions — what the boat steers, how much power, and how you use it — and you'll see every Hydrive kit rated for the job, with what's in each box and the clearance it needs.
Find your Hydrive kit
Hydrive's own three steps: match the horsepower, pick the cylinder style that fits, choose pleasure or commercial rating.
1. What does the boat steer?
Selector FAQs
How does Hydrive rate kits for twin outboards?
By the total horsepower of a counter-rotating pair — so a kit rated 300 hp single / 600 hp twin covers two 300s spinning opposite ways. Same-rotation twins load the steering differently; mention it in your enquiry and we'll confirm the right setup with Hydrive.
What does 'commercial rated' mean on a steering kit?
Admiral kits and the PRO versions of Commander kits are rated by Hydrive for professional and commercial use as well as pleasure boating — relevant for vessels in survey or working hire. Hydrive's published safety margins exceed marine survey society requirements, and every unit is individually tested before despatch.
Why does the selector ask about space beside the engine?
Cylinder styles need different clearances: the balanced side-mount cylinder wants 540 mm beside the tilt tube, while the single-ended version fits in 330 mm and the compact 512T in 315 mm. A tight engine well doesn't stop you going hydraulic — it just changes which cylinder you use.
My exact motor isn't listed — does the kit still fit?
Almost always, but a handful of motors need brand-specific cylinder variants — some Honda, Mercury, Suzuki (post-2022 DF115B/DF140B), Tohatsu and Yamaha models have cowlings or fittings that interfere with the standard cylinder. Hydrive's chart puts Yamaha's 4-stroke 50–70 hp, 80B and 2019 F90LB on the Honda-version cylinder, and notes their transom clamps must be cut off to clear any bullhorn or front-mount cylinder. That's why we confirm the exact cylinder variant for your engine before anything ships.