Hydrophase RideSteady Install on 89 Supra Sunsport

Hey all,

So I just finished up this installation and thought I'd share a few notes/pics.

Here is my engine and throttle linkage prior to install

Here is the throttle motor assembly installed. They recommend to use the hose clamps where the exhaust riser connects to the rubber exhaust hose. In my case I wanted to mount it a little bit further forward to ensure I had a smooth bend in the control cable. So I used the existing hose clamp for the rear mounting tabs on the throttle motor assay and added an additional hose clamp around the exhaust riser itself.

The throttle motor assy has these metal tabs meant for this kind of mounting - super easy.

You basically disconnect your existing throttle linkage and then connect it to the Hydrophase throttle control cable, which then connects to your throttle linkage. The boat already had this nice swivel-quick disconnect attachment. The Hydrophase kit comes with a bunch of hardware but I wanted to re-use this quick disconnect.

I also took this opportunity to straighten out my throttle cable mounting bracket and move the mounting location to accommodate the couple inches the original throttle cable moved up and towards the rear.

Now onto wiring. There is a control cable that goes from this motor to the CPU that you mount under the dash. I ran this along the port side engine compartment and then once I got to the front and dropped down into the bilge I ran along the throttle, shift, and steering cables with zip ties. They suggest to stay away from electrical components.... the other side of the bilge has all my electrical and ballast.

Dash before and after with the gauge/display installed.

A power cable harness gets wired in four places
1) Ground
2) Constant 12V (ignition)
3) Switched 12V (ignition)
4) Gauge lights (so the LCD display dims a bit when you gauge lights come on with the Nav lights)

When you remove the existing pitot tube speedo you have your ground and light wire right there. The other two can be found on the ignition. The kit comes with tap connectors but I'm anal about wiring/routing so I disconnected from the gauges/switches and used spade terminals. The ignition already had spare male spades so they were easy to connect to. I grounded to the ground on my EQ which is close. And butt crimped the light wire.

Next you tie into the signal from your tach with another harness in the Hydrophase kit.

Here are a few pics of the back of my dash panel, kinda hard to see what's going on but you get the idea.

Existing pitot tube gauges. I'm replacing the one on the left in this pic. Right as you look at the dash. The hose is broke off the pitot tube pickup on the transom so this speedo doesn't work anyway. If you have a working pitot style gauge make sure you seal up the hose you take off or you'll get water.

Ignition switch wired with power harness for speed control system

New display installed from rear.

Next gotta mount the CPU. My boat has a lot going on under the dash. The right wall just below throttle is a manifold block for the ballast system. The left wall has the stereo EQ. Up front there is the subwoofer. I found the best place to be on the backside of this shallow storage compartment that the old Supra's had right in the walkthrough to the bow.

I drilled holes and connected with some machine screws.

Only thing I have left to do is find a permanent home for the GPS receiver. It's plugged into the CPU and functional, but I didn't wanna stick it down till I can ride a bit and see where the best mounting will be. I'm considering just under the windshield on the dash, or maybe mounting in front of the windshield and running the cable down through the deck under to the CPU by drilling a small hole. Not sure the best route here.

All in all this was a really easy installation. Really the only time consuming part is making everything look nice as I wanted it to. I could see on a stock boat maybe having trouble routing the throttle motor control cable, but on my boat when the previous owner re-did the stringers/floor he added spots for underfloor ballast in the bilge area and access to it through a removable floor plate.

So my wire fishing was limited to about a 3ft stretch from the bilge access hole up into the area under the dash.

$1150 and 4 hrs time and my budget boat now has speed control!!! I only have to teach my wife/less experience friends how to drive a straight line and not power turn now, right?

under the windshield on the dash should be fine thats where my PP GPS is at.

Thanks Jess,
You in the water yet?
Plan to get mine out this weekend on Smithville

I will read this more carefully another day. I don't know what you did ... but ... it not only looks great !!! ... it also surely looks like a project to scare me.

What I really like what you did (from what I skimmed), is that you got underneath the dash and did some re-wiring. I've got to do that for myself (just to bring power to a Boost Box). But ... I'm just kind of a puss to laying on my back and ... plucking wires here ... sticking wires there ... not really comfortable if I know anything about what I'm doing and just hoping for 'good enough.'