Tohatsu tiller handle conversion

Hello friends,
I've found what I think is a good deal on a 94' Tohatsu 2 stroke 25hp outboard motor. I'll need to convert it from a steering wheel setup to a tiller handle. By viewing online parts catalogs and ebay it appears that the parts are all available. What interests me most is the "steering shaft assembly", meaning the part that the tiller handle attaches to and the motor seems to "ride" on. Would this part be the same on the motor that is set up for a steering wheel, or would I have to change it to this particular part that a tiller handle mounts to? I haven't seen the unit in person yet, just the picture in the sellers ad. Maybe you all have a opinion on whether this project is worthwhile in the first place. On another post a contibutor said there is no such thing as a 1994 Tohatsu, but rather it's the serial #'s that we should go by. Anyway, any help on this prospective project would be great. I really need to hear from some people on whether this is worth it or if I should forget it. Thanks guys.

Year is unimportant; you (or the seller) are probably quoting that information from an emissions sticker. What really matters with Tohatsu/Nissan OB's is the precise model and serial. If you have a 25C2, serial above 42833, the steering bracket (shaft) probably has the pivot point for the tiller handle; if not, you would need to scrounge one. The steering shaft with the tiller pivot stub is still available new, but costs over $240.

Hey there Paul,
Thanks very much for this advice, and and I will heed it. I'm very inexperienced at working on outboards, but the guys on the Honda forum have really helped me alot, and I've save a lot of money working on my old motor myself. Now that I'm considering this Tohatsu, I will certainly have more questions. You are obviously a huge help to the people on the Tohatsu forum. My questions will sound pretty naive, but that's due to the inexperience. One thing I left out is that the motor in question is extremely reasonable in price. The guy immediately informed me that there would be a definate expense involved with converting it to a tiller handle, so he was apparently being honest. Therefore, I'm more confident that the motor is in good condition as the seller says. Thanks again Paul!

James