Backup Electrical Powered Steering System for Volvo Penta Sterndrive. Possible?

[Lax207]

Hi Folks!

Have a little project in mind if any of you have experienced/ done it before. Our VP D6-350 uses Hydraulic power steering, pumped by the Starboard engine. We have had cases before where we lost steering, and would really want to avoid that ini any way. And the funny thing is, IF our Stbd engine is out, means we will have absolutely no control of steering of the vessel as the PS pump is on the Stbd side.

We would like to create a backup steering system with the Port engine, perhaps using Electrical powered. Is this possible?
Does anyone have an electrical power steering setup that they can show us the installation and steps?
We have a long voyage soon and would like to have everything well thought of and backed up just-in-case.

Cheers!
Christopher

 

[spannerman]

The simplest thing would to install an autopilot pump which will let you steer the boat via a joystick or rocker switch, very easy to install as the D6 steering system has a brass connector blocks in the system in the engine room with blanking plugs where you connect hoses from an AP pump. Its important to get the correct size pump otherwise it will be very sensitive to steering commands. Raymarine have a pump which is the correct displacement. You will need 3 hoses making up, two are left and right circuit from the pump to the connector blocks, the 3rd goes to the fluid reservoir and needs to ‘T’ into the outlet hose which goes to the engine pump. This is the standard setup for an autopilot, or you could just go the whole way and fit a complete autopilot.

 

[Assassin]

Simple, put a dual system on as PS pumps are only a single piston pump and have one outlet to provide pressure.

Fit a second pump to your other engine and run the pressure pipe to the engine fitted with the pump and fit a T piece so you have two pumps powering a single line system on the pressure side.

Either fit a second fluid reservoir to feed your second PS pump or fit a larger reservoir and run both fluid feeds from it, I prefer the single reservoir system with a larger reservoir as you only need one return pipe and the extra capacity means your system does not overfill one of the reservoirs on a two tank system.