How often do you... Top up your steering fluid

jcwads

jcwads

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Interested to hear how often others have to top up their hydraulic steering fluid. Set up I have is sports cruiser with one helm only on twin outdrives, Volvo penta DPH.

I Topped it up with about 250ml before my holiday. Bleed pipe off and wheel turned port to starboard and back and forth. Had to top it up again on holiday after about 250 miles of travel with another 300 ml. Can’t see any leaks, reservoir is not over filling. Seems a lot of topping up, does this seem normal to you?
 
Don't think I've topped up the helm on my rib since installation about 10 years ago and I've done a few thousand miles. The level never seems to drop so I suspect you have a leak somewhere.
 
jcwads said:
Interested to hear how often others have to top up their hydraulic steering fluid. Set up I have is sports cruiser with one helm only on twin outdrives, Volvo penta DPH.

I Topped it up with about 250ml before my holiday. Bleed pipe off and wheel turned port to starboard and back and forth. Had to top it up again on holiday after about 250 miles of travel with another 300 ml. Can’t see any leaks, reservoir is not over filling. Seems a lot of topping up, does this seem normal to you?
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If it's not an airlock that released when you added more fluid, then it's most likely leaking out of the steering rams under water.

If you can find a patch of flat calm and very clear/cleansea, turn the engine off and have someone turn the wheel lock to lock several times,while you stand at the back of the boat. if the rams are leaking you'll see oil patches appear on the surface of the water behind the boat while the person turns the wheel.

The rams on these are a known weak spot, the seals fail over time and leak fluid out. New rams are about £200 per ram, fitting is straightforward.
 
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rafiki_ said:
Most likely culprit is the rams, known weak spot on the Volvos.
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Hi Rafiki - from an Azimut angle, have you replaced or had to top up your steering fluid, I have to admit to not having considered this on mine, but although it's all currently working perfectly, perhaps it's time I did?
 
Yes, but they were replaced earlier this year, and the reservoir in the engine bay is not reducing in volume. But the helm gets less responsive after a while and needs topping up
 
Different system on shaft drives like ours Phil. Jonathans Targa uses powered rams to steer, ours are hydraulic, but not powered. I had a seep on mine a couple of years ago, just mopped up, but didn’t need topping up.
The Volvo’s of Jonathan’s era placed the rates external to the transom, in the water, hence small crustaceans took a liking to the ram rods, wrecking the seals when stroked. Never properly fixed, as they covered the rod with a bellows. Should have sited the rams inside the boats, as Merc drives on my old Sunline.
You should have a small black screw on your upper helm, behind the steering wheel. This is where you would top up your system if needed.
 
My older VP 290 and my newer and current merc mpi v8 mpi power steering only needed occasional attention and not by much, but worth noting that the level range on my current boat has a cold marking and a warm marking. The vp didn’t I’m sure. The level changed depending on whether cold or warm. You’re likely well aware and have accounted for this.
 
It’s a leak somewhere .

Also if you overfill and replace the cap turning the wheel whilst it’s overfilled over pressurisers the system and increases the tendency to blow seals the weakest pop first .

Typically
Esisting conections that seemed ok at ram change
Ram seals - new or recon ? Weakened by fouling
Steering hub seal - where the wheel shaft goes through to the black box on the helm
Top up filler cap O ring split - seeps out .
Any spilt rubber hose aged in the system .
 
rafiki_ said:
Different system on shaft drives like ours Phil. Jonathans Targa uses powered rams to steer, ours are hydraulic, but not powered. I had a seep on mine a couple of years ago, just mopped up, but didn’t need topping up.
The Volvo’s of Jonathan’s era placed the rates external to the transom, in the water, hence small crustaceans took a liking to the ram rods, wrecking the seals when stroked. Never properly fixed, as they covered the rod with a bellows. Should have sited the rams inside the boats, as Merc drives on my old Sunline.
You should have a small black screw on your upper helm, behind the steering wheel. This is where you would top up your system if needed.
Click to expand...

Cheers for that... I'd missed the fact that they are talking outdrives. Will check mine just to be sure. P
 
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