New bushings VP DP-E steering fork.

[A_8]

I've had a bit too much play at the steering fork above the outdrives for a few years now and it's time to fix. Symptoms of this could be, rattling noise at tick over, vibrations maneuvering at slow speeds or seawater dripping at the top of the shield.
This is probably quite common and of general interest so it goes on the forum.
As long as you can get to the back of the engine(s) and inside the shield it looks like a DIY job, provided off course you have some skills in this area.

You probably need to remove the air-pipe from the turbo to the intercooler and afterwards it could look like this:

The air-pipe:

Then unscrew the hexagon bolt #25 and with it all the bits including the trim sensor. Unplug or push the sensor aside and then loosen the set screw #20 with a 5/32 Allen key, it should be ok with the top visible.
Now get out and try to "wiggle" the fork out, if it has not been greased properly (I think it says every 50h) you may have a challenge removing the steering fork

After a bit of cleaning it should look like this:

And from the inside:

The forks:

You need new bushings and sealing ring, #14,15 and 16.

This is as far as I got today and I have a question, the sealing ring is supposed to be glued and I am not sure what type of glue is appropriate, for one it needs to come off the next time it needs changing but at the same time last until that happens.
Any suggestions on the type of glue?

I'll put it all back next weekend.

 

[stelican]

I've had a bit too much play at the steering fork above the outdrives for a few years now and it's time to fix. Symptoms of this could be, rattling noise at tick over, vibrations maneuvering at slow speeds or seawater dripping at the top of the shield.
This is probably quite common and of general interest so it goes on the forum.
As long as you can get to the back of the engine(s) and inside the shield it looks like a DIY job, provided off course you have some skills in this area.

You probably need to remove the air-pipe from the turbo to the intercooler and afterwards it could look like this:

The air-pipe:

Then unscrew the hexagon bolt #25 and with it all the bits including the trim sensor. Unplug or push the sensor aside and then loosen the set screw #20 with a 5/32 Allen key, it should be ok with the top visible.
Now get out and try to "wiggle" the fork out, if it has not been greased properly (I think it says every 50h) you may have a challenge removing the steering fork

After a bit of cleaning it should look like this:

And from the inside:

The forks:

You need new bushings and sealing ring, #14,15 and 16.

This is as far as I got today and I have a question, the sealing ring is supposed to be glued and I am not sure what type of glue is appropriate, for one it needs to come off the next time it needs changing but at the same time last until that happens.
Any suggestions on the type of glue?

I'll put it all back next weekend.

Sorry I cannot answer your questions
Though I would like to say that this is typical poor quality from volvo penta every Volvo sterndrive suffers with these worn out flimsy bushes but the problem does not seem to occur with Mercruiser sterndrives (rant over)

 

[volvopaul]

The seal will take some pushing in its a tight fit and make sure you fit it the correct way otherwise water will leak in.

Grease the seal and the housing and tap in to start it, then use a socket to push fully home.

Grease the bushes lightly before you push them in, that way you can twist them to align them up, push the steering arm in, then push the fork up fully in, it can sometimes help if you take out the gear wheel slightly, fit the potenentiometer into its location, loosely fit the fork and push up the gearwheel till its fully in making sure you dont break the pot sensor, some boats are made sensibly where by you can fit the sensor after the fork is fully home.

Dont for get to set up the sensor to -5 when the legs fitted and trimmed fully in, do this by removing the ratchet bar, twist the gear wheel haviung someone at the helm to shout the position reading to you and set it as near to -5 as possible, if its -3 or -6 then you can make finer adjustment from inside by twisting the sensor then tighten the fork.

While its all apart make sure the grease nipple and grease holes are cleaned out.

 

[oldgit]

Sorry I cannot answer your questions
Though I would like to say that this is typical poor quality from volvo penta every Volvo sterndrive suffers with these worn out flimsy bushes but the problem does not seem to occur with Mercruiser sterndrives (rant over)

Fairly common problem on older stuff mainly because nobody knows the blimming nipples are hidden away down there, difficult to get too and hence they do not get the regular once over they need when the grease gun comes out .
Something else to consider is that these should NOT be below water line,they most certainly were on my Princess but problem was limited to drip drip if kept well greased.

 

[A_8]

The seal will take some pushing in its a tight fit and make sure you fit it the correct way otherwise water will leak in.

Grease the seal and the housing and tap in to start it, then use a socket to push fully home.

Grease the bushes lightly before you push them in, that way you can twist them to align them up, push the steering arm in, then push the fork up fully in, it can sometimes help if you take out the gear wheel slightly, fit the potenentiometer into its location, loosely fit the fork and push up the gearwheel till its fully in making sure you dont break the pot sensor, some boats are made sensibly where by you can fit the sensor after the fork is fully home.

Dont for get to set up the sensor to -5 when the legs fitted and trimmed fully in, do this by removing the ratchet bar, twist the gear wheel haviung someone at the helm to shout the position reading to you and set it as near to -5 as possible, if its -3 or -6 then you can make finer adjustment from inside by twisting the sensor then tighten the fork.

While its all apart make sure the grease nipple and grease holes are cleaned out.

Thanks Paul, so no glue then? The original seal was glued but looked different then the replacement ones!?

 

[volvopaul]

As for your comment on mercruiser drives, when the pin and bush, or lack of it means you need a new transom shield which is 2000 euro, volvos bush system is much better.

 

[Pendana]

Had to do this to Pendana a couple of years ago. Removing the steering fork was difficult. Wouldn't budge with crow bars. Ended up using steel folding wedges between the top of the fork and the underside of the transom shield. Putting back together was doddle though.

 

[oldgit]

We normally used a couple of hard wood wedges and bashed merrily away until a loud "dong" announced the removal of the fork.

 

[A_8]

Problem, need help!

Trying to put it all togeather but can not get sealing ring to fit, finally measured the ring and opening.
The sealing ring is 55mm in diameter and the hole is only 51,5mm!

Checking the Penta site there is no other version of the sealing ring but there has to be, anyone who have had the same issue and how did you get it sorted?

 

[volvopaul]

A8 looking at your picture when you have cleaned up the transom shield, you still have the outer metal part of the seal inside the transom shield, use a small screwdriver to prise between the seal and the shield, you will then prise out the outer casing of the seal.

You had the early seal in there, the new one is all rubber.

 

[A_8]

Thanks Paul, as always spot on!

All done now but it was a lot more hassle then I expected.