I’ve now had 3 actuator failures in 6 years. First was what came with the boat when I bought it, ended up getting a rebuild, which lasted 18months. Bought a brand new one, and this one lasted 2 seasons. Each failure has come from the big seals below the Volvo lettering, and is supposedly the non-serviceable part of the actuator (even though you can buy new o-rings and probably clean up the parts to get a seal). I took this latest one apart, and there are minor scratches on the inside part that has the o-rings, it’s rubbing on the cylinder it sits on. Here’s my question - why does this keep happening? One rebuilder says its grit, I’ve flushed the system with several gallons of fresh fluid, and highly doubt that assessment. It kind of looks like there is just enough weight from the steering line/movement in the part to cause the 2 pieces to rub and the o-rings aren’t quite up to the task of keeping them apart. Why would they even design it with the 1/2 inch movement there. What purpose does that serve. Is it just a cheap design or is there another thing going on?
These parts are expensive, and taking it out makes me want to never own an IO ever again. It’s an incredible pia to remove. Any thoughts on this to prevent it from happening again would be greatly appreciated.
These parts are expensive, and taking it out makes me want to never own an IO ever again. It’s an incredible pia to remove. Any thoughts on this to prevent it from happening again would be greatly appreciated.
