New to Volvo family

[Scott06]

Just back from a full week vacation on the lake. The boat did great. I noticed low speed steering wanders a lot. Is there a wear item somewhere I need to replace to tighten this up?

typical of V hull to wander at idle speed . probably nothing but overcorrecting the steering, make real small input adjustments as it will swing side to side… if ther is no slop in drive it is was it is…

 

[Lou C]

That is actually quite common even if nothing is
wrong. V hull wander they call it. How much play is in your outdrive side to side?

 

[Kosmofreeze]

Just back from a full week vacation on the lake. The boat did great. I noticed low speed steering wanders a lot. Is there a wear item somewhere I need to replace to tighten this up?

My steering gets "loose" occasionally - lots of free-play or dead-band around center. From my reading (mostly internet blather) I've concluded that these hydraulic marinized power steering systems tend to get air in the hydraulic lines. Easy enough to fix - at slow/idle speeds just do a series (3-4 in each direction) of left and right stop-to-stop turns. This some how purges the air from the hydraulic lines. Be sure your hydraulic steering fluid reservoir is full when you do this.

I'd love to hear the science behind this. Perhaps a knowledgeable technician familiar with the common marine power steering systems could chime in here.

 

[Scott06]

My steering gets "loose" occasionally - lots of free-play or dead-band around center. From my reading (mostly internet blather) I've concluded that these hydraulic marinized power steering systems tend to get air in the hydraulic lines. Easy enough to fix - at slow/idle speeds just do a series (3-4 in each direction) of left and right stop-to-stop turns. This some how purges the air from the hydraulic lines. Be sure your hydraulic steering fluid reservoir is full when you do this.

I'd love to hear the science behind this. Perhaps a knowledgeable technician familiar with the common marine power steering systems could chime in here.

If there is dead play in center do you have a tilt steering column? Mine had a loose clamping bolt in it that allowed some slip.

 

[tfret]

It’s a deck boat so not “exactly” a true V bottom. Not sure if that matters. There is roughly 3” of just play in the steering before any resistance is felt. Power steering fluid is full. I’ll have to try the stop to stop move to see if that improves it at all. I was just wondering if there was a mechanical component in the steering system that might be prone to wear and develop slop.

 

[tfret]

With a VP outdrive you can typically feed water under pressure into the outdrive via muffs. But cannot suck water or say pink RV antifreeze from a bucket and have the cooling system work properly.

So I connected hose water to my old Merc muffs on my VP SX drive today and turned the water pressure on full blast. It was spraying like crazy around the outdrive. So I took the cap off the engine bay flush connection expecting to get hose water coming out. Instead I got nothing. All that water pressure and nothing at the input to the impeller. So I was afraid to try and run the engine. I moved the hose to the flush connection instead. Why would I not get water pressure at the impeller location with pressure on the muffs? I don’t understand this.

 

[Donald0039]

Pull the intake hose to the raw water pump and see if water comes out there, if so you should be OK. Or use the flush connection instead. Its possible there is a one way valve. Not sure. I do know that if the flush connection is not tight you can suck in air.

 

[Bondo]

So I connected hose water to my old Merc muffs on my VP SX drive today and turned the water pressure on full blast. It was spraying like crazy around the outdrive. So I took the cap off the engine bay flush connection expecting to get hose water coming out. Instead I got nothing. All that water pressure and nothing at the input to the impeller. So I was afraid to try and run the engine. I moved the hose to the flush connection instead. Why would I not get water pressure at the impeller location with pressure on the muffs? I don’t understand this.

Ayuh,.... Did you try reversing the flow,..??
Sometimes there's a blockage where the water passes through the transom housing,....

 

[Lou C]

Well I don't have a Volvo but here's what I have observed over the years:
a lot of those dual inlet rectangular muffs are made out of rubber too stiff to conform to the shape of the lower unit. I had trouble with some of them getting the pump in my Cobra to prime, which is at the end of the upper gear housing, so not all the way up on the engine like Volvo's or a Bravo. I tried the Merc/Quicksilver muffs with the metal rod and clamp and to me they are superior. They are soft enough to flex and the clamp holds it in place securely. Since I started using them, never a problem getting the Cobra to prime and pump water.
Also, this may work well for a Volvo or Bravo....what I do for the first start of the season, is install the muffs first. Then disconnect the raw water intake hose (Cobra's is on the stat housing, unless it's late model one just like the Volvo) and hold it up. Fill it with water with some Dawn dish soap mixed it. This will fill the hose and outdrive water cavities and the Dawn dish soap will lube your long dormant impeller. Then re-fit the hose and turn the water for the muffs on.
I do this at each spring start up and it works like a charm.

 

[tfret]

Pull the intake hose to the raw water pump and see if water comes out there, if so you should be OK. Or use the flush connection instead. Its possible there is a one way valve. Not sure. I do know that if the flush connection is not tight you can suck in air.

Yes it’s possible that flush pipe has a check valve. That would prevent flooding the boat it the cap weren’t sealed so I think that’s plausible.

 

[tfret]

Ayuh,.... Did you try reversing the flow,..??
Sometimes there's a blockage where the water passes through the transom housing,....

? Not sure how to do that, but it runs ok in the lake so I guess it’s not obstructed.

 

[tfret]

Pull the intake hose to the raw water pump and see if water comes out there, if so you should be OK. Or use the flush connection instead. It’s possible there is a one way valve. Not sure. I do know that if the flush connection is not tight you can suck in air.

Good idea!

 

[ESGWheel]

tfret >I recall in one of the posts you validated you have the Blue Cap flush connection which is designed for running the engine on this connection vs. muffs. This system does not have a check valve in this hose. See diagram. Leaving this cap loose will be an issue but it will be one of sucking air and causing the engine to overheat. Checking that cap tight is one of my pre-startup checks.

 

[Lou C]

These!

Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

Cobra running on the water hose with those muffs.

 

[cyclops222]

Well lets see about all this Boat Wandering on any idling speed.
Strange virus and infection of O B and S D boats only.
Never noticed in REAL inboard motored boats. With a separate REAL RUDDER. That is BIG ENOUGH for the boat.
Oh well.

 

[tfret]

Good idea!

Ok so i put full pressure water on the muffs. Made sure they were sealed as well as possible over the intakes of the drive. And I pulled the corresponding hose off the impeller inside the engine bay. No water at all. So now I am officially thoroughly confused. Also, with hose pressure on the flush at the engine, water dumps out of the drive intakes even though I leave the muffs on to hold it in. Im so confused.

 

[tfret]

tfret >I recall in one of the posts you validated you have the Blue Cap flush connection which is designed for running the engine on this connection vs. muffs. This system does not have a check valve in this hose. See diagram. Leaving this cap loose will be an issue but it will be one of sucking air and causing the engine to overheat. Checking that cap tight is one of my pre-startup checks.

Great diagram. Where did you find that?

 

[ESGWheel]

There are several sites with these diagrams. For the official one, which most of the other sites use, is at Home - Volvo Penta Shop (https://www.volvopenta.com/shop/0) Put in your engine serial no. and you will be presented with a selection of systems to choose from. From there, it looks like you have to take a picture of it using something like Greenshot. In the older website, I cannot recall for sure, but I think you could download the diagram as a picture. Either way should get you what you need. I keep a file with some of these pics and the part numbers for reference.

 

[tfret]

These!
View attachment 402476

Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

Cobra running on the water hose with those muffs.

I can’t find those anywhere!

 

[ESGWheel]

I can’t find those anywhere!

these? link