Help with steering leak

[jigstick]

I have a merc V6 with alpha outdrive. Picked up the boat from storage today And checked the fluids. My power steering reservoir is almost empty. 
 

I checked all the hoses and fittings and didn’t notice any obvious leaks. I reached under the intercooler and got some oil on my fingers. But I also noticed some oil on the bottoms side of the power assist cylinder as well. Right by where it butts up to the mounting bracket. 
 

any ideas?  I have some UV dye I was going to dump into the power steering reservoir to look for leaks. 
 

I think I may have a bad seal on the power assist unit but I’m confused as to why I found fluid higher up by the intercooler. 

 

 

Edited May 20, 2020 by jigstick

[nautime]

Double check all your fittings connections are tight. I had similar issue when fluid was showing up in bilge and reservoir was low. Tightened fittings at cooler end and all was well. 1989 Searay Amberjack /w/ twin 4.3 alpha's. Just a thought.

cheers...Jake

 

[Bozeman Bob]

Not sure about this particular situation .Most setups I have seen have a PS line that goes to a heat exchanger and many times people fail to drain them/properly winterize . So there is a possibility that is cracked and oil may have leaked from there. If that happened you can fix or replace . 3rd option is to couple in a longer hose ,eliminating the cooler , and leave it laying flush on the bottom. That in itself acts as a cooler with the lake never getting warm ,the extra 5-6 feet of hose helps cool it down and the PS doesn't really get overly hot up this way to begin with. Guy I know did that and no issues .

Edited May 21, 2020 by Bozeman Bob

[jigstick]

THanks guys.  My boat is stored in a climate controlled underground mine during the winter so i dont think its a freeze issue.  The dye test identified the leak.  The leak was coming from this hose connection.  Im guessing the rubber deteriorated over time and lost its seal.

 

 

 

I decided to try and remove that hose from the barb so that I could cut off an inch and reinstall it.  I clamped the hose with some vice grips covered in duct tape.  Cut off an inch, and reintstalled and tightened down the hose clamp.  Which fixed the leak.

 

BUT of course now there is a hair line crack in the hose where I clamped it.  Where can I buy a replacement hose?  The one with the red arrow pointing at it.

Edited May 22, 2020 by jigstick

[Bozeman Bob]

Looks like you can cut some more off and re-clamp. If not and it has the screw in fitting on the other side some NAPA store make them in house or a hydraulic repair place would have it or be able to make you one.

[jigstick]

Bob

 

that’s exactly what I tried. I cut an inch off and resecured it. It’s not leaking by the bib anymore. Now it’s leaking where I clamped the hose to stop it from dripping while I made the repair. Unfortunately I clamped it up so high that if I cut the leaking area out the hose won’t reach the bib. Rookie mistake. 
 

the hose is only 10in long. Has a brass fitting one one side that screws into the actuator. And uses a hose clamp on the other. If I knew the size of the brass fitting it would help

Edited May 22, 2020 by jigstick

[Bozeman Bob]

Have to take the whole section  to a hydraulic shop. They can figure out the size..A hardware store might even be able to help you out., doesn't seem like it's a high pressure hose if you have a clamp on one end. Matter of fact if I couldn't find a replacement hose I would buy a hose from NAPA and a hose coupler from the hardware store . Cut the hose a few inches from.the end and slap it on . At least for the weekend if you wanted to get out on the water. 

Edited May 22, 2020 by Bozeman Bob

[jigstick]

Yeah it’s the low pressure return line. I thought about using a splicer. I have some extra hydraulic hose laying around. Just not sure what ID I need for that bib and splicer

[Bozeman Bob]

Looks like 5/8  or 1/2 " line , but that's just a guess judging from  a picture . That's what I would do and it would probably end up like that for a long time . Almost looks like it says 5/8 but I can't blow it up enough to tell.

Edited May 22, 2020 by Bozeman Bob