Power assist steering is smooth as butter with engine running. Hard with engine off.

My Volvo penta 5.7 GIPMDA (1994-1995) power assist steering works fine with the engine running. With the engine off(at the dock) I can barely move the wheel. I have disconnected the steering cable from the ram and it feels like brand new, moves smooth and evenly. Is there a one way valve in the power steering system that won't let me move it without fluid pumping through? There appears to be a second ram underneath the one for the steering. What is this? It turns so smoothly with the engine running that I do not think it is corroded. Thanks in advance.

The GIPMDA should be fitted with an AQ series drive.
With everything disconnected from the spindle arm, try to articulate the drive Port to Stbd.
Post back.

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You have power steering. When the power is off, you still have steering, albeit stiff steering ...

Ricardo it is a sp-c1 duoprop outdrive. it is a 1995 carver 250 express(looks like a Searay). I was just wondering if there was anything else to disconnect on that model of steering?

Curmudgeon is it normal to be very stiff with the engine off?

i believe my steering cylinder is Volvo penta 872215.

Curmudgeon said:

You have power steering. When the power is off, you still have steering, albeit stiff steering ...

Click to expand...

With the C drive, I'm thinking that he should not have all that much resistance while the engine is not running.

He would feel the resistance of the cable operating the slave valve, and then the resistance of the hydraulic fluid that's being pushed out of one end or the other of the cylinder..... the rest should be easy.

Bluecollerboater said:

Ricardo it is a sp-c1 duoprop outdrive. it is a 1995 carver 250 express(looks like a Searay). I was just wondering if there was anything else to disconnect on that model of steering?

Curmudgeon is it normal to be very stiff with the engine off?

i believe my steering cylinder is Volvo penta 872215.

Click to expand...

Your drive would actually be a DP-C1....... and being a DP-C1 puts it into the AQ series.
The AQ series collar steering fork bushings can cause stiff drive articulation.... but with Power Assist, you may not feel it at the helm wheel while the system is active (engine running).

kimcrwbr1 said:

I think what Rick is saying does the drive steer easy with the power steering disconnected from the steering arm?

Click to expand...

Yes.... and precisely the collar steer fork bushings.

The grease port for these bushings brings grease into the shaft OD and bushing ID area only..... but if water (worse yet salt water) has gotten between the bushings and the aluminum bushing bosses, the corrosion expands as such strength, that it will cause the bushings to squeeze down on the collar steering fork shaft with enough force to cause stiff steering.

This is why I suggested to disconnect all linkage from the spindle arm, and see how well the drive turns to Port/Stbd.


I've repaired these over the years with this very same issue.
One twin engine boat's bushings/forks were so bound up that we had to place wedges between the fork "U" and transom shield, and then litterally drive down on the fork shafts (large aluminum punch and large hammer) to remove them.
For a while, I did not believe that they would come out!

Once the aluminum bushing bores and fork shafts were cleaned up, and once the new bushings were installed, a baby could move the drive Port/Stbd easily.



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Alright the boat is In the water. I will get down there in the next day or to and disconnect anything I can from the steering yoke and post back. Thank you to all responses.

Bluecollerboater said:

Alright the boat is In the water. I will get down there in the next day or to and disconnect anything I can from the steering yoke and post back. Thank you to all responses.

Click to expand...

You just need to disconnect the linkage from the spindle arm.
This will allow the drive to move Port/Stbd without any interference or influence from the other components.
If it moves freely, then the shaft busings are NOT the cause.


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Curmudgeon is it normal to be very stiff with the engine off?

I have a '94 GIPMDA with a DP-C. When running, the steering is fingertip. When not running, it is 'stiff'. Can't define 'stiff' for you, but I'd hate to lose the power 25 out. I'd get her home, but it would be a two-handed job ...

Quite frankly, his boat does not actually need power assist steering. This drive should steer easily without it.

RicardoMarine said:

With the C drive, I'm thinking that he should not have all that much resistance while the engine is not running.

He would feel the resistance of the cable operating the slave valve, and then the resistance of the hydraulic fluid that's being pushed out of one end or the other of the cylinder..... the rest should be easy.




Your drive would actually be a DP-C1....... and being a DP-C1 puts it into the AQ series.
The AQ series collar steering fork bushings can cause stiff drive articulation.... but with Power Assist, you may not feel it at the helm wheel while the system is active (engine running).




Yes.... and precisely the collar steer fork bushings.

The grease port for these bushings brings grease into the shaft OD and bushing ID area only..... but if water (worse yet salt water) has gotten between the bushings and the aluminum bushing bosses, the corrosion expands as such strength, that it will cause the bushings to squeeze down on the collar steering fork shaft with enough force to cause stiff steering.

This is why I suggested to disconnect all linkage from the spindle arm, and see how well the drive turns to Port/Stbd.


I've repaired these over the years with this very same issue.
One twin engine boat's bushings/forks were so bound up that we had to place wedges between the fork "U" and transom shield, and then litterally drive down on the fork shafts (large aluminum punch and large hammer) to remove them.
For a while, I did not believe that they would come out!

Once the aluminum bushing bores and fork shafts were cleaned up, and once the new bushings were installed, a baby could move the drive Port/Stbd easily.



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Click to expand...

This is exactly the problem I’m having with a 1994 AQ 290. I’ve tried the wedge trick with no results. Maybe I just need a bigger hammer. I’ve got the yoke to make full left right movement but it is very stiff with the assembly being disconnected at either end.