Steering

[tedmoulson]

Hi. Ted Moulson here... I have a Maxum 3000SCR. Twin Mercruiser 220hp Diesels, with bravo2 legs.

I have had problems with 1) over heating & loss of Coolant/water in the header & expansion tank,
also 2) steering..... The belt on the pump was loos, however when coming into moor, there was a loud bang, loss of all steering & steering wheel went totally light.

Does anyone know where & what the cables from the steering column are... Hydraulic or cable?

We have just put her on the mooring Cheesed off that she is not working......

I Love my maxum!

Thanks
Ted

[pascavone]

First, sounds like your raw water pickup is blocked, or your raw water pump impeller is shot. The impeller kit is $80.

The pumps impeller usually need to be replace every 5 years or so since is rubber with rubber blades

The wheel is cable driven back to the piston behind the motor.

You can check the cable by turning the wheel with the engine off and have someone look behind the motor to see the end of the cable move at the top of the steering rack.

The bang, could be a lot of things, cable fray and snap, steering rack out, or your main transom pin binding.

if you had trouble cranking the wheel before, the cable could be a symptom, not the problem.

Time to get a mobile marine mechanic to take a look at it.

[shrew]

Oveheating could be a few things. As stated, the most common is reduced raw water flow either from a blocked intake, strainer, or impellor. However I'm curious about the 'colant leak'. Is this a closed cooled system? What is leaking antifreeze or raw water? Where is it leaking from? Another common cause of overheating is manifolds and risers are blocked and need to be replaced. This needs to be done periodically as well.

As for the steering, since the wheel went 'free' I'm suspecting cable. I agree, a good mechanic is the next step for you. Best of luck, let us know how it turns out.