Seadrive 225 w/ power steering and hydraulic?

[deshet]

I have 1988 seadrive 225. The outboard has hydraulic steering and power steering. When I bought the boat there was a belt disconnect from the top of the motor that looked like it should turn two pulleys. The guy that I bought the boat from said he removed the belt to disable the oil mixing. A boat mechinic I went to said the belt was for power steering.

Basically the other day I went out in the boat and was have steering problems.

I added power steering fluid to a reservoir in the steering wheel base /helm I think that's what it's called

Know the steering seems to be working properly or at least much better but the belt for the power steering portion is not connected. Should I try to connect the power steering belt also?

Why would a boat have power steering and hydraulic steering?

thanks
deshet

[msbhammer]

Toss that belt on and see what she does. It sounds like you have a I/O engine. Motor looks like a car motor...right ??, even though I thought a sea drive was one of those large brackets that the motor sits on.
If it is a I/O engine. The center pully would be the crank shaft and the second pully would be on the front of the power steering box. But you mentioned the helm is where you added fluid. Snap a few pictures and post them. Somebody will know for sure.

[deshet]

No it is a outboard with a built in bracket.

thanks

[macojoe]

Show us a picture. *Not that I doubt you, But I have not seen a OB motor in many many years with a belt??

You need a repair manual!

[pikfish]

I agree with MJ, I have a 1.6 seadrive and repair & parts manual. I bought them cheap off ebay. Don't know if this is your motor but check this out.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1988-...26430894QQrdZ1

[willy]

Deshet I do not own one but one of the boats I took on sea trial (V20) up in lake George had the system you have. I had never seen one before and it had the belts on the pulley arrangement and he told me it is the powere steering system that they used back when the motor was built and parts were still available for it. I think the guy you bought it from is misinformed about disabling the VRO system by removing the belt. Lord Skools is the guy to talk with with those engines, he sleeps with them when the Mrs. aint home ;D

[macojoe]

OK I have gne to Iboats were i get alot of info!!

Here is the reply from a guy that has helped me in the past:

The power steering belt goes under the flywheel and over to the power steering pump. It has nothing to do with the oil injection at all.

Are you saying the belt is not turning the power steering pump?

Do you want to remove the power steering and just use hydraulic steering?

So yes indeed you have a belt!! I guess you can get rid of the belt if you want??

[macojoe]

Ok what you need to do or ask the other guy is, why is the belt been removed?? Is there something wrong with the pump??

If he doesn't know then you will have to figure out if the pump is frozen or free?

Then we can go from there as to weather you want to disable it for good or make it work?

I have asked how to ck it and how to disable it, just for the info, I on't think its going to be hard to keep disabled.

IMHO, I would not fix it unless it just needed a belt. The motor is old, and there are not alot of parts around for it.
So the less you sink into it the better. Save for repower when she lets go!

[willy]

MJ I'm not sure how it works, again I've only had contact with it once but the steering system for that engine does need the belt . At least that is what I was told by the guy who had it for years. Unless what happened on his boat is the power steering system died and he or someone before him decided to update the system and installed a aftermarket hydraulic system in it's place and the problem he is having now is related to that updated system.
The reason I say that is there would be no reason for a helm fill port on that older system, it should be mechanical to the power steering pump and the fill should be at the pump.
You need to look at the helm inside and see if you have a newer design hydraulic set up there if you do then you need to trouble shoot that and don't touch the disabled power steering pump on the engine

to me it sounds like some one did an update on the system. the pump on the motor works with a mechanical system that is cable driven the pump sends presser to a power assist unit that is driven by the cable