2003 4.3 power steering hoses wanted

[BAron Sportsman]

I removed my power steering late last season from actuator issues. I now have a new actuator and wish to refit the power steering. The hoses were a tad old at the time so I ditched those with the intent of replacing them also.

Merc parts are ridiculously expensive and I'm more than confident that many GM family based V blocks would have similar or same parts. Has anyone out there replaced power steering lines with other Chev V blocks or from a car even from a wrecker. Surely something else out there GM based will fit.

Don't ask me the engine number as the boat is not local right now to look at. The engine is a 2003 4.3 (Carb), 262, 190hp coupled to Alpha 1 Gen 2+. I have located a bloke that is selling hundreds of brand new hoses all different lengths and fittings right now, dirt cheap. But what I don't know is what lengths the hoses were or what size fittings each had. If I just knew that clue I'd be a happy man right now. I need all 3 hoses from pump to actuator to cooler and return hose.

Has any kind reader out there changed these hoses with something else successfully or can provide me the lengths and fitting sizes?...Please...

Thanks to all in advance for reading.

 

[achris]

That old actuator looks like it's very pre 2003... In the late 90s Merc changed the fittings on the end of the hoses (and superseded the old hoses to the new ones). They are now QC, quick connect, fittings. The good news is that the QCs for the actuator just screw-in directly to the actuator. You have a male and female on the actuator, and the corresponding opposites on the ends of the hoses. The bad news is that the hoses are very much 'Merc specific', but there's good news. The only 'pressure' hose is the supply side, the return side is very low pressure (in theory zero pressure) and for the pump and oil cooler ends are just bare hose and a small hose clamp. So the only hoses you need from Merc are the supply from pump to Actuator and the return from actuator to oil cooler (for the end fitting)...

Merc part numbers...
Supply hose (pump to actuator) 32-866685
Return hose (actuator to cooler) 32-865390015
Return hose (cooler to pump) is 37" (94cm) of 3/8" hose (original is marked with a max pressure of 1250psi) available from any hydraulics shop...
Fittings on actuator...
Male 22-865414001
Female 22-865415

You also have Hi-Tek single piece welder S/S manifolds. Very unreliable, and crack on a regular basis (which then fills the engine with water )...

Cheers,

Chris.........