Power steering fluid in bilge?

[Toddavid]

2014 Chap with VP V8-380-CD.

Checked on the boat at my marina warehouse and found an ounce or so of a thin reddish oil in the bilge below the engine.

I do all my own winterizing and it certainly wasn’t there when I laid her up back in October.

Steering fluid reservoir was a little low, but not empty.

Winter was brutal, coldest in years, with multiple single digit temp days.

Can’t see any drips underneath the engine using a borescope.

What are the chances a rubber line shrank in the extreme cold and let out some fluid at a connection?

Won’t be able to fire her up for another week when the warehouse is cleared out.

 

[Chris1956]

Power steering hoses do leak, usually at the crimped ends. I had to replace them on my Mer cruiser after the crimps on the ends rusted out.

 

[Chris1956]

My neighbor's mercruiser PS cooler rotted out and leaked all the fluid overboard. The boat was impossible to turn at cruise speed. We had go to idle to turn the wheel.

 

[MarineSp]

Todd, given the brutal cold you described, I'd also check the fittings where the hoses connect to the helm and the ram – those can loosen slightly with freeze/thaw cycles. Since you can't start it yet, it might be worth topping off the reservoir and marking the level so you can track if it's still losing fluid. When you do fire her up, have someone turn the wheel lock to lock while you watch underneath – that's usually the quickest way to spot the source

 

[Lou C]

Agreed on all these possible leak sources. When you can start it up and cycle the steering back and forth, you'll be able to tell better. Hopefully it's not the power steering actuator. I did that job on my 1988 OMC Cobra and it's not a fun job. Volvo and OMC use these cotter pins to retain the bolts that hold the unit to the transom mount and THEY DIDN'T WANT TO COME OUT. It was a multi-day struggle to get them to move without breaking them. Cotter pin removal tool is your friend. I was able to find a good used unit on ebay. On these and older Merc units (they are the same Bendix style actuator) you can replace the seals in the actuator, it is very similar to the P/S used on unibody Fords and Corvettes back in the '60s and '70s. Then the design changed to a more modern one in '89/90 or so, which some people have been able to rebuild depending on what seals leaked. But you have to find your leak first.
If the P/S cooler froze it could be that too!

had to remove the exhaust on both sides after removing the rear seats for access