looseconnection

I will have a good used actuator after this weekend if you want it. 75 plus ship obo. I am upgrading to full hydraulic. This is the current model, with the quick connects.

LC

jlbspd

Randy, Ill try and snap a picture of it later this evening...unless I can google up a similar unit online and post via photobucket. Yes he is talking about completely removing the shaft from the actuator, cleaning it up, lube and reassembling it.
As for the used unit offered....If I cant seem to fix this on I will probably be back in contact with ya.

Randy Nielsen

Just looked up some actuators from Bam Marine Newer style for alpha gen 1 $260.00 older style with brazil valve that I recognize over $400.00 sounds like Loose connection has a score for you if its the correct one

jlbspd

Randy, this is what I have. I doctored it up a bit so you would see what Ive been describing. From what I can gather (per the machanic), force the shaft all the way inside and out of the actuator. Clean shaft, lube and reinstall. The pin hole is where you have to add some cut off bolt / solid metal dow so that when your hammering, it wont distort hole and so that u can continue to tap on shaft end even as it goes through actuator seal.

jlbspd

One question i forgot to ask the machanic is "Why would this happen? lack of maintnance , lack of lube? How can the cable / steering work perfect one day and i take it out a couple months later & it totally locks up...sitting on the trailer?"

looseconnection

What year is your BAJA? If it is 2001 plus mine sould work.

You can ebay these things new for 175.00 the merc price is crazy. I had to replace one a few years ago on my cobalt. If it is not 2001 plus you have to purchase the new steering hoses from merc, the fittings are special and unless you know exactly what you are doing converting it is a money waster, belive me I tried. I will also have the high pressure hose from pump to actuator if you want it. 25.00 plus the ride.

low pressure hose i am reusing.

LC
LC

jlbspd

Mine is a 2001 Baja Hammer....with the quick disconnect power steering fittings like picture above.

Randy Nielsen

jblspd, I would guess if it was operated with low fluid level the pump can aeriate the fluid & it is galled up inside. I have pounded steering cables through the tilt tube of an outboard to remove them & got lucky that the tube wasnt destroyed but that is just a simple aluminum tube with threads on the outside. Looking at the pic, the ring with holes looks like a nut you could remove with a spanner wrench & the shaft & internals would slide out but keep in mind that is a high pressure system & if not assembled correctly can leak or worse blow apart. I would bet there isnt much if any pressure in the system now but when operating there can by hundreds if not a couple of thousand psi. If it were mine I would replace the actuator & flush the lines & cooler. Randy

jlbspd

Randy I hear you...
As I study different images online and Im getting a better grasp on how this unit works, I see that the chromed looking shaft with the hole in the end is in fact the end of the steering cable (duh!) lol
I think I will try to push the cable through and out of the actuator. Maybe take a little ultra fine emerycloth and polish up the shaft, clean it, grease it up real good and reassemble.
I have the same feeling that running the pump dry, along with no maintnance on steering ( I'm sure the orig owner didnt do anything and I havent since I owned it) this could be the reason for failure.
I guess what the machanic was saying is push the shaft ie. steering cable in and out of the actuator. For some reason I was thinking the steering cable attached to the chrome tube...but.. the tube is the end of the cable.
If it acts jukey in the slightest, Ill just replace the unit.
SIDE NOTE.... I had an outboard one time that someone had put channel locks on the chrome steering cylinder (idiots!) Im sure you can picture what it did to the polished surface!! Well of course when you went full turn, the gouges it made tore the end cylinder seals up and it leaked like crazy. I pulled the chrome tube, sanded down the ridges, cleaned, filled with JB Weld, sanded and polished it....along with new seals and DAHDAHHH never leaked again! JB Weld rules lol

jlbspd

Ok UPDATE.....
( i hate when people never give updates and leave ya hanging wondering what ever happened lol )

So I was able to fix the steering issue! I took the advise of a local marine machanic. He told me to "hammer" the steering rod back thru and out of the actuator. Clean the steering rod, the actuator tube and lube everything up real good. Feed the steering rod back in and grease as you go. Reassemble and this should fix it.....well, after 20 minutes of hammering a block of wood against the steering rod, I finally got it out. Did just like he said and WAAALLAAHHHHH!!!! steers smooth! Basically the little bit of greaee left in steering had broke down and turned into a clay / glue and wouldnt let rod slide thru actuator.
So if you every get into this same situation, give this a try before buying a new actuator. Total cost was $7.00 for new grease vs. $200-400 actuator depending on your supplier.

NOTE: if u hammer the steering rod, MAKE SURE you use a block of wood & put something in the steering rod "pin hole" at end of shaft, otherwise you will distort the hole and never get the rod through the actuator without damaging it. I used just shy 1/2" steel rod (cut it off a paint mixer) and taped it into the hole...tape will peel back as you hammer this section into the actuator.