www.iFourWinns.com

It is very unlikely to be a PS pump issue. If it does not leak, make noise and provides enough pressure to power the system its fine. I'd be more looking in 2 places: where the cable connects to the steering arm on the inner transom mount and in the rotary steering mechanism under the dash. It might be in either one of these places or both. But its not the PS pump. Its a mechanical problem not a hydraulic problem.
So: have someone small enough to fit into the rear of the engine compartment watch the cable when you turn the wheel. If there is play at the attachment point they will probably see it. If its not there, its probably in the steering unit under the dash.

Someone with a VP shop manual should look this up and see if any spec is listed for steering play.
On my OMC the cable is attached to the steering arm with a pin retained by a cotter pin. They give a lot of troubleshooting procedures for the P/S system but they do not way what is excessive play.

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

The variation in play between my 1999 and 2004 boats was for sure due to the helm unit, or rather the interaction of the tolerances in the helm unit with the tolerances in the "rack" of the steering cable; the wheel on both would physically rotate before making anything the steering cable) move. The 1999 one just had a lower combination free play than the 2004 one in that respect.

Looks to be just a simple rotary steering unit. Due to the fact that I sometimes hear clicking noises at the helm when steering I definitely think its possible the rotary is bad. The cable here at the helm is held by a cotter pin, but I'm not sure about the transom connection. Also when I steer it takes so much force that you can see the fiberglass begin to get torqued (although none of the bolts for the steering column seem to be loose).

I'd like to remove the cable at the helm first just cause it seems easier, but without instructions I am worried I may not get it back in just right. Does it need to be clamped in a chosen position to calibrate port/starboard, or is there a hole in the cable maybe such that the length has no degree of freedom when I reinsert the cable? Here is a pic of the helm unit:




One thing about the penta manuals here is that I'm not sure Volvo Penta dictates what type of steering unit you have, so in the few that I have found online the instructions are vague to describe several types (hydraulic, rotary, rack)

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2007 FW Horizon 200 5.0GXi/SX-A