www.iFourWinns.com

I recently read that you need to grease a steering ram on yearly basis, otherwise the steering is stiff. My V285 is 2 years old and I feel the steering is stiff already.
Where is a steering ram and how do you grease it?

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It's never late to learn.
2010 Vista 285

Good lord steering ram? I have no idea either!

it's at the rear of the engine on the transom.....turn the steering wheel and you;ll see a shiny rod exposed.......grease the heck out of it with triple gaurd grease or the Volvo equivalant....turn the wheel again to distribute grease on the ram...that's it! On some older models there was a zerk fitting to attach a grease gun...I grease mine at end of season, beginning of season and again mid-season as I'm in salt.

STeve

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"For My 50th"
1996 238 Vista
5.7VolvoGL DP
Previous boats; 91 Cobia 19' Cuddy, 87 Starcraft 16' BR,
67 Winner BR, 65 Arrow 14'

Wise move to maintain your steering ram. On our previous boat (30' Doral Prestancia) our steering ram leaked and I had it replaced.

It's a pretty expensive part and the mechanics did not like working to replace the ram since its attached to the back of the engine room's transom right behind the one engine. They did mine without pulling one engine and I remember the mechanics comment on the work order "never again" would he do it that way.

Mike.

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Current Boat
- 2001 Four Winns 328 Vista "Hour Decision"
- 2010 310 Mercury Inflatable

Previous Boats
- 30' Doral Prestancia
- 25' Doral Citation

If you turn the wheel all the way to one side you can see the ram come out log the steering actuator, as noted coat it with triple guard grease and work the steering back and forth. My OMC Cobra has a grease fitting on the actuator that you grease at the same time.

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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