I have a '93 Bowrider with a 4.3 Vortec, Merc. ALFA ONE. It's been
sitting for 3 years.

The pump is full of fluid; however, the fluid looks like milk. Do I need
to change the fluid? (I'm sure it needs it) The pump makes no noise at
all when engine is running. Possible pump failure?
Advice/opinions??!!
Thanks in advance.

Robin said "...4.3 Vortec, Merc. ALFA ONE. It's been
sitting for 3 years. The pump is full of fluid; however, the fluid looks like
milk. Do I need to change the fluid? ..."

Robin, your power steering is water cooled and the milky colored oil indicates
a leak in the cooling system, i.e. water in the fluid. Follow the power
steering hoses aft and you'll see where it ties into the engine cooling system.
Find the leak and fix it and hope you don't have corrosion damage to the
hydraulic ram or pump. Do you operate in fresh water (better) or salt water
(bummer)?
Best wishes, and don't ignore it as losing steering is embarrassing at best!
Mike

The pump is full of fluid; however, the fluid looks like milk. Do I need
to change the fluid? (I'm sure it needs it) The pump makes no noise at
all when engine is running. Possible pump failure?

"Robin AndrePont" wrote in message
...
I have a '93 Bowrider with a 4.3 Vortec, Merc. ALFA ONE. It's been
sitting for 3 years.

Has the boat been covered and generally kept free of rain water? I know of
a lot of cases where boats have sat for long periods and have been "sunk on
the trailer", which means that rain water was allowed to accumulate in the
bilge to the point that water got into places it didn't belong and caused
lots of damage.


The pump is full of fluid; however, the fluid looks like milk.

Common appearance when the oil is contaminated with water.

Do I need
to change the fluid? (I'm sure it needs it)

At least! But the question remains on how the water got into the oil.

The pump makes no noise at
all when engine is running. Possible pump failure?

I am not sure that I could hear the pump over the other engine sounds. But
since you say the power steering doesn't work then the pump not working
would be a possible reason why.

You said that the boat sat for three years. Did the power steering work
when you first started using the boat again, and then failed? Or did it
simply not work at all?

If the steering worked for a while and then quit then I would expect that
the loss of proper lubrication caused the pump to fail. I have seen cases
where a pump can seize and the key on the shaft shears, allowing the
shaft/pulley to rotate but the pump itself does not.

I would take the belt off the pump and turn the pulley by hand to see how it
feels.

Rod