2013 Marlin / any outboard owners

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eppem

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This probably belongs in tips but figured this forum gets the most traction. Just sharing a pretty hairy experience we had 90 miles offshore last week. Never once thought to check the hydraulic steering hose underneath the protective boot on the outboard engine ram. The starboard engine, starboard side hose, unknown to me, had been kinked when I purchased the boat, or kinking since I bought it used in 2020, we are the fourth owner! The kink finally gave way and once it split, we had no steering in the dark, 90 miles offshore. Thankfully cool minds prevailed, we carry extra fluid, hose clamps and zip ties. We used the protective boot as a patch and hose clamped and zip tied it over the leak. Had partial steering and headed home at first light. We immediately ordered new hoses for both steering rams as the port engine, (starboard side) hose was showing some kinking issues as well.

Point is, to my fellow Great Grady members, check those steering hoses and make sure you carry some extra hose clamps and zip ties! Literally less than $10 in parts got our butts home safely. Oh, we did manage a bigeye on the jig a decent yellow on the chunk and 2 dozen mahi off the pots. Not bad?!
 
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Has the same thing happen to me a few years ago. In my case the black plastic sleeve that covers the hydraulic cable right where the hose connects to the outboard chafed the line and it finally blew. Pretty scary as all steering is lost. I had time yo straighten the engines and use the binacles to get me home.

I suggest that these 4 lines be proactively swapped out every 10? Years or so. I did all mine. Pretty easy to do and addresses a single point of failure.
 
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Fishtales said:
Has the same thing happen to me a few years ago. In my case the black plastic sleeve that covers the hydraulic cable right where the hose connects to the outboard chafed the line and it finally blew. Pretty scary as all steering is lost. I had time yo straighten the engines and use the binacles to get me home.

I suggest that these 4 lines be proactively swapped out every 10? Years or so. I did all mine. Pretty easy to do and addresses a single point of failure.
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Good thread good advice !!
 
Did the hose get pinched from tilting the engines out of the water?
I ask because GW makes no mention of what orientation to have engines when tilting out of the water. On a single it isn't an issue, but on the 270 there is only one way to position twins to avoid damaging the steering lines and rigging tubes. Considering the risk and expense, I was surprised this wasn't explicitly defined somewhere in the owners manual.
 
Its a 2013 and yes appears to have worn from the twisting from tilting. We went with longer hoses in order to give more slack. Skunk, great suggestion but the old hoses has no slack so no way to crimp. Thankfully we had fluid, clamps, zip ties. Moving forward we will carry one of the old hoses as a spare but will check the fittings with more frequency.
 
eppem said:
Its a 2013 and yes appears to have worn from the twisting from tilting. We went with longer hoses in order to give more slack. Skunk, great suggestion but the old hoses has no slack so no way to crimp. Thankfully we had fluid, clamps, zip ties. Moving forward we will carry one of the old hoses as a spare but will check the fittings with more frequency.
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I think a combination of a spare short hose with both ends and a spare replaceable fitting and a 3/8 male to male threaded couple would cover any kind of break anywhere?
You could cut at the break and put on a fitting and then attach the spare hose.
That assumes breaks happen near the ends.
I suppose having TWO spare replaceable fitting and two threaded couplers would let you extend a hose from any point in the middle too.

Coupler would have to be a 3/8 compression thread (not a compression fitting but that thread type) to work with the Parker fittings.
 
Damn Mike, good thing you guys are handy, and were able to find a temporary solution. I assume they were the original hoses, that weren't replaced with the repower. I'm going to have to add hydraulic hoses and fittings to the spare parts bin now.
 
For the Marlin. If sparing, I’d recommend the stock 8 foot cable. If you are having one made 7 foot.

for other boats, measure your plastic hoses and get at least the longest length.
 
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