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Tom Burke
06-22-2000, 03:29 PM
My 1967 Donzi 2+3 is in nearly-mint condition and is powered by a blueprinted 406 cu. in. Chevy. Although the steering functions well, it is original and was never meant to handle nearly 400 horsepower. Is there a steering retrofit that available that is better suited for this kind of power?
I would appreciate any advice.
Thanks,
Tom Burke

PaulO
06-22-2000, 03:46 PM
I am assuming that your boat is equiped with a Volvo outdrive of some sort? These are notorious for sloppy steering. Although the Mercruisers are better, they are not immune to wear at pivot points either. In either case, if you want to improve steering beyond what is possible with a tight stock setup, the solution is external hydraulic steering. This consists of a helm unit and a hydraulic ram that mounts to the transom and the outdrive. There are internal versions also but, they do not eliminate slop in the collar area. Several manufacturers make these such as Hynautic and Imco and are readily available but expensive. If you have a Volvo, chances are you will need to have a connector fabricated to attach to the outdrive by a local welding shop.
PaulO

AVickers
06-22-2000, 05:00 PM
You got an outdrive or a V-drive? (It appears to me that most Big Block Boats of that vintage were V-drives...) Anyway, here's my $.02 worth.

If it's an out-drive:
I have a '76 18' w/ a Volvo 280. I installed all new bushings and pins in the drive and a Teleflex ram and helm pump. I went internal 'cause I wanted to preserve the outside "look" of the boat. I had to fabricate a bracket bolted to the left rear of the exhaust riser on which to mount the stationary pad for the ram. I attached the other end of the ram to the inside (aft) bolt hole on the tiller so that its swing would match the overall stroke of the ram. This literally transformed the boat from a fairly wild "handful" into one that I now let my wife and kid drive.

The only thing I would do differently would be to install a higher-volume helm. As it is, there are almost 5.5 turns lock-to-lock. The higher-volume helm reduces this to about 4 turns.

If it's a V-drive:
I had a Chris Craft that was very slow to the helm. I put a different ratio helm in, but ultimately I had to install a tab on the rudder to get her to respond better.