VRod Steering Cylinder leak - lost steering

[Marty59]

MY 2006 VRod lost its steering last week while out on the river. The power steering fluid bottle was empty. Not a drop of fluid to be found anywhere in the boat. Where did it go?

After much research, I found that the seals on the power steering cylinder (attached to the motor) will fail and the fluid leaks into the motor housing. I will pump that fluid out of the housing tonight. A new cylinder costs over $600 or there are places to rebuild them for under $400 or you can buy the rebuild kit for $100 plus the special tool for $125 for DIY.

I went new. Have the replacement coming tomorrow. I hope my power steering pump survived running with no fluid for 15 or so minutes.

Once I get the new steering cylinder installed and system bled, I'll let you know how easy/difficult the process is for a mildly skilled (unskilled) backyard mechanic.

Marty