H27 1980 Renault & steering problems

[Linda Menzel]

I had a burning hot dog smell from the back of my boat yesterday while motoring. I went to check the oil, and what I thought was the oil stick would not come out; it was on the left side and one third of the way back of the engine while facing the stern. The was nothing unusual in the engine compartment, no oil or water to speak of. Does anyone have a Renault 1cyl, 8hp engine diagram? I'm embarrassed to say I have not checked the oil. Boat is still rather new to me.Second question: Yesterday I also had problems with the steering, i.e. I couldn't turn left without just making a continual circle. The tiller wasn't all the way over. This happened about the time I smelled the above. I have a wheel, by the way.How does one go about checking the steering.Thanks in advance.

 

[Dale Leatherman]

Steering Problems

I lost my steering yesterday as well. The large pulley attached to the rudder broke. Seemingly from fatigue. I have no idea where to get this part. My steering reacted like your until the chain and sprocket separated behind the wheel. It is a pretty solid design of cables and pulleys. I thought the steering parts were so well made that they could be the last things to work on this fine vessel. I was obviously wrong. If anyone knows where to find a replacement - I would appreciate some insight.

 

[Erik W]

Check Oil First

We've had our 1980 27 only a few weeks. The manual for the engine is posted on this server. You have to tug/twist a little on the dipstick (red cap) and the actual tube for ours was loose. Make sure there is oil. We could not find the specified 10W30 diesel oil, so I need to see what our boatyard used- I asked them to change it. I think there is a needed additive in diesel oil (zinc?) that is not in gasoline engine oil. Ours seems to leak a little water from around the water pump housing cover plate and a little clean oil (from transmission?) some place as well. The transmission takes forever and a day to get up to speed in forward and surges a little (bad sign?) but reverse is fine. Not sure how available transmission parts are. Erik

 

[Dan Bryant]

steering then engine

I would think these are unrelated.I would check the steering first, as it is easier to get at. Under the rear bench (the captain's chair) there is a shelf that just lifts out. You will see the steering quadrant (big aluminum casting) that has the rudder shaft as its axis. Cables will run left and right from there to the pulleys mentioned above. Just rotate the wheel and see how it all moves. Maybe one of your turnbuckles that are used to keep the cables tight let go, or the cable came off the pulleys. Maybe just a can or box or something is blocking the motion.Burning smells will not have much to do with steering, but it points to things getting too hot, obviously. Checking the oil is good to do (yes, it is the upper red plastic T on the LHS; below it is the red plastic twist-off oil fill) but the first sign of low oil would be engine noise and such. Did your engine overheat? Does the sender unit on the engine (the heat gauge on the panel) work? Impeller failures (sucking up a jellyfish, plastic bag or having the rubber impeller loose its blades) are pretty common. If that happens, that hot exhaust runs right into the rubber exhaust hose without getting cooled by the engine water, and that hose will start to melt.Last thing: good to check the transmission oil level. Its on the RHS in the extreme rear. Three grey plastic bolts. Take out the upper two; add 30W oil to the top one until it spills out the one below it and you're done.Good luck.