The C-Brats Forum Index
HomeForumsMy TopicsCalendarEvent SignupsMemberlistOur C-DorysThe Brat MapPhotos

Seastar Hydraulic Cylinder Repair
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    The C-Brats Forum Index -> Outboards and Systems
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Jazzmanic



Joined: 07 Feb 2005
Posts: 2231
City/Region: Seattle
State or Province: WA
Photos: C-Dancer
PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2016 5:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

journey on wrote:
If you're talking about the fittings at each end of the steering cylinder, they should be there. If not there should be caps, but I don't know why. If there are no caps there are no holes into the cylinder and I don't know that you can bleed the cylinder.

Any where they have the fittings is a good place to buy. A hydraulic shop is a good place to buy. Or you could try Teleflex.

Boris

Thanks for the quick reply Boris. I'm pretty sure there are caps. I'm not so certain about the bleeder nipples. I'll pull them off and look at at them this weekend.

So many projects, so little time...

Peter
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
journey on



Joined: 03 Mar 2005
Posts: 3593
City/Region: Valley Centre
State or Province: CA
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: journey on
Photos: Journey On
PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2016 8:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here's a photo. One bleed valve per end. I think they're a propitiatory item for SeaStar.



Boris
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Jazzmanic



Joined: 07 Feb 2005
Posts: 2231
City/Region: Seattle
State or Province: WA
Photos: C-Dancer
PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2016 8:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Boris. Very helpful! Thumbs Up

Peter
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
timflan



Joined: 16 May 2006
Posts: 541
City/Region: Seattle
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Two Lucky Fish +1
Photos: Two Lucky Fish
PostPosted: Sat May 07, 2016 1:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Progress! I've got all the plumbing hooked up, and I'm ready to charge the system with fluid, bleed out the air, and check for leaks. Got a friend coming over for that. He has a sailboat, but don't worry, he's really an OK guy. Smile



Some notes on issues I encountered:

There is no reasonable alternative to buying a $100 pair of 20' hoses to complete this installation. The magic BayStar tubing was so easy to install that it obviated any effort to save money putting together the tubing and fittings myself. I couldn't re-use the old hoses because (1) they changed the fitting and (2) they aren't nearly long enough for the new cylinder geometry, which moves with the engine as you steer. The old cylinder was static during steering, and the hoses were cut to length.

The BayStar/SeaStar folks are GOOD PEOPLE. I had trouble with the largest nuts, the "Mount Nut, support bracket". It became unreasonably difficult to turn, and I was certain it was not cross-threaded, but I was also sure it wasn't on all the way. There was still side-to-side play in the suport rod, which would create slop in the steering. It turned out that the nylon insert was either defective or not seated properly...impossible to know which after I had mangled it by forcing it to continue turning! I described the problem in email, and they just sent me a replacement. No paperwork, no "ship us the defective part first", no trouble at all.

The linear rudder position sensor for my autopilot (black cylinder mounted below the BayStar unit with hose clamps) works fine, but has to be mounted way off to one side to index the center position with the centered engine. ALSO, it initially read the rudder position IN REVERSE. Full right showed full left, and vice-versa. Because why? Because the new cylinder's geometry works in reverse. Ram is static, cylinder moves, rather than cylinder static/ram moves. The solution was extremely simple, but I had to read the manual to realize how easy it would be: Swap the red and green wires where they enter the autopilot computer.

Hope these details are helpful to someone down the line!

_________________
Timothy R. R. Flanagan
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
hardee



Joined: 30 Oct 2006
Posts: 12632
City/Region: Sequim
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Sleepy-C
Photos: SleepyC
PostPosted: Sun May 08, 2016 2:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tim,

Glad to see you made such great progress. The wire swap was a jewel.

Gotta watch those sail guys though, Could just be another "blow hard" Wink

I'm anxious to see how this compares to my system when we get to Friday Harbor.

Harvey
SleepyC Moon


_________________
Though in our sleep we are not conscious of our activity or surroundings, we should not, in our wakefulness, be unconscious of our sleep.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
BrentB



Joined: 15 Jul 2006
Posts: 4419
City/Region: Greenwood
State or Province: IN
Photos: BrentB
PostPosted: Sun May 08, 2016 2:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice job!
_________________
Brent Barrett
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Jazzmanic



Joined: 07 Feb 2005
Posts: 2231
City/Region: Seattle
State or Province: WA
Photos: C-Dancer
PostPosted: Sun May 08, 2016 11:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

journey on wrote:
Here's a photo. One bleed valve per end. I think they're a propitiatory item for SeaStar.



Boris


Just to follow-up. I checked today and yes Boris, the bleed valves are under the plastic cap, just as you said.. Thumbs Up

Peter
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
halibut taco



Joined: 23 Mar 2012
Posts: 40
City/Region: Whittier
State or Province: AK
Photos: Shiroz
PostPosted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 5:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just discovered a leak in my Seastar cylinder. Ordered the HS5157 kit and I'm going to replace the seals this weekend. Probably a dumb question but how do I purge the remaining oil before removing the cylinder cap? Do I hook up a collector line to the purge nipple and turn the steering wheel each way? I'm hoping to avoid spilling oil into splash well when I remove the cap.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
timflan



Joined: 16 May 2006
Posts: 541
City/Region: Seattle
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Two Lucky Fish +1
Photos: Two Lucky Fish
PostPosted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 5:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That's about what you do. Get a bucket under it and open it up. Then steer.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
journey on



Joined: 03 Mar 2005
Posts: 3593
City/Region: Valley Centre
State or Province: CA
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: journey on
Photos: Journey On
PostPosted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 6:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It was mentioned earlier in this topic, but read this post for bleeding: Hydraulic Fluid for Seastar/Baystar. It discusses choices for fluid and I wrote a 10 step program for bleeding.

Boris
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
colbysmith



Joined: 02 Oct 2011
Posts: 4522
City/Region: Madison
State or Province: WI
C-Dory Year: 2009
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: C-Traveler
Photos: C-Traveler and Midnight-Flyer
PostPosted: Thu Jan 11, 2018 1:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bringing this one back to life, as I think I need to replace my seals. I know there is a more recent thread:

http://www.c-brats.com/viewtopic.php?t=25817

but this one seems to have a little more information. I have the SeaStar HC5345 steering ram. Every winter I notice just a bit more leakage coming from the starboard ram seal. So far this winter, after putting the boat away in early November, and with a week or two of bitterly cold winter, I have about a tablespoon or two of hydraulic fluid pooled under the starboard ram seal. So think it's time to replace those seals. I've read thru this thread, and the one above, and sounds like it's an easy enough job to do. I'm sure there are some hydraulic shops here in Madison, Wi, that could replace those seals easy enuf, but I pulled some part numbers off on this or the other thread (wiper HW-0750N and Seal DPU 12-0.75-12) and I might see if I can order those on my own first. The question is, will I have some warm enough weather between now and the St. John's gathering in order to do the work, or just wait until after that gathering, and do it before the Friday Harbor gathering. For those of you that have done this job, for the first time, is this pretty quick and easy, or a job that could easily turn into more? And any other advice/suggestions than what's already been posted in these two threads? Thanks. Colby
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
timflan



Joined: 16 May 2006
Posts: 541
City/Region: Seattle
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Two Lucky Fish +1
Photos: Two Lucky Fish
PostPosted: Thu Jan 11, 2018 2:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just want to remind you that I did NOT replace the seals. I elected to replace the entire cylinder. My ram had scratches and pitting (very mild, almost invisible) that, I was assured, were just going to chew at the new seal and cause it to fail early. So examine your ram closely. If it feels anything other than totally smooth, without any texture at all, consider replacing the whole assembly.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
colbysmith



Joined: 02 Oct 2011
Posts: 4522
City/Region: Madison
State or Province: WI
C-Dory Year: 2009
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: C-Traveler
Photos: C-Traveler and Midnight-Flyer
PostPosted: Thu Jan 11, 2018 4:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I did check the ram and did not feel any nicks or burrs. I only get the leak in very cold weather (during the winter), so figure it is just the seals. I can order the kit, HS5157 for just under $90, and that looks like it includes the end caps with the seals already installed. I may just do that this time around. The other option, is to pull the hydraulic lines off and try to plug them right away, then pull the caps with the seals off the piston, stuff some rags in the piston to protect it, then get the caps up to a hydraulic shop to repair them. Just feel like it might be easier to order the kit, install those, then repair the original caps with some new seals and keep those for next time. My problem now, is I don't have a warm shop to work in, and we're in the midwest winter now. So if I do get a warm day to work outside on the boat, it's just better to have everything I need right there to immediately swap stuff out, get it back together and rebleed the lines.

The last option would be just leave it alone, add more fluid when I pull it out in March, and then work on it when I have some downtime with it this summer. While I get a little "moisture" of fluid around it during the summer, the leak pretty much stops. However, the little pool it's produced over the last month or so, is quite a bit more than last winter. So unless it's just because of the bitter cold we had, I think it's probably getting worse. Colby
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Salmon Fisher



Joined: 07 Aug 2009
Posts: 799
City/Region: Arlington
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2004
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Kim Christine
Photos: Kim Christine
PostPosted: Fri Jan 12, 2018 10:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for posting, I need to perform this maintenance, too.
_________________
Patrick and Kim Walker

2004 25 Cruiser-Present

2000 22 Cruiser 2009-2014 (Sold)
2006 25 Cruiser 2014-2019 (Sold)
1985 22 Classic -2019 (Sold)
1991 19 Arima Sea Ranger-2019-2021 (Sold)
2015 27 Ranger Tug-2019-2023 (Sold)
1987 22 Cruiser -2021-2023 (Sold)

Honey, this REALLY will be my last boat, honest!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    The C-Brats Forum Index -> Outboards and Systems All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3
Page 3 of 3

 
     Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You cannot download files in this forum



Page generation time: 0.1041s (PHP: 81% - SQL: 19%) - SQL queries: 32 - GZIP disabled - Debug on