Followup to Hydraulic steering leak

J

Jeanie P

New member
On July 2, I developed a hydraulic leak at steering wheel hub. Baystar tech recommended a seal kit to fix. When I mentioned it was under warranty, I was transfered to that dept. They sent me a replacement pump that would need to have new stud holes drilled in the helm. Something I was not prepared to do.

I decided to try the seal kit first. $ 9 part ,easy change out and 30 + hours later- still no leak. I sent back the pump before I would have been charged for it(had to pay shipping) and saved me from having to pay someone else to intall it.

The pump cost was about $350 and the labor to install estimated at about $250-300. That's what it would have cost( my out-of-pocket + Baystar's cost) if I followed the warranty dept advice based on liability issues.

$9 vs $600-650 And I wonder why things are more expensive! Am I missing something here?

Allan
 
Thanks for writing about the problem. I had a leak last summer at the helm also which seems to have mysteriously disappeared but I'm forever leary about it coming back. I may be asking for help in the future.

Bravo to you for fixing instead of replacing, but I can understand dealers and service shops dilemmas. If they try to repair something and fail they are out of a lot of time and have an angry customer. Generally it's easier to charge a rate that allows for profit and has the best chance of success. Often that means using authentic $parts$ and highly trained professionals. My two hundred hour maintianance is comming up on my twin hondas. I expect to pay bundle!

On the other hand If I fail at fixing something It's my time and I'm angry with myself. As a die hard do it your selfer I'm often torn between trying to fix something or paying out big bucks.


Recently I was doing some maintainance and found that the engine outfitter used cables that were way to long and hid all the excess behind the port fuel tank! It's a kinky mess. Do I drive it from So Cal to Oakland and complain or tackle the job myself?
 
I too went through the leaky steering pump this summer. I changed mine out under warranty and did the install myself. It was time consuming but when I compared the two pumps I was glad I did. The original pump was of two piece construction with an injection moulded plastic body whereas the replacement was a cast aluminium body enclosing the pump, a much better product. The last thing we need is a pump failure in the middle of nowhere.
 
Sea Queen,

Regarding your long hydraulic hoses, I would consider replacing them yourself since you feel competent to do so. Once you determine the correct lengths, you can, at least get a price for the new hoses and compare against the fuel cost of two round trips to Oakland.

The long hoses may have been installed by the factory, but regardless, they will only be concerned if the system is working, not whether it is unsightly. You will only be frustrated arguing your point.

It is my opinion that if you have the talent and confidence to tackle a new project, as long as you get complete instruction, it is to the boat owner's advantage to know how things are put together so that you may be able to fix a problem at sea. In the end, you will sometimes do a better job because you will take extra time and precaution.

For your project, the only challenge and frustration is how to properly bleed your hydraulic system. My advice is to bleed it per instructions from Teleflex/Seastar websites. Do it over and over until you feel confident you have all the air out of the system. Be patient and don't hesitate to do it a couple more times at a later date.
 
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