Hydraulic steering fails

G

ghone

New member
Hi we've been putting on some miles lately. I have wondered about a slight oil sheen off the transim that I thought must have been the preserving fluid my mechanic uses at service as all the steering components looked tight and drip free. Did an overnight in the harbor and a tour this am. The steering started to feel very soft and needed more than nomal turns then it stopped moving at all. Turn lots no steering. Wind nw 20 as usual. Got thru the anchored boats and dropped the hook in the clear. The dteering ram was pouring fluid out the end seal. It tightened easily. And needed to refill fluid from spare on board. Opened the bleed screw one at a time and shortly started to see movement back there. Still feels spongy but works. Going in for 100 hour interval service this week so will purge the steering well. Check your end caps on your ram. It is a flat plate with 4 holes to acept a proper tool. I found my davis fuel fill wrench to fit perfecty to snug up. George
 
Thanks George. I too am heading out to check mine right away. How much fluid does it take to refill the system.......anyone know?
Cheers, :beer Tom
 
You can get teleflex hydraulic oil in BC at most marine retailers and west marine in the northwest. probably most washington marine stores as teleflex is really common here. I carry a litre bottle. I would say I lost a half litre. (about a pint). It is disconcerting to lose your helm. I had just passed a Nordhavn 43 to windward a ways when I turned to pass down his side so I could impress Carolyn's son that that is the ship for him to buy! He could be our mothership. Oh interesting no helm. Hmmmm. With bursts of forward then some reverse got clear of the crowd and dropped the hook. Newer Cd22 uses the seastar helm and 19 have the baystar. Both by teleflex. Both very well built. But a leak will cause a failure. Hard to see too as the end plate looked fine but could be taken up a turn or two. The fine oil was running back the ram underside. Check em out. George. Got in under our own steam but we were discussing kickers recently Now we need backup steering!! Maybe gudgeons and pintles and a tiller Yikes. Fun :thup
 
My Baystar hydr. steering got soft last week. Found no leaks but did find air in the stbd. side, not in the port side. After bleeding it worked fine but after 3 days it did it again. Bled it again, found more air in the stbd. side, not the port side. Works fine now.
Where is the air coming from????
 
I found a leak in exactly the same place, from the end caps on the ram. Baystar has a replacement seal kit and were helpful when I contacted them. My system is seven years old and has had a lot of use so I am not concerned about basic reliability but do have to watch the fluid level until I can make repairs. Incidentally, I use a baby medicine dropper to put in fluid so I don't make too big of a mess when doing so. I use only the telflex fluid but am not sure other hydraulic fluid would not work in a pinch.
 
I got the helm all firmed up ok. The ram end cap needed tightening then a system bleed. I got a teleflex bleed kit at west marine It is an 18 inch clear tube with a fitting to go in the helm and a fitting to take the oil bottle. Spendy at $21.99 but keeps the mess down. Turn to turn now matches the book specs. Easy to do George
 
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