SeaStar Steering - Filling the System

I doubt if that made much difference Mark. I have read your same story many times on S&F. It takes several cycles to bleed.

jim

 

You absolutely cannot let the cylinder move when bleeding - hit the nail on the head Mark. If it wants to move open the bleeder more. We do so many we have a custom setup for filling the helm. This process is a bit difficult when you've never done it, but when you do it alot it is very quick.

 

It may even help to have three people doing it. one holding the motor in place, one opening the bleeder, and one turning the wheel. It is not an easy process, and it does take quite a few attempts.

You mentioned you were having problems with the fill hose. Did you screw it into the helm first, then screw the bottle onto the hose? I haven't had a problem with it yet doing it this way.

Did you cut the other piece of hose they gave you in half and put one piece on each bleeder? If you do that, it's harder to suck air back in because the tube will fill with fluid, and the air will rise. This also makes it easier to dump the fluid back into an empty steering fluid bottle so you can re-use the fluid. Make sure you use a bottle that you don't have the hole poked in yet though. You can tranfer from a new bottle to one with a hole for the filler bottle, and then use the empty for catching what has been used already.

I think it also helps to let it sit for a while, and do it again. It almost seems like you get some air trapped in the fluid from pumping. Letting sit seems to let that air settle out, and it usually finds it's way towards either the bleeder, or the helm. Either way, it will be easier to get out.

Once you have it set, you will be very happy you went away from cable steering.

 

I didn't get a second piece of hose with my kit - just the one for filling the helm. I did cut some tubing that I already had for the bleeders, though. However, I didn't keep the bleed oil so I had to go buy more. I'm hopefully going to try again today and this time I'm going to be at the bleed end and have someone else turn the wheel so I can control what is going on on the engine side.


I think it is true that things settle a bit when it sits because the steering had more play in it by the following morning. How do people do this when the carpet is already in the boat? I got hydraulic oil all of the freakin place....

 

Plastic drop cloth.

jim

 

Necessity is the mother of invention.

We'll see if this works....

I've made a jam piece to keep the cylinder from moving and I've removed the need to hold the fill bottle, per the pictures below. As soon as my buddy gets here, we'll see if we can can this done right.

 

If you keep turning even a little after the bleeder closes, it will really load up the cylinder and pressure in the lines. I like the flimsy pvc idea better.

jim

 

Done.

It worked. All the air is out of the lines. Never quite got it to 4.5 turns stop to stop but it less than 5 turns. There is n more air coming out anymore. We cycled through a lot of oil.

There is still a slight bit of play in the wheel when you move the wheel from one direction to another. It is very tiny but seems like more because you hear the "click" of the valves and psychologically that makes you feel like there is play that really isn't there. Remains to be seen if I like this steering system. I have some doubts about it just from the feel of the wheel but I'll have to drive it and see...

 

Another question.

I have been trying to get the steering so that when the motor is straight the steering wheel is in the centered position. Am I just going to drive myself nuts trying to do this or can it be done? I thought I had it in the right spot but then awhile later it is off again. Is it possible to center it with this type of steering system or does the steering wheel position change when you steer due to the fact that the oil will move a bit in the valves?