Hydraulic Steering

General Boats and Motors
1

I’ve got Sea Star Hydraulic steering on a 10 year old Suzuki 200. Lately, it seems to be harder and harder to turn to port. I can trim the motor up to make it easier, but it cavitates at the point where steering is easiest. The skeg came from the dealer pointed straight back, and I have adjusted the trailing edge 1 “click” to starboard (which to me seems backwards, opposite of how a rudder would work, but this is how I’ve been told to adjust it).
Any suggestions?
Thanks!

2

Don’t think the skeg has much to do with not turning! Unhook hoses and see if it is easy to turn with your hands. Probaly not the steering but the motor!

3

It turns easily in both directions when idling, going slow, or in reverse.

White Trash
Sea Fox 236
200HP Suzuki

4

I have seen this before. Your trim tab needs adjusting. Turn it three or four notches to the right and give it a try. Take the tools with you to the sand bar try different number of notches until it feels right.

ZX

5

^^^^^ my thoughts too^^^^^^6

George McDonald ; MAD Charleston
[http://www.militaryappreciationday.org

When you see “Old Glory” waving in the breeze, know that it is the dying breaths of our fallen hero’s that makes it wave.
author unknown

6

Flushing and replacing the hydraulic fluid made it like new again. Easy too.

White Trash
Sea Fox 236
200HP Suzuki

7
quote:
Originally posted by Itch

Flushing and replacing the hydraulic fluid made it like new again. Easy too.

White Trash
Sea Fox 236
200HP Suzuki

That’s awesome! My friends’ has some “chatter” in his steering wheel, we were talking about doing a flush and fill on his as well. At a minimum we want to top it off if its low. I asked him if he could see any leaks but there aren’t any visible signs of leaking.
How do you get the fluid in the line? Where did you get the fluid?

Fishing Nerd

“skilled labor isn’t cheap, cheap labor isn’t skilled”

8
quote:
Originally posted by StumpNocker
quote:
Originally posted by Itch

Flushing and replacing the hydraulic fluid made it like new again. Easy too.

White Trash
Sea Fox 236
200HP Suzuki

That’s awesome! My friends’ has some “chatter” in his steering wheel, we were talking about doing a flush and fill on his as well. At a minimum we want to top it off if its low. I asked him if he could see any leaks but there aren’t any visible signs of leaking.
How do you get the fluid in the line? Where did you get the fluid?

Fishing Nerd

“skilled labor isn’t cheap, cheap labor isn’t skilled”

There’s a fitting available to attach a hose to the top of the steering column, an NPT pipe fitting will work (maybe 1/8th? can’t remember), but it leaks.
Here’s a bottle adapter with the fitting included:
https://www.amazon.com/SeaStar-Solutions-HA5438-Hydraulic-Steering/dp/B00144GJMY
Set it up like page 2 of this pdf with an oil bottle or a funnel leading into the fill port. I used a funnel hanging from the the T Top or windshield, zip tied.
http://www.seastarsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/200017-B.pdf
Run another hose from the cylinder back into the top of the funnel. Put oil in the funnel, then start turning the steering wheel the way that causes the oil to flow through the system, back to the funnel. Do it until the bubbles work themselves out. Then switch sides of the cylinder.

Use hose clamps to prevent the oil from leaking from the hose connections.

BG

9

Thanks BG!

Fishing Nerd

“skilled labor isn’t cheap, cheap labor isn’t skilled”

10

There are several YouTube videos available, and Sea Star’s web site has detailed instructions. One thing I’ll do next time is put hoses on the bleed valves to point the fluid coming out into a container. The old fluid comes out in a stream, and can make a mess.

White Trash
Sea Fox 236
200HP Suzuki