I went to put my boat in the water for the first time in a few months, and turned the wheel hard to one side and then the cylinder locked in place and wouldn’t turn back. Just wondering if anyone has ever had this problem, and what should I look for?
Thanks
I hope Chris v comes along and answers this. My helm felt like rocks in it. I turned it hard to port and started adding fluid. Seems like I had air in the lines, but found no leaks after 2 yearson it. Also after adding fluid I had steering. I hope you can understand my diagnosis.
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Usually when it’s low on fluid or has air in the system, the wheel will turn but the engine won’t. Or it takes a lot of turns to move it. When you say locked, is the wheel locked too, or the engine, or both?
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
if you ever have to add fluid to a hydraulic steering system, YOU HAVE A LEAK. it does not evaporate or get used up in any way.
often air in the system can cause it to lock in one place.
you need to find and fix the leak, then properly bleed the system
I’ve had something similar happen before and it was actually the hydraulic steering/cylinder bar on mine. I researched online and there was a couple people who suggested turning the engine at the same time as some one turns the wheel and see if that loosens, which didn’t. So the next step was to take off the bolt and tap the end of the bar with a padded rubber hammer while someone turned the wheel and someone turned the engine. It knocked loose and I pulled the bar out the best I could and cleaned it grease/lubed it and reassembled and repeated 3 more times until the bar came out with hardly any old gunk. I would of fully cleaned mine but that would of required removing my engine and many of the people I read about had good results doing the same as I did. From what I found out it was a common problem which is reduced/eliminated by a little routine maintenance. It happened to me the first winter of having my first boat without a tiller engine, I think it was a combination of the dry cold and sitting. Now it turns better then when I got it, probably like new, I hope this helps you or someone at least.
17ft Key west
quote:
if you ever have to add fluid to a hydraulic steering system, YOU HAVE A LEAK. it does not evaporate or get used up in any way. often air in the system can cause it to lock in one place. you need to find and fix the leak, then properly bleed the system
That’s a great explaination, Simple and straight forward.
218WA Sailfish
200 Verado
The "Penn"sion Plan
40inch
you must be talking about a mechanical steering system. hydraulic system don’t work the same way