I have a SeaStar hydraulic steering problem. I can’t detect any leaks and suspect I have air in the system. I am by no means a boat/ engine mechanic, but have read enough where I am comfortable with flushing the system and replacing the fluid. However, because I can’t detect any leaks, I suspect that I may have a seal problem in either the helm unit or in the piston unit. Has anyone had this problem and fixed it? If so, can you direct me to a source or tell me how to fix this, if a seal leak is the problem? I would appreciate any help, as the estimates to fix, flush and fill will run around $300 plus.
What makes you think you have air? Is the fluid low? If the fluid is full, then you probably have an internal helm problem, or possibly the cylinder on the engine. If the fluid is low, you have a leak. Check behind the console if you can see it.
Berkeley Outdoors
122 Oakley Rd.
Moncks Corner, SC 29461
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If you are losing fluid you should be seeing it. Do the ends of your seastar cylinder on the outboard drip? If the helm is leaking, it would be running down the front of the console under the steering wheel or on the backside of the helm. Have you filled the helm and bled the air?
I need a seastar teleflex 5348 cylinder myself right now if anyone has a good used one.
Rick
I experinced the same situation in Oct. put the boat in the water to go fishing and no stering add fluid and able to to continue to fish stering still not right. Next weekend no sterring go to a marina and have the air bled out of system. told that bleding the air was only a temp.fix made it thru the weekend next weekend again no steering go to LowCountry Marina in Walterbo Open on Saturdays close to Edisto. Explain my problem need to replace seals and get the air out of system. With out looking they tell me I need a new clynider replacing seals would last only for the weekend. I ask Tommy to at least look at the clynider since I could not see any pitting in the clynider an seals are cheaper than replacing the clynider. End of story you have very small rust pits on your clynider and replaced seals will only fail again Replace the clyinder and Bled the air out and go fishing
most comon to failures on hydraulic steering
- the helm shaft seal under the steering wheel
- the glan nut seals on the end of the shafts at teh motor.
if you do not have any pitting on the chrome plated shafts, replacing the seals will fix your problem , and last for years, or until you get pitting on the shafts.
it runs about $200-$250 for parts and labor to replace the seals, and bleed the system
I’m now at www.teamcharlestonmarine.com