Steering questions

[shaunsm]

Hi All,
Ima newbie on the forum so please be gentle!
I have recently bought an old boat (1985) and have some steering issues amongst others, Turing the wheel does not relate to the slave cylinder moving sometimes at all and then starts moving this takes a large amount of turns and effectively not usable in its current state,
I am not familiar with the hydraulics on this boat but it has a power steering pump directly connected to the engine and a reservoir and 4 hydraulic lines to the helm pump, I gather two for the power steering and two for the slave cylinder
There is a slight bit of damp on the pipes at the helm so perhaps a leak, my plan is to bleed the system this weekend and see if there's any improvement although this may be slightly challenging and I don't see how to fill the helm pump and also no bleed nipples on the slave cylinder, if the resivour is full would this suffice presumably I would still need to bleed the system somehow?
Also when moving the wheel with the engine off I don't feel any difference in resistance, I also notice the hydraulic lines get very warm, unsure if this is normal?

Thanks for any constructive feedback, thanks in advance!
Shaun.

 

[PCUK]

What make is the steering? Generally speaking hydraulic steering systems are very simple so what ever the problem is it won;t be a big problem. One thing to remeber is that the hydraulic steering (pump and ram) are entirely separate from the power steering which simply follows the movement of the wheel and assists movement of the ram. As there is no difference with the engine running or stopped this tells me that the problem is with the hydraulic rather than engine side of the steering system. Bleeding is the first step. The huydraulic pipes should definitely not get warm. Helm pumps are normally filled through a filler on the top of the pump and there should be bleed nipples on the ram. A full helm pump is no indication that there is not air in the system.

 

[shaunsm]

Hi PCUK,
Unsure one the make, I'll see if I can find any more information but its hard to get a good look from the angle,
I don't see a filler on the top of the helm there is a shroud around the steering shaft so more than likely its covered, I'm planning on taking the covers off over the weekend to see
The pipes get hot, almost too hot to touch which is a worry, would that perhaps be something to do with the power steering pump perhaps
As I don't know what fluid is in there is in there how do I know what to fill it with, perhaps better to drain and add new fluid?
Ive added a couple of pictures, I'm not sure if they are very helpful and will try take some more in the next couple of days.
I don't see any bleed nipples on the ram, perhaps the only option is undoing the hydraulic line enough to let fluid drain?

 

[[70521]]

I have a Velos hydraulic wheel, is there anything at the wheel that shows you what make it is?

From lock to lock it is seven turns, is there a switch that allows you to override the system and use the emergency tiller that might be between on and off?

 

[PCUK]

The ram looks normal but I've not come across the other bit before so can't be of any further help. I'm sure someone else will have this set-up though.

 

[shaunsm]

Hi Sandy,
I don't see any markings on the helm pump that shows me what make it is, it was around 7 turns lock to lock when it was working, and no override that I can see all I know id the power steering pump is mechanical that works when the engine is running but no option to disable it,

 

[shaunsm]

Hi All,
so further investigation over the weekend found that one of the hydraulic pipes from the reservoir to the helm pump had a split in it so filling up with fluid then sprayed out,
Question I have now, do I replace all four pipes or do I go for a newer simpler setup such as Hydrive, open to any other brands or suggestions.
The helm pump is a Danforth OSP
B 100 ON
Thanks,
Shaun.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

I can't recommend if you should change the system or not. However, regarding hoses, I have worked with hydrualic systems and tend to find that hoses start to fail as a batch if it is age related. If it is usage related, some hoses have a tougher life than others, especially if they move with the machine and are exposed to rubbing, sudden pressure pulses due to stop commands and poor environmental conditions such as UV light and dirt.

Perhaps a thorough service and hose replacement would bring your system up to original standard and be reliable.