Hydraulic Steering

jclint · Post by **jclint** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 3:33 am

I'm a new owner of 33Cvtbl (1977). I have located the steering reservoir with the sight gauge and the air pump fitting. When the unit is sufficiently full, is the sight gauge totally filled? Is it OK to use Dexron Tranny fluid? Final question: How/where do you put fluid into the reservoir? Final final question: Do you have to "bleed" the system after adding fluid and pumping up pressure? If so, how? Thanks for advising a neophyte.

lobsta1 · Post by **lobsta1** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 3:47 am

Welcome James, Jim, Jimmy, Jay or whatever. I have the sight gauge 2/3 full when rudders are centered. Hynautic does not reccomend tranny fluid. However, on an older boat you probably will have no idea what is in there now. Fill from the top of the reservoir. IF, there is no air in there now, you should not have to bleed the lines. Go to http://charment.com/ & clik on exploded view under Hynautic to find out all the info on your system, incuding bleed info. Al

sbeer · Post by **sbeer** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 5:01 am

The level should be almost to the top of the top sight glass, about a half inch from the top of the glass. It says you can run it with 30lbs of pressure, but I only put 10 in and it works great. The air fitting is on a big nuton top of the resevior. Bleed the air through the fitting like deflateing a bike tire. Unscrew the big nut and add fluid there. I had a stearing ram problem last year and had to replace it. After I replaced it I thought I could just pressureize the system to 30 lbs and have the air bleed out. When I did that the shaft seal in my stearing box rupptured very slightly. Oil started coming out all over the bridge. Didnt realize it untill I was away from the dock sea trialing the ram set-up. Well I had to rebuild the stearing box, which is real easy, and thought I could do the same turn the wheel 5 times one way and then 5 times the other to bleed the steering box out. No good. I had to pressureize the system with 15lbs of pressure then break open the return hose nut and allow the air and oil to come out untill you have no air at all. Just a little tid bit to think about. Be careful with the hynautic steering boxes and system overall, sea star or teleflex bought them out and any replacements you may need may not be available anymore other then seal rebuild kits. One more thing, do yourself a favor and use sea star steering fluid in the system, useing trans fluid is good if you are in a bind off shore and need something to get you back. Mike

jclint · Post by **jclint** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 12:49 pm

Al & Mike, Thank you both for your responses. I followed your instructions and thanks in large part to your know how, my steering appears to be functioning flawlessly.