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Seastar hydraulic steering problems - need your help please.
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Seastar hydraulic steering problems - need your help please.
I have Seastar hydraulic steering, the helm is a 1.7 and one cylinder on stb motor with tie bar. Motors are Evinrude 225's.
When on plane turning to the port (left) the wheel is stiff and requires much more effort to turn. Turning to stb is easier. After turning to stb and turning wheel back to center (turning to port) it is stiff. The boat seems to want to wander to stb. If I were to take my hand off wheel, it would go to stb. I think if I were to hold the wheel, the boat would go to stb . I am constanly correcting my course - my wake would make one think a drunk was at the helm!
When at the dock, the littlest movement in the wheel does translate back to the motors.
My props spin out, and the little rudders on the motors look to be straight.
I was thinking I have some air in the system?? The boat is a 2000 that I recently bought. Looking over all the work orders, I don't see anything ever done to steering, so I assume it hasn't been touched since installed.
Please help, not sure what I should do to correct.
Almost sounds like a trim tab problem. The boat should go straight when you let go of the wheel if the motors are parrelel to each other and the trim tabs set right.
The only thing that makes sense to me right now would be to try a bleeding procedure and see if that is the culprit.
With motors as straight as possible, the tie-bar doesn't look screwed up, right? You can eyeball to see if you are toed in or out with helm mid-point travel of the helm (count the turns)? Having just bought the boat, you never know what other people do, sometimes things/adjustments can be way out of whack.
Also, with twins, although this won't be your present problem, you do not need the zinc anodes with the fin. You can use the flat zinc plates.
I've got the same set up. Your problem sounds more like the trim tabs on the motors, or the tie bar is adjusted improperly. Both will cause the same effect. Having a single cylinder on a twin outboard means everything has to be perfect to work right.
With the boat moving forward at about a fast idle, disconnect the tie bar. Then bring the boat up to speed and see where the boat wants the tie bar to be adjusted. It sounds nuts, but the engines will follow each other just fine and track just like the tie bar was attached as long as you are moving forward, even from a dead stop. Just don't try it in reverse. Every hull is a little different and this way you find out where the tie bar should be to add as little drag as possible from alignment.
I have Seastar hydraulic steering, the helm is a 1.7 and one cylinder on stb motor with tie bar. Motors are Evinrude 225's.
When on plane turning to the port (left) the wheel is stiff and requires much more effort to turn. Turning to stb is easier. After turning to stb and turning wheel back to center (turning to port) it is stiff. The boat seems to want to wander to stb. If I were to take my hand off wheel, it would go to stb. I think if I were to hold the wheel, the boat would go to stb . I am constanly correcting my course - my wake would make one think a drunk was at the helm!
When at the dock, the littlest movement in the wheel does translate back to the motors.
My props spin out, and the little rudders on the motors look to be straight.
I was thinking I have some air in the system?? The boat is a 2000 that I recently bought. Looking over all the work orders, I don't see anything ever done to steering, so I assume it hasn't been touched since installed.
Please help, not sure what I should do to correct.
a good test to perform to rule the steering out of the equation is as follows;
* center engines.
* mark steering cylinder(s) shaft(s) with a black marker
* measure from that mark to any fixed point on the cylinder body
* take boat to an area where you can play around, without running into anyone/anything
* let boat veer off course for at least 3 minutes, or, until you have made more than a 90degree turn.
* Shut boat down.
* go back to the marks that you have made and see if they have moved.
At no time during the test to you want to touch the steering wheel (unless you need to avoid something) if you have to turn the wheel for whatever reason, you will want to re-start the test.
Results:
* if the mark that you made on teh cylinder(s) has moved, then the steering is not holding course (see below cures)
* if the mark has NOT moved, then the steering is holding and is not at fault.
Cures for movement:
* always start with bleeding of the system (be sure to run the autopilot pump, if fitted, during the bleeding). Bleeding will tell us fluid condition, and, will rule air as being the problem.
Thanks and let me know how you make out
marc
__________________ SeaStar Solutions' technical support monitors this site on a periodic basis. If you have any questions concerning Teleflex hydraulic steering, email us at: [email protected]. You can expect a response back within the next business day.
SeaStar Solutions, manufacturer of SeaStar, BayStar, Capilano, and Hynautic hydraulic steering systems
The props spin to the outside.
I bled the system, looks like someone put red ATF in there. I flushed it all out and the steering is MUCH better. I think there is still room for improvement though.
I bought a new tilt helm, and I'll see if that helps any.
The props spin to the outside.
I bled the system, looks like someone put red ATF in there. I flushed it all out and the steering is MUCH better. I think there is still room for improvement though.
I bought a new tilt helm, and I'll see if that helps any.
it should fix it. you have a common problem with your seastar helm. the lockout valve shuttle is sticking. yours is sticking to the port side causing the port checkball not to seat properly and not opening the starbd side checkball. when you turn to port there is a limited way for the fluid from the starbd side of the ram to return to the helm. with the port side check ball leaking, it will slowly (at first) creap to starbd.
Sounds like air in one of the lines. Check fluid level, and re pressurize the system. If that does not work bleed the system, and re pressurize.
sea star has a very good instruction guide for troubleshooting and procedures. I just serviced mine last month.
FYI- do not add ATF to the system it will change the ease of steering
__________________ -------------- "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena"
Sounds like air in one of the lines. Check fluid level, and re pressurize the system. If that does not work bleed the system, and re pressurize.
sea star has a very good instruction guide for troubleshooting and procedures. I just serviced mine last month.
FYI- do not add ATF to the system it will change the ease of steering
please explain how air would cause the symptoms the op has provided??
also the system the op described is not pressurized
"When on plane turning to the port (left) the wheel is stiff and requires much more effort to turn. "
The sea star system should be pressurized to check for air in the system. If you have air in the system, the steering will not be as responsive on that side. I would not rule out the check valve but I would try, to re bleed and pressurize first before rippin into stuff.
__________________ -------------- "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena"
I had this same problem and it was the auto pilot. I dont know if you have one but mine is a Garmin and the pump went out and fouled up the check valves. Everyone kept telling me I wasn't bleeding it right. Do you have an auto pilot?
if he had said spongy i could see it. but he said stiff, as in difficult to turn.
where in this system would air impede the flow of the fluid? the cylinder, the lines, or the helm?
I dont think its the steering - are the motors toed in or out correctly? Alhtought this generally will not cause a pull it could exaccerbate it (if the engine trim tabs - little rudders - are incorrect - I am not sure they are supposed to be straight back?) Anyway find out from the boat dealer - also, See section on toe in. In my experience seastar steering systems are very good at self bleeding. I am not familiar with he valve issues discussed above. There is a seastar forum or sponsor here, who was very helpful for me.
Seastar hydraulic steering problems - need your help please. 
1st Cav Div Air Assault Infantry RVN
