Aftermarket Steering on my OMC

[KRH1326]

Hey Fellas,

Great to see everyone gearing up and charging into the spring pre-season maintenance/rigging !!!

I must address my aftermarket hydrolic steering. I am working on pictures to help my post. Coming ASAP.

I have a flying bridge and the helm below, dual hydrolic steering. It is an ancient system that I suspect that the fluid is low. There is a splitting block mounted on the transom. There is the external cylinder that moves the outdrive and there is a canister with a guage glass and a pressure guage on it. There looks to be plugs on top for filling, I would imagine.

The fluid seems to be a red oil. Tranny fluid?

The system is so old that I can't seem to find any kind of mark on it, as far as model, or even full/fill marks.

I would guess that if I center out or nuetral out the steering cylinder/ ram, I theoretically should have about half of the canister/ reservoir full.

Sound reasonable?

Pics to help identify coming soon.

Thanks

 

[seabob4]

Re: Aftermarket Steering on my OMC

Sounds like you have a really old Hynautic system using an un-balanced transom mount cylinder...hard-over one way, cylinder ram is completely retracted, hard-over the other way, ram is completely extended. And no, that is not ATF in their, it needs to meet certain specs.

Check your PMs and I'll get you in touch with someone who has the answers to your questions...

 

[KRH1326]

Re: Aftermarket Steering on my OMC

Yup that sounds just like it. I read this AFTER I saw your PM.

Thank you for the help and recommendation.

 

[F_R]

Re: Aftermarket Steering on my OMC

Hey Fellas,

Great to see everyone gearing up and charging into the spring pre-season maintenance/rigging !!!

I must address my aftermarket hydrolic steering. I am working on pictures to help my post. Coming ASAP.

I have a flying bridge and the helm below, dual hydrolic steering. It is an ancient system that I suspect that the fluid is low. There is a splitting block mounted on the transom. There is the external cylinder that moves the outdrive and there is a canister with a guage glass and a pressure guage on it. There looks to be plugs on top for filling, I would imagine.

The fluid seems to be a red oil. Tranny fluid?

The system is so old that I can't seem to find any kind of mark on it, as far as model, or even full/fill marks.

I would guess that if I center out or nuetral out the steering cylinder/ ram, I theoretically should have about half of the canister/ reservoir full.

Sound reasonable?

Pics to help identify coming soon.

Thanks

The pictures will help to identify exactly which system you have. In the meantime, you are confusing me just a bit with the "splitting valve" as you call it. Could you be referring to the relief valve? Two nuts on top? Some relief valves are mounted on the bottom of the resivoir.

So, just to get you started, the resivoir should be about 1/2 to 2/3 full. The level should not rise and fall according to rudder position if it is a balanced cylinder, but there will be a small change if it is an unbalanced cylinder. "Balanced" cylinders have the rod coming out both ends, "Unbalanced" ones have the rod coming out only one end and that rod generally goes through a mounting tube that the cylinder attaches to, with a drag link that comes back to the steering arm. It should have about 30 psi pressure in it. I suggest you pump it up (with a bicycle pump) and see if the system works. It may not need anything else. Try it with the lower helm first. However if it doesn't work, or if there are obvious leaks, we can deal with that after we know what we are working on.

The oil: It uses Aircraft hydraulic fluid. In an emergency when the proper fluid is not available, you can use Dexron automatic transmission fluid. DON'T dump in Ford type F. The correct oil is available from most any marine dealer from their Teleflex distributor. It will probably be labeled Teleflex.

About Hynautic: Hynautic was a division of Morse Controls. Morse Controls was sold to their arch rival, Teleflex, around 2002-ish. Teleflex didn't really need Hynautic, but by buying the company they eliminated their competition. Get the picture? They obsoleted/eliminated most Hynautic products. I retired from Hynautic in 1999, closed the door behind me, and never looked back. So far, my pension checks keep coming though.

 

[KRH1326]

Re: Aftermarket Steering on my OMC

I am still working on getting pics to aid identification.

Just going off the top of my head, what I meant by a splitting block, is an aluminum rectangle block that it appears the hoses from the 2 helms come together and go to the cylinder/ resavoir. That may not be the right terminology, or exactly the correct description, as it is from memory.

On the steering cylinder, only one extending/retracting rod, that would make it unbalanced.

From last season, the system works from both locations. When under 5 knots, she does sway a little bit, but not too badly, and when underway with any speed, that stops.

When I winterized it, I noticed that I had to turn the lower helm quickly to turn the outdrive.

F R- Sorry that your job got sold out from under you, but glad that your pension is intact.

 

[KRH1326]

Re: Aftermarket Steering on my OMC

For any other do-it-yourselfers, I found a great set of original Hynautic, Inc. directions for filling, bleeding and pressurizing:

http://cworthy.net/boat/documents/Hynautic_Steering_Air_Purge.pdf

 

[KRH1326]

Re: Aftermarket Steering on my OMC

OK, trying to post some crude photos of the steering cylinder, relief valve, canister/reservoir and upper helm.

Please don't be too critical of my fishing boat, it is an evolving resto work in progress. (Or of my camera and computer skills )

Here is my boat video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFdf8_IpoKw
4 more pics to follow.

 

[KRH1326]

Re: Aftermarket Steering on my OMC

4 More Pics

 

[F_R]

Re: Aftermarket Steering on my OMC

Hoo boy, that is an oldie. Even before I went to work for the company in 1978. It is a tie-rod K-11 or K-12 cylinder, the valve would be a relief valve MSV-xx, and the helm most likely is a H-20 series.

 

[KRH1326]

Re: Aftermarket Steering on my OMC

Hi F R,

OK, so at this point, would it be a good idea to start with the directions that I posted ^^ up there ^^? Follow these steps and see if any problems arise, as long as these directions fit my system?

Thanks again for the help.

 

[F_R]

Re: Aftermarket Steering on my OMC

Yes.
Incidently, the relief valve shown is before my time and I would have to give it some serious thought to remember what all the functions are. But the purge instructions should work.

As I suggested earlier, just pressurize it and see if it works before you go through all the other steps.

 

[KRH1326]

Re: Aftermarket Steering on my OMC

OK will do. Be back soon.

Thanks again for all of the help and experience.

 

[KRH1326]

Re: Aftermarket Steering on my OMC

WOW F R, you are the MAN !!

Short Version:

Added fluid, pressurized to about 38 psi = tightened right up + no play.


Long Version:

System had a very little bit, not much, but some pressure. The guage was kaput, so I didn't realize untill I removed fill.

Added some fluid, and charged. Everything looks AOK. Will now have to keep an eye on new guage and pressure and fluid level. Keep an eye out for any leaks that haven't shown itself. I had the boat for a couple of years, used it last season, and I know it sat for the better part of a decade with no use and maintenance, prior, yet it still had this little charge in it. If there is a leak, it may be very minute.

To both Seabob4 and F R,
Thank you again for the help and tips.

 

[F_R]

Re: Aftermarket Steering on my OMC

Yep, if it hasn't leaked down in ten years, it must be good.

My brain started to function again, and I believe the oddball relief valve was required to use that helm with an unbalanced cylinder. Newer helms don't require the oddball special valve.