Re: How do you service Hydraulic Steering?
None.<br /><br />Well, maybe not. Once a year or so you should open the cap on the reservior and check the fluid level, if its low add some ATF.<br /><br />Sooner or later the seals go, usually in the rear steering cylinder first, and then a couple of years later in the helm unit. Each is obvious when it happens, you will notice the leak or you will certainly notice that when you turn the wheel nothing in particular happens. If you add some fluid you can always make it home so carry a quart of ATF on the boat with you, use it in the trim tabs too.<br /><br />When the seals go you can change them yourself too. It is not a difficult or time consuming job. At the rear its a matter of buying a replacement seal kit (West Marine carrys and sells them) or just the seal if its the helm unit that starts leaking. You can change the seal in the helm unit in about 3 mintues if you already have the steering wheel off. To do the steering cylinder in the back takes more like an hour or so.<br /><br />Anyway the bottom line is that they are fine until they break and do not require any sort of intermitent maintainence.<br /><br />Thom
