Uflex hydraulic steering issue

[fisherman73]

I have a fairly new to me boat with Yamaha F300 and Uflex steering. The other day while working on the motor I had noticed that is had moved somewhat from center to one direction and there was a small amount of oil that appeared to have leaked out of the left end of the cylinder. I thought perhaps it was because I was leaning on it. Later when at the dock all seemed normal but under speed the steering was extremely unresponsive. I had to turn the wheel at least a full turn before it would respond at all then suddenly it would turn. I have not noticed a drop of fluid leaking before or after. Do I need to rebuild or replace the cylinder or possibly I introduced some air by leaning on it while working? Cylinder number is UC1280BF-2

 

[dingbat]

Do I need to rebuild or replace the cylinder or possibly I introduced some air by leaning on it while working? Cylinder number is UC1280BF-2

The orings in hydraulic steering units are notorious for leaking when cold and or over time.
While I doubt it’s the cause, using the cylinder to support yourself isn’t helping any