SeaStar Helm Repair 2008 282

[RobboNJ]

I have been having some slack in my steering lately, so have added fuid to the system. However, the slack has not disappeared. And the slack s about 1/2 - 3/4 of a turn of the wheel. So today I started to bleed the system (following SeaStar's procedure). I was on the bleeder screws and my wife was holding the bottle of fluid and turning the wheel. The first bleed looked good at the stern as no bubbles were coming out of the bleeder, but then my wife said she had a lot of fluid around here feet beneath the helm - darn! We stopped the bleed process and closed everything up. The leak was coming from behind the dash, and the filler cap area was dry so the new fluid was not leaking at entry. Looking under the dash, I saw fluid dripping from the bottom of the helm See the pics I posted, pics of the helm are looking up at the helm from the deck beneath the wheel.

Any idea where to start to identify the source of the leak? Are there nuts on the helm that I can tighten or hose connections that might be loose? Also, how hard is it to accessthe backside of the helm? I see lots of wiresbefore I can access the helm.

Thanks for any input.

 

[Hookup1]

Frequently its the shaft o-ring. It's possible that one of the case seals are leaking. There are one man bleeding procedures on this site as well. Easiest and most effective way to bleed the system once repaired.

 

[seasick]

Did you use the seastar fill fitting adapter and the upside down bottle?
In the first pic I see what looks like fluid but I can't tell if it is leaking out of the back flange or from somewhere else and running down the steering box and pooling on the bottom.
If you don't use the fill adapter, fluid will spurt out when you turn the wheel. If you fill the unit right to the top, it will probably also leak some fluid as it is used and as the fluid warms up.

One of the more common leak points is the steering shaft seal. It is fairly easy to replace but you have to pull the wheel and tilt if you have tilt.
My advice is to run with it for a while after cleaning off any fluid and check the level every so often.
Note that if you attempt to open up the pump, there are many parts to deal with including check valve balls.

 

[RobboNJ]

Hookup and Seasick, thanks for the replies. Any idea if I can replace the shaft seal without opening up the pump? If I have to open the pump I will, but obviously would prefer not to. Also, do I need to remove the pump from the dash to replace the shaft seal, or can I replace the seal with the pump still mounted? Thanks!

 

[seasick]

You don't need to disassemble to replace seal. You don't have to remove the unit either. You do have to remove the wheel and tilt mechanism. There are a few screws ( 4 I think) that hold in the seal. You probably want to pump out the reservoir so that oil doesn't spill out when the seal is removed.
If you remove the wheel you should be able to tell if the shaft seal is leaking.
Removing the wheel can be tricky. You may need a puller. If you try yanking the wheel off using a little persuasion, leave the nut screwed on a few turns so that when the wheel snaps loose, you don't take out a few teeth Yes it does happen.

 

[RobboNJ]

SS, that is great news. Will let you know what happens next!

 

[Hookup1]

If you go so far as to inspect the front seal you should change it. My mechanic tells me the shafts groove and when they do that the seals will wear faster. For now I'll keep changing the from seal.

The seal is held in with three screws. If you can get them out it is easy. The seal can be a real pain on the tilt wheel. I modified mine to make it easier the next time.

SeaStar Helm seal

Changing the front seal can be a real pain. If you have a SeaStar helm pump and a tilt steering option do yourself a favor if you have it out for repair. The plate on the front is closed so you can't replace the front seal, which is usually the problem, without completely dropping the pump...

www.greatgrady.com

 

[Halfhitch]

Were I you, I would watch the back of the helm pump while your wife turns the wheel back and forth lock to lock, before I tore things apart so you know for sure just where the fluid is exiting.

 

[Hookup1]

Wrap it with a paper towel and tywrap it to the pump. Usually these leaks are small and take time to troubleshoot. Check the helm and both end of the ram. Add fluid as needed until you find it.

 

[Meanwhile]

Don't bother to ever open the pump. Seastar will not sell the parts needed to repair, other than the front shaft seal. The best you can do is send off the pump for evaluation and repair. Seastar only sells parts to repair shops.

From all the crud I found in my pump, I've committed to replace the fluid every season. I now use the milspec red fluid.

 

[seasick]

Great photos. It brings back memories of a job I didn't enjoy very much.

 

[RobboNJ]

Thanks for all of the input. It turns out my leak was coming from the fill tube. I finally put a clamp around the hose where it attachs to the fitting that gets screwed in to the helm fill hole. I also punctured the fill bottle to let it breath as the fluid filled the helm. These two changes allowed the fluid to flow easily, and eliminated the leak (and subsequent puddle on the deck). Stearing is much tighter now, and the boat stears a lot better.

I will be keeping my eyes open for any leaks, but hopefully I'm set for going forward.