Intrigued, but can you give me more context? What would that do exactly?
It will help you determine what part is failing. I suspect the steering helm.
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The expensive part usually breaks to protect the inexpensive part?
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@m32825 - you have me confused. What are you responding to?
My apologies, just sharing my experience with diagnosis and repair. Did not intend to cloud the discussion with false hope. Carry on.
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Your comment wasn’t far off from what I said above. If the helm threads don’t make it through pulling the wheel off, repairing the pump is not an option. And from my research, the shaft is not easily replaceable.
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Got it. Dodnt know if that was in reference to the overall project or a specific post prior!
Hoping the wheel comes off easily and this comes apart withput too much trouble. That will be a $23 fix. I have a back up plan ($$) and a back up back up plan ($$$$$).
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Sorry my DIY method didn’t work so well for you @MaverickMA A couple things different… I have a Uflex helm/system and my fill is on top of the helm, so no problem keeping the tubing in the port with no spillage. I also use zip ties to secure the tubing so it’s not hard to open the vent tubes.
Hope you’re able to do the fix with minimum expense.
Quite the contrary, @Zika. It was very helpful and a great process. The issue was primarily on the user end. Having zero experience with this, I didnt correct for things that would have been obvious to folks who knew what they were doing.
I am still learning the ins and outs of the system, which is the reason i am doing a DIY approach instead of having it fixed by someone else. Sometimes it is through doing something wrong that you understand a system better.
For my set up, your process would work perfectly with two easy modifications:
1). Definitely need the threaded fitting and tube to the reservoir to keep air from getting back into the helm
2). With that, you also need to ensure a steady supply of fluid into that reservoir tube, which a direct line from the cylinder wont deliver (air bubbles etc). Using a spare bottle of seastar fluid with the bottom cut off would solve that issue - catching the fluid coming up from the cylinder, but allowing air bubbles to come out before the fluid is pulled back into the helm.
The rebuild it should be arriving this week and I am hoping to squeeze one short fishing trip out of her as is this weekend then take it all apart. As ling as I dont take the steering to its locks or go fast, I should be fine for a short, close by trip.
Wow, you get mail/deliveries early. Best of luck with the repair. Agree, it helps to understand a boat’s systems better by doing the work (or much of it) yourself. Post up the results.
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Will do, @Zika -
BTW, does anyone know that the size and thread count of the hydraulic lines are? I am going to want to cap them off at the helm and am curious if there are any simple options besides tape or just leaving them open for potential contamination.
Use latex finger gloves that cvs has for finger injuries. They fit tight and you can add a rubber band around to make sure no contaminants enter or exit.
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great call - and cheap! Thanks @Loogie
Quick update - took the boat out to test the steering for the first time after the flush and bleed. Major inprovement in the smoothness and functionality of the steering. I am still getting the slight delay in the shuttle valve moving over when changing directions but it was significantly less frequent and less noticeable. I could not get the steering to lock up and it seemed to improve as the day went on.
I am going to give it a couple more trips to see if the new fluid flushes solves the problem before I rebuild the pump, but will report back here if it I decide to tear it down.
On a positive note, my son and I ended up with over 30 trout - mostly keepers in a couple of hours yesterday. Not a bad way to test the steering!
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Good deal. Need to add some ice to those trout. 
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Lol, @Zika , they got iced right after that pic!
On a separate note, curious if anyone has a reaction to me trying this to continue to loosen that valve. I dont have leaks but this is also a conditioner for o rings.
Thoughts? The recent improvement after the fluid flush has me thinking I am just dealing with residual sludge.
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Until you can’t steer going 30 mph on a curve. There is a risk/gain factor in your steering, if it is still happening and it’s not smooth the way it’s supposed to be, the problem still exists, finding out it got worse at the worse possible time is Murphy’s Law. I would either replace or rebuild until it’s smooth the way it is supposed to behave…that’s just my comfort level…
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They way any “stop leak” works is by a solvent additive that swells the seals. It will also soften the seal. The downside: the seals wont last as long, and damage easier, creating more leaks.
Im with Loogie, there is no snake oil fix. Its a mechanical problem. Use it until it starts going down hill, then fix it. Maybe you will get lucky and the use will help it to settle in. You have done all you can do.
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Fix that steering the right way before you become a statistic…just my opinion!
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