Bleeding and Debugging Hynautic Steering System

[Bob Bradley]

I reinstalled my FB helm steering Sunday. I wanted to replace the fluid with 5606, but didn’t want to go completely overboard and make it a major project, so I just drained the reservoir, and also added air pressure to the system while the helm hose was still disconnected, and hanging in a bucket.

I hooked everything up, and began the bleeding process. I filled the reservoir, and added around 40# of air pressure to the system. Went below decks, and loosened the set nut on the stbd bleeder valve. After making many, many (a couple hundred) turns on the wheel, I still had no helm. Went back below, noted that the pressure had dropped to about 30#, so I released it, added another inch of fluid, and repressurized to about 45#. A hundred or so more turns on the wheel, and I seemed to have stbd helm. The bleeder never did seem to have any effect. I cracked the flare nut for that side of the bleeder, and fluid flowed without any evidence of air, but nothing ever came out of the bleeder screw.

With the pressure steady at 45#, and plenty of fluid, I tightened the stbd bleeder and loosened the port bleeder. I started making turns to port. The rudder returned from hard stbd to amidships, but would not turn to port, despite several hundred turns on the wheel. I cracked the flare nut, and just like the stbd side, fluid flowed smoothly without evidence of air in the line. The bleeder seemed to have no effect whatsoever again.

After an hour or so of this, with good stbd helm but nothing beyond amidships when turning to port, I was getting a bit frustrated, so I went back below decks and bumped the pressure up to 60psi. Back topside, lo and behold, I have port rudder. Making about 7 complete turns stop to stop.

Despite this “success”, I remain concerned. Is 60 psi too much? Why don’t my bleeders seem to have any effect? What happened to the air that I intentionally introduced to the system when I had the lines disconnected?

[Boatsb]

60 is way too high. After bleeding it should run at 25 PSI. drop the pressure and see if it holds.

[Avenger]

If it's the hynautic system with the aluminum block relief valve I believe you're supposed to open both bleeders at the same time. I would re-check the manual.

[Bob Bradley]

Manual? We don't read no steenkeeng manual!

Actually I intended to refer to that, but left my reading glasses home. Have you seen the size of the print in that manual?

[Avenger]

Manual? We don't read no steenkeeng manual!

Sorry. Please let me know where to turn in my you-know-whats for even suggesting that.

[Liquid Asset]

Scrod is right, you need to open both bleeder valves and then fill & presurize the tank. Also, do not close the bleeders untill you have turned the wheels back and forth a few hundred times each direction. This should take care of the problems you are having. If you have 2 helms, then make sure you start at the upper helm and move down turning the wheel at both helms the same direction then checking the resevoir before turning the opposite direction.

[robertm]

Doesn't a lot of oil come out when the bleeder valves are opened and kept open during the bleeding process? Any suggestions on how to control the oil? Thanks.

[captddis]

no oil comes out, the bleeders only allow the air to go to the resevoir.

[robertm]

Thank you.........

[Brian Degulis]

If you removed the helm pump you should loosen both srews on the lock valve near the rudders. Pressurize the system go to the upper helm and loosen one fitting at a time let lots of fliud run out untill it's free of air do all 3 lines. Then the same on the lower helm make sure the resevoir always has fulid and pressure(* you will need to stop and re fill several times) Then crack each line at the cylinder again let it run for a while. You must do all this in order to insure there is no air. If you don't it may work OK then the pump will find some air that you left in the system and stop working.

Brian