Another Hynautic Question

[dave1985]

I'm adding a cockpit station to my Hynautic system on my 85 36C. There is a nice spot in the engine room where I can tee into the copper lines. There currently are straight couplers where the optional lower station would have tied in if I had one in. I'd like to drain the system down to get as much fluid out of the lines from the flybridge to keep the mess to a minimum when I open the couplings. I don't see any bleed nipples on the cylinder. The system has the rectangular pressure relief valve box. The cylinder has a few cap screws but no bleeders. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to best get the fluid out of the flybridge lines without draining the whole system? I'm assuming, with no pressure, the system will gravity drain to some degree. Any help would be appreciated.

Dave

 

[yachtsmanbill]

Dave... as long as no one turns the wheel while the lines are open, you probably wont get more than a drop or two outa the lines. They will be vacuum locked. Keep an elephant kotex handy to minimize any mess.
You are gonna hafta bleed the system with the extra helm installed and keeping the lines full will facilitate this! Even if you want to change it all out, you wont be hassled with having to re-prime it IMHO... ws

 

[REBrueckner]

The above post is correct. or m aybe 1/4 cup per line....

 

[dave1985]

Should the pressure in the reservoir be released or should it be left pressurized?

Thanks for the help.

Dave

 

[Brian Degulis]

I would de pressurize and leave the relief/charging valves turned in the way they are normally. Then I would run all the lines up to were your going to break into the system. Then make the break and complete your conections. Then ad oil to the high mark with the relief valves still closed pressurize. Then crack the lines on the new helm only when the oil is free of air close them. You may have to stop to de pressurize and re fill. This may save you the trouble of bleeding the whole system. I've done it when installing auto pilot pumps and avoided a complete bleeding.

Brian

 

[dave1985]

Thanks for the help with this project. When I opened the connections I did indeed only lose a small amount of fluid, less than a cup in total. Thanks. Follow up help would be appreciated.

In bleeding the system, I'm opening the two screws on the relief valve, pressurizing the reservoir, then turning the steering wheel on the flybridge 75 times in one direction followed by the new cockpit steering wheel 50 or so times in the same direction, back to the flybridge for an equal number of turns in the opposite direction follwed by the cockpit wheel in that direction as well. Then I'm closing the relief valve screws and testing the helms. After a couple rounds of this, I've got hard over to hard over of 4.75 turns on the cockpit wheel (normal on the flybridge was 3 1/2 to 4) but no response at all on the flybridge.

The reservoir is half full and holding air pressure. THere is no leakage at the new helm or my tee connections. I saw instructions talking about removing a hose at the flybridge to release air but the connections there do not look to be something you want to be removing and reattaching.

Am I missing something or do I just have a whole lot of steering wheel turning ahead of me?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Brian Degulis]

If you have no response from a helm you have to do the complete bleeding procedure. That will involve cracking the lines on all helms. I'm sure the procedure is in here someplace.

Brian