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I have a hynautic helm with a pressurized remote resevoir (mounted under the back seat), and an IMCO ram.
What is the best bleed procedure?
I'm thinking fill with hyd. fluid, pressurize with air, then crack the lines on the ram? Do I need to turn the wheel to bleed at all or does the air pressure do it all for me?
Oh yea, and how much air pressure? (there is a guage on top of my resevoir.
is there some type of air bladder there ?? what's the the use of bleeding the lines if then you add air, it'll just cycle through to the highest point . shouldn't have any press. on it unless you are cranking the wheel.(that's how mine is). thoght a resevoir was used usually with a power asist system.
It's got an air pressure valve just like a car tire, and a pressure guage right on top of the resevoir. The helm is a big square aluminum box with two large hoses and on smaller one going from the helm to the resevoir. From the other side of the resevoir two larger hoses go to the ram.
I've seen this type of system before, but I'm not sure how to do an intial fill and bleed.
See pics below
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I bleed Mr. Cleans Hynautic system last year. Its a two man job, and i got the instructions here:
http://www.seastarsteering.com/
I know how to bleed a Sea Star front mount ram with the resevoir built into the helm. That's not what I have.
I have a Hynautic Helm with a REMOTE resevoir. The resevoir is not part of the helm. The resevoir is under the back seat as shown in the pic above, and it is pressurized.
Maybe this will give you an idea of how you can do your system. I have the same system as you on my boat but it worked when i got it.
http://www.seastarsteering.com/PDFs/570224-E.pdf
Mine worked too, but I changed from dual hynautic rams to a single IMCO ram. Thanks for the link, I'll check it out.
We installed a new Hynautics dual steering set-up on my 89 Skater 24 last August. From your pics, it appears to be the same helm & resevoir that I have. We bled at the ram tubes, used a military spec Aerial HF fluid (buy extra... you'll need it), and I believe pressure was between 20-28psi. You gotta bleed the **** out of it if you want smooth steering action and feel at the wheel. Its a 2-man job. My advise, be the guy cracking the lines! Your buddy spinning the steering wheel 100 plus rotations is going to get some blisters! ...Gohr bled the lines, I got the blisters!
But what is the procedure?
fill first then pressurize then bleed then repeat?
OR
do you keep filling while you bleed then pressurize when you are done?????
Do you have a bleeder block inline?it has two bleeder valves on top and a return line out the front that goes to the helm.
Where would that be on the resevoir or the helm?
I posted pictures above. There are 3 lines between the helm and the resevoir (I can't really figure out why). 1 is smaller than the other two.
If your Skater has the same resevoir and mount position as mine, there are fluid level sight windows on the back side of the resevoir that can only be seen with a light and a mirror... good luck.
IT DOES HAVE THOSE WINDOWS. I FORGOT CAUSE THEY ARE HARD TO SEE.
THANKS
the small line is the return line.on my commercial boat the tank is buy the helm and the bleederblock is by the ram.it allows you to circulate the fluid though the return line under pressure.On the eliminator it is at the stern with the tank plumbed into twin latham rams and I haven't really bleed it out yet.You turn hard one direction untill the ram stops open the respective valve and turn the wheel in the same direction slowly about 40 turns,close valve and turn the other way repeat process.Might take several attempts.I use dextron II or III,28-30 #'s.:cool:
We bled system at helm, bleeder block, and ram tubes. I don't know why (angle that the boat was sitting?) but it seemed to work best at ram tubes. Any way you do it... it seems the more spins, the smoother it gets. ...its a bitch.
I just can't wait!
Mike, I have the same basic system on my 24' skater. Loosen the 2 nuts on top of the uni valve [little square block] then turn lock to lock many times, tighten uni valve nuts than finely have a friend turn wheel to lock and hold then you crack the pressure line. Repeat other direction until no air bubbles expelled. 25 psi. is recommended at the reservoir.
Where is the uni valve?
Also I called everybody I could including Castrol labs and found teleflex hydrolic oil to be the best for Me. Atf is a little thicker causing harder steering. By desighn its already hard.
The uni valve is the small square block with 2 brass nuts on top that your lines come off of before going to the ram.
The valve is accually called a hynautic relief valve.They list for $98.67 and they offer 2 of them.one has a 500# relief setting and the other has a 950psi setting.They are intended to protect the system and assist in purging the air.You should get one.If you have one it should be near the ram or at the stern of the boat as close to the ram as possible.part# MSV-19/500psi or MSV-21/950 psi.they are both the same price.:cool:
The boat came with two k-12 Rams. I have installed a single IMCO ram. I removed the K-12 setup from the resevoir back and got new hoses for the IMCO.
I do need a mirror to see better but I think the hoses from the ram just connect right to the bottom of the resevoir.
You must not.It is about 3"X3"X1"thick.The steering lines go into each side and the return line comes out the front.You can get by without it but it's recomended.I don't know if it wll show up in this pic it's such a birds nest,if so it is on the center knee on the tank side.:cool:
I'm not sure I see what you mean, I don't see a tank unless you mean that aluminum box on the right?
Anyway, it's a separate junction for the lines, separate from the resevoir right? In that case, I don't have it, my 3 lines from the helm go to one side of the resevoir, and the two come out the other side directly to the ram.
The Model is RV 60 or 67 as you can see on the lable.
The two hoses on the left go out to the ram. There are two large hoses coming from the right and one smaller one from the bottom. These three hoses all come directly from the helm. There is a picture of the helm posted above, and an overhead photo of the resevoir above.
I'm sure you dont by what you discribe.The tank is on the left with the gauge on it and the line that comes from the tank is the bleed line that goes into the block on the knee close to floor level.They had no idea about routing lines when they rigged this boat for sure.The other tank is a slosh tank with the 7 lines going to it.They didn't have a clue about that installation either.:rolleyes: :cool:
THATS IT !!!!!! I haven't ever seen a small tank used,allways the tall tank but on the bottom of you tank is the relief valve with the brass nuts. You back them out to bleed air.They wont come out,they stop when backed out all the way.:cool:
I was wondering what those nuts were for. Now when I loosen them and turn lock to lock like 'mercury' said, will air and fluid bleed out from those nuts?
No,when you loosen the nuts the stems turn out also.They let the fluid pass through the block and into the tank.If you want to call me I can explain it alot easier.904-813-8201 nextel
Thanks, I'll give you a call probably next week, closer to when I am about to bleed the system.
Yep, thats it! Just a little different configuration then mine.
I started by filling the resevoir, then I pressurized it, then I opened the bleed screws at the bottom of the resevoir to let the fluid through.
When the motor started to turn, I opened the bleed screw on the hose that had pressure on it and turned the wheel in that direction. I repeated this for the other side and repeated several times each way.
It steered pretty good and right/left response had very little hesitation BUT if I grab the motor and push it back and fourth, the ram will move in and out at least an inch or two.
I tried bleeding at the ram fittings too. Very little air bubbles. I repeated 3 times and fluid seems to be coming out without air.
I still have play if I yank on the engine.
WHAT DO I DO NOW?
Mike ,when you turn the motor turn it untill it stops then loosen they valve then continue to turn in the same direction say 50 turns.without turning the other way close the valve then turn the other way to lock and open the other valve and repeat a couple of times and see if it improves.If you turn back before closing the valve it can suck air back in the line. :cool:
Thanks Lonnie, I'll try that tomorrow.
Mike,
It still sounds like you got air in the lines. If you can still move the motor a couple of inches it still has air in it some where. I think if you dropped the bow of the boat as low as you can this will help to force the air towards the bleeders at the ram on the motor. Also try to keep the lines level will help get the air out to. The ram should react to any movement from the helm. Like bleeding brake in my opinion. If the pedel feels spongee or like your stepin on a basketball theres still air in thelines some where.
Tom
It will cavitate.:)