Power purge vs do it yourself

[phillnjack]

well thats good that you have found something wrong, maybe now you can get it all good.

[KIRCHNER]

Fluid needs to meet sea str specs, has something to do with the micro-bubbles? instructions say after 24 hrs repeat the process. dont shake the hoses.i use 3/8 hose barb on helm,6'' piece of tubeing, can type funnel. fill funnel turning helm draws fluid in keep funnel full. use v-kings system at the piston
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[copano]

I've always questioned Seastars use of an obsolete mil spec ISO 10 oil, that oil was originally used for Prestolite power packs for landing gear in aircraft.
BTW, those Prestolite power packs were almost identical to the old M/C TnT pumps.

they're selling steering systems everywhere from the arctic to the tropics, and I don't think ISO 10 fluid is the best choice here in the sub tropics.

For years I've been using ATF which translates to a low 30 ISO fluid with excellent results, I never get complaints of high steering effort and hardly ever see them come back for ram seal replacement.
Unlike the countless Seastar filled systems I can't count the number of seals I've replaced over the years.

[flabum1017]

ATF can swell certain seals in steering systems..... best gto stay with the recommended oils for the steering systems,,,, most of the time they don't "require" a specific oil but one that they deem acceptable for their seals. realistically, you can use anything from 30 weight oil to anti-freeze (even salt water will work for a while) to do the job..... the thinner, the better. But if you want to keep your warranty, use what they say.

So if they give you a mil spec..... go with that... any oil with that spec will keep you happy and within your warranty.

then there is the liability.... if you crash into someone due to your steering.... you want to be darn sure you have it "legal".

[copano]

Yup, been offshore and had a hydraulic line let go, after we went through every type of oil we had onboard we used seawater to get in, needless to say the steering system was trashed.

But if you look at the mil spec seastar lists for their oil and on the approval list of accepted alternative oils you'll find that spec number has been obsolete for decades, and many of those alternative oils have been superseded and no longer available, and one of those fluids on the list is caustic, many APO's won't use it because of safety concerns

I've heard the compatibility argument many times before, Ford and their Mercon-Mercon V comes to mind...at first it was no don't do it, then when the Mercon license expired Ford said in a SB it was ok to go with Mercon V, well there wasn't any choice since Mercon was off the market and now also accepted in multi vehicle ATF blends.

And as far as ATF being incompatible with the seals in seastar systems I as well as many other shops haven't had issues with it, I've been using it for over 30 years without problems, the problems I do see is with seastar fluid itself, its way too thin for our area and even the slightest nick or score on the ram will be cause for a reseal at the least or a ram replacement as well, sometimes just a flush and fill with ATF will resolve a small leak, its due to the slightly higher viscosity of ATF.
Also ATF is an accepted fluid per seastar, though with a note for emergence use, at least they used to state it on their web site, I heard from the grapevine they mey have removed that wording, but if ATF was truly incompatible a responsible manufacturer would boldly state that in owners manuals.
But many of my customers have said it best when they thanked me for fixing their chronically leaking steering systems and remained that way for many years