Any idea where my air/hydraulic steering resevoir might be located ?

The manual says it is aft near the rudder quadrant and steering hydraulic cylinder...in this case under the cockpit. But damned if I can find it. Curiously the rudder hydraulic cylinder has what appear to be quick change air fittings at each end of it, then hoses go up to an aluminum manifold block that has a couple of adjustment screws on top and then the hoses take off from there to go forward into unknown territory.

Have looked at both flybridge and lower helm stations....nothing there but the steer box itself and hoses going off into the unknown.

I ask as I need to move the boat tomorrow ASAP and have rudder movement only at the lower helm. At the flybridge, steer wheel will move rudder if turned clockwise but will do nothing but spin freely if turned counterclockwise. So figure I need some air or hydraulic fluid but can't for the life of me figure out there to put either.

In theory I could hook up a bicycle pump to the QC fittings at the cylinder itself but there is no pressure gauge to know if I am doing any good or harm...plus these are not shown in the Viking manual.

The manual shows what appears to be a round resevoir with air connection, pressure gauge and cap to fill hydraulic fluid but I simply can't find anything like that except two on bulkhead in the engine room and those are probably for transmission engagement.

Thoughts ?

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(on edit)

Now I see what I thought were QC air fittings are for bleeding....d'oh !

http://www.powerandmotoryacht.com/sites/default/files/pictures/1405/03_ma_sea_HC5349-01.jpg

So where did Viking hide my steering reservoir ?? Even the blueprints show it back near the rudder cylinder but it just isn't there.

Here's what it should look like according to the Viking manual....the relief valve is apparently the aluminum manifold block i mentioned...but no reservoir or pressure gauge to be found back there anywhere.

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/woeimages/howtos/728b.jpg


Is it possible one or both of the Hynautic units in the engine room that I assume are just for transmission engagement only are somehow tied into the steering system as well ? Seems unlikely.

Ask Viking.

Post a picture of the two units in your ER. Most likely one is for your steering.

What is the color of the fluid in each unit?

And those "adjustment screws" on the block are most likely the bleed screws.

You may not have a reservoir other than each helm pump itself. The fittings on the ram are bleed screws the block is probably a balance valve. Look at the helm pumps for a 5/8" or so threaded cap, either in front of or behind the dash, this is the fill point.

Bertram were in the habit of locating the Hynautic reservoir in the engine room. Made a lot of sense as access for topping up and pressurising was much better.

Capt.Bill11 said:

Ask Viking.

Post a picture of the two units in your ER. Most likely one is for your steering.

What is the color of the fluid in each unit?

And those "adjustment screws" on the block are most likely the bleed screws.

Click to expand...

Viking won't know, they will try and pawn it off on the designer, Lazarra and he won't be available. There are two Hynautic units similar to below pix in engine room....I figure one for each engine tranny shifter as they are both in the same relative position to engines on bulk head...plus they have plenty of pressure according to gauges and plenty of fluid according to the tube.

Shoalwaters said:

Bertram were in the habit of locating the Hynautic reservoir in the engine room. Made a lot of sense as access for topping up and pressurising was much better.

Click to expand...

Yes, I'm thinking now I need to look harder for a third Hynautic somewhere in there as that does make the most sense for where it should be.

Any of you know what sort of fitting is needed for a bicycle pump to increase the air pressure ? And if oil is low would automatic transmission fluid work just to go 10 miles or so ?

Dune said:

Yes, I'm thinking now I need to look harder for a third Hynautic somewhere in there as that does make the most sense for where it should be.

Any of you know what sort of fitting is needed for a bicycle pump to increase the air pressure ? And if oil is low would automatic transmission fluid work just to go 10 miles or so ?

Click to expand...

The fitting is just a standard tire fill. For a bicycle pump no other fitting should be necessary.

ATF will work for the steering. But it's usually easy enough to find Seastar fluid at a marine store or marina.

SeaStar Solutions

boatpoker said:

You may not have a reservoir other than each helm pump itself. The fittings on the ram are bleed screws the block is probably a balance valve. Look at the helm pumps for a 5/8" or so threaded cap, either in front of or behind the dash, this is the fill point.

Click to expand...

X2

I have seen many boats with no other reservoir other than the help pumps. That is what Airswift has and if the fluid is low it will not steer from the upper helm.

Viking usually uses the aluminum pressure tank shown above. Look in engine room,

Get the sea star fluid, don't use ATF unless you can't get the mil 5606 stuff.

Valve block in lazarrette is relief valve block. A little line from that block will lead to the tank. Follow it.

Do not pump air into the bleed valves on the rudder cyl.

Once you find the tank, fill to half with fluid then pump up. Hard to do with a bike pump unless you have two people, one to pump, one to move fast disconnecting pump hose. Better to bring a portable air tank charged with pressure.

Your steering reservoir should look like this:

If you have to use a bicycle pump to pressurize it, just over pressurize it so you don't lose to much pressure as you disconnect the fill connection and then bleed the pressure down to where you want it with your finger or a screw driver at the fill valve.

Follow the lines from the two reservoirs in the ER. I suspect one is for shifting for both transmissions, and the other is for steering.

If you have two tanks in the engine room, one will be for all the engine and shift hydraulic controls, and the other will be for steering. Engine controls will have green fluid, steering control will have red-ish fluid.

Ski in NC said:

If you have two tanks in the engine room, one will be for all the engine and shift hydraulic controls, and the other will be for steering. Engine controls will have green fluid, steering control will have red-ish fluid.

Click to expand...

That's what I figure.

But if both tanks are look like the one in the picture he posted and they both have green fluid in them then neither are for steering.

twistedtree said:

Follow the lines from the two reservoirs in the ER. I suspect one is for shifting for both transmissions, and the other is for steering.

Click to expand...

After the lines went to the starboard side forward only a mouse could follow them. We finally found it....in the stupidest place...behind a panel (that had to be unscrewed but at least the panel was labeled) in the master stateroom starboard side closet !!!

Gee, thanks Viking for not telling us that little tidbit ! Anyhow sure enough it was low on air pressure...hard to say what it was exactly due to idiotic 200 psi gauge..but would guess 10 lbs at most. Had plenty of fluid, (didn't trust sight gauges and used a wood dipstick), pumped in some air and now all ok.

Capt.Bill11 said:

Your steering reservoir should look like this:

Click to expand...

Yep, that was it exactly...except the engineers should be dope slapped for putting such a high rating pressure gage on something that only requires 25 psi. Or maybe that was only on mine.

Glad you found it!

I had a problem on my Viking with mine steering. If the boat sat for more than 30 days, the wheel would only tighten up to port. Spinning the wheel back and forth would get it back to normal. Fluid was good. Pressure was good at the tank. SO WE THOUGH.

Started taking it apart (Pulled the fill cap) and the Pressure Gauge never moved off 25 PSI. As you can see, the pressure gauge was bad, Stuck and had a slight air leak. Replace the gauge and have not had another problem in five years. And yes you can replace it with a lower reading PSI Gauge

Greetings,
Mr./Ms. pj. Welcome aboard.

Dune I must say I aspire to someday have what you possess. A boat large enough to lose a mechanical system inside of.

Glad you found it Dune and welcome to the new member.

Many times I have opened a reservoir to add fluid and the gauge read something way above zero. Tank at atmospheric pressure should read zero. Crappy gauges are common.

Capt.Bill11 said:

But if both tanks are look like the one in the picture he posted and they both have green fluid in them then neither are for steering.

Click to expand...

Now that we know there is definitely a third unit for the steering, I presume each engine transmission has its own pressurized reservoir, yes ? Ironically, those units require about 70 lbs air pressure and have more reasonable 100 lb gauges.

New question....in looking for the steering reservoir I noticed what looked like a small motor in the steering hydraulic line at the inside helm station. Data plate is Robertson Tritech. Does that have something to do with the Simrad autopilot ?

Dune said:

New question....in looking for the steering reservoir I noticed what looked like a small motor in the steering hydraulic line at the inside helm station. Data plate is Robertson Tritech. Does that have something to do with the Simrad autopilot ?

Click to expand...

Sounds like the hydraulic pump for the autopilot.

As to the other two tanks, either one is for each engine. Or one is for the throttle controls on each engine and the other is for the gear shifters for each engine.

If you have hydraulic engine controls, there is usually only one tank the supplies all. They might have put two tanks in for system redundancy. Hydraulic engine controls usually use green antifreeze as working fluid.

an electric motor/pump in steering system is usually autopilot pump. Robertson is one brand of AP.

Dune said:

Now that we know there is definitely a third unit for the steering, I presume each engine transmission has its own pressurized reservoir, yes ? Ironically, those units require about 70 lbs air pressure and have more reasonable 100 lb gauges.

New question....in looking for the steering reservoir I noticed what looked like a small motor in the steering hydraulic line at the inside helm station. Data plate is Robertson Tritech. Does that have something to do with the Simrad autopilot ?

Click to expand...

Simrad-Robertson .... that's your autopilot drive motor/pump

RT Firefly said:

Greetings,
Mr./Ms. pj. Welcome aboard.

Click to expand...

THANKS! for the Welcome

Paul

Another Viking aft deck!

Misfired. Glad to see you, pj.

sbu22 said:

Misfired. Glad to see you, pj.

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Thanks Sbu22.

We used to own a 76 43 Viking. Dad bought new (Dealer Demo) in 77. It was a Gasser!

Paul

pjcinmi said:

THANKS! for the Welcome

Paul

Click to expand...

Welcome.. Is that another Viking 44 ACMY in your avatar?

mbevins said:

Welcome.. Is that another Viking 44 ACMY in your avatar?

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Now that the NEW GUY has Hi-Jacked the OP thread!!

Yes Mbevins that's our Viking 44.

BTW... HOWDY Neighbor!!!! We are just up / across the river from you in Marine City MI.

Paul