leaking steering cylinder??

My steering cylinder that hooks to the rudder arms is leaking around the cylinder/shaft rods that slides in and out to move the rudders. Has anyone rebuilt that system? Don't even know what that cylinder is but am sure it is out of production. Has anyone replaced it and if so what did you use?? Thanks. (1983 34LRC)

FP, It will be difficult to answer since you don't know the make of the cylinder. But they can be rebuilt, it sounds like you need the seals replaced. You can take it to a hydraulic shop and they can do this for you. Chuck

My hydraulic cylinder was leaking when I bought my Pilgrim 40 The rod was bent and the seals were leaking. A local hydraulic repair shop straightend out the rod and put new seals in $350.00. If the rod had been bent any more than it was he could have machined me a new rod.

Went to the boat an took some pictures. Old Hynautic, but couldn't find a number. Pictures attached.

FP, That is what is says, a Hynautic Cylinder. Teleflex bought them out. There should be a model number stamped on one end, it will be hard to see. It should start with HC or K. You can still take it to be rebuilt. Chuck

It might also help to see a photo of the entire cylinder. Chuck

Not a real big problem, I rebuilt mine.
Would suggest that you take it to any hydraulic shop and they can do the rebuild in short order. It is only a hydraulic cylinder with mostly off the shelf seals.
CCC

Echo what Charles wrote.

If you want to do it yourself, the seals usually have an ID number on them and/or you can take them to a hydraulic or bearing shop and they will measure them to determine a replacement.

Thanks for the information. I'll have to unfasten the cylinder to see the back side of it. Will go back and look at the ends to see if I can find any markings. One bit of information said the number was on a foil like paper but I don't see it on the one foil sticker that I can see, so maybe on the end or other side.

Hynautic info

FP go to Hynautic Steering and all hydraulic steering needs. A lot of great Hynautic info there. You should be able to identify the cylinder from measurements. I believe that you will find that it is either a K22 or K27. I recently installed a Simrd autopilot in my 1981, 34 foot Californian and found this site very valuable. I think they sell all the parts and do rebuilds also. Check it out. Leon

Not much response in the steering the other day when we took the boat out. Steered mainly with the engine controls. Later checked the air pressure and it had drained, pumped it up.... and still not much in the way of steering on the way home, despite holding air pressure in the tank. Any ideas where to start?
James

Put some red aircraft hydraulic fluid in it at a 1/3 of the cost compared to the hynautics fluid at west marine and start looking for red fluid leak around all your fitting. Make sure there is fluid in the system. My cylinder has a bleed valve on it. If pressure is holding but still sluggish steering you may have air vice fluid in the system. We found ours was leaking thru the seal at the cylinder, but was covered up with the rubber boot so didn't catch it at first. Leak wasn't bad enough to actually see a drip but when we ran our finger along the steering rod it came back red.

jlamb15 said:

Not much response in the steering the other day when we took the boat out. Steered mainly with the engine controls. Later checked the air pressure and it had drained, pumped it up.... and still not much in the way of steering on the way home, despite holding air pressure in the tank. Any ideas where to start?
James

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Like FP says, you probably have a lot of air in the system. I don't have my instructions at home, but I believe you start on the flybridge open the bleeder screw and rotate the wheel and then go to the lower station and do the same. Maybe someone else on here with a Californian has their instructions handy?
Larry B

If you go to www.boaterstore.com you will find all the information you need there for Hynautic systems. I tried to download the files but they were too big. Leon

The bleeding process is fairly simple, the lower helm is filled with fluid, then the upper helm is filled. The hydraulic cylinder attached to the rudder has bleed fittings for both port and starboard sides. With both helm pumps full, the starboard bleed fitting is opened and the wheel turned to port. With a container at the rudder, the wheel is turned until the air is purged from the system and only fluid flows from the fitting. Once this is done that fitting is closed and the port fitting is opened and the wheel turned to starboard until all air is purged. Chuck

If your reservoir has an air fitting on it like a tire does, you might want to check to see if the valve core is tight.... Simple test would be to pump up the reservoir and put some water in the core and see if it bubbles.... I had that problem a while ago.