Power steering

I have a vickers pump with an eaton power steering valve on the helm it is called a Char lynn power steering valve or motor. The issue is that my wheel won't go lock to lock. I can tell when I am hard over by a faint difference in the pressure but the wheel keep on spinning. I believe it is the cross port reliefe valve located near the hydraulic rams for the rudder.

Anyone have power steering on the helm? Or at least understand Hydraulics.

SD

If the hydraulics is three lines the third line is use to bleed the the system by holding the helm hard over and holding, and the wheel will turn.* Once no pressure is felt then turn the helm hard over the other way and hold.* If the hydraulics does not have three lines then you might have a concern.

The* Char Lynn*has 4 lines. Supply and return then two going to the rudder The hoses going to the rudder is two. Then divides into 4. As I have two steering rams or cylinders each with a supply and return. There is a cross port relief valve mounted just before the rams. If I understand it right it acts as a shock release**like if I hit something with the rudder it is suppose to prevent the rudder from shearing. The issue is that I had to replace the one that was there due to corrosion. It developed a leak. the pressure was not able to be determined because it was so rusted I couldn't read the numbers on it. so All I could do was guess. I think I guessed wrong.

SD



-- Edited by skipperdude on Wednesday 18th of May 2011 10:38:49 AM


-- Edited by skipperdude on Wednesday 18th of May 2011 10:41:04 AM

I think the CharLynn unit*might be*acting like it should. I worked with one of those casually when I worked with Bobcat on the tilt steering column I designed for them. I say casually because the CharLynn was at the lower end of my system (it was part of the vehicle) and I vaguely recall it having an internal relief rather than a hard stop. The hard stop was in the vehicle itself. Of course there are many different CharLynn units, yours might be different than the one I worked with.

Thanks there sure are a lot of different Char lynn's the biggest difference being an open vs a closed valve. The closed one is sort of a smart valve calling for pressure when needed. The open or the one I have, has just a simple pump or constant pressure.

The main issue I have is that the crossport relief valve is set at 900 psi and I am not sure that is right.* It is adjustable. So I guess I will have to play around with it and see if there is any difference.

The root of my problems comes from a very rusted valve. The valve has a small metal cap on the side with the pressure stamped on it. It was rusted and leaking through the cap. The pressure setting was unreadable.

.SD*


-- Edited by skipperdude on Wednesday 18th of May 2011 02:06:15 PM

SD
A lot of forklifts used the Char Lynn steering valve. Midwest Directional rebuilds these units. You may want to call Ron there and discuss your question. Any info on the unit you have would be important. You can PM me if you can't find their number.

Thank you my friend but i have solved the problem.

*It was the cross port reliefe valve. Attached just before the rudder assembly.

It acts as a shock absorber of sorts.**In that if the rudder strikes anything it will allow hydraulic fluid to bleed back rather than damage the rudder.

The one I first installed was set at less than 750 psi and was malfunctioning. It*would not let me turn the wheel to hard over.*The wheel would just continue to spin. Either dirrection.

I replaced the valve with an adjustable valve set at 950 p.s.i.

Now I have 6 turns lock to lock.

Can you imagine trying to dock when you can't tell, (other than by feel) *where your rudder is.

I'm a happy skipper.

SD

Glad you solved it!

Shortly, I hope to make sense of this: