29 Prairie Trawler steering

[Gbernier]

My partner and I are delivering a 1979 29 Prairie Trawler from FL to NC. Currently on the Okeechobee Waterway. We lost steering on the upper station and lower station steering is pretty loose. It's an hydraulic system. Don't see any obvious leaks. I can see the reservoir and assume we need to add fluid. Damned hard to get to. Any suggestions or recommended techniques would be appreciated.

 

[CaptTom]

Small funnel? Turkey baster?


Make sure you bleed the system when it's filled up. Some systems also need you to pump up the air pressure at the top of the reservoir. If so there will be a valve at the top which looks like a tire valve.

 

[Comodave]

Usually you fill it from the upper station. There may be a filler up by the flybridge helm. In the photo on the very right side of the photo you can see the filler for my helm. Do you have something like that?

 

[Gbernier]

Yep, that's what we have. I figured there were no short cuts, just climb in the hole, pour in the fluid and pump it up. Oh well.

 

[Gbernier]

No, other boats we've run have fluid reservoirs at the helm. Not this one. The reservoir is back with the steering gear and you to pressurize the system to force the fluid up to the bridge. It's a 1979 boat.

 

[jleonard]

I saw you go thru the Ortona Lock a couple of days ago.
Sounds like that's a hynautic system. Bleeding is something like 40 turns lock to lock with the wheel.

 

[Marco Flamingo]

Use an oil can like this filled with hydraulic fluid. Store it in a bucket so that you don't get oil stains everywhere. Although, if you are losing fluid, you may already have those.

 

[sailormike]

the hydraulic tank should be on back wall of the lazerett. there are sight glasses on it check to see if there is fluid in it. Next use an air pump and pump it up to 30psi. you may have to bleed it and i can walk you through it. what prairie 29 are you moving and where in NC are you going?

 

[Portage_Bay]

Attached is a manual for an older Hynautic system. If it doesn't come through PM me and I'll email it to you.

In the manual you'll find instructions for filling, pressurizing and bleeding.

Also some info on approved oils. It can be Seastar fluid which is expensive. Listed are brands of aircraft oil, as long as it meets Mil spec H5606 it's good. Oddly enough the aircraft oil is less expensive than Seastar. I know, first time boat stuff is more expensive than airplane stuff. A TF member who is a surveyor says good quality hydraulic jack oil is the same stuff.

 

[sailormike]

Atf transmissikn fluid and tractor hydraulic fluid will also work. The seastar fluid is indeed very expensive

 

[Portage_Bay]

Yes tractor hydraulic oil or ATF can be used. The manual states the steering may be stiffer.

Atf transmissikn fluid and tractor hydraulic fluid will also work. The seastar fluid is indeed very expensive

 

[Mike H]

Use an oil can like this filled with hydraulic fluid. Store it in a bucket so that you don't get oil stains everywhere. Although, if you are losing fluid, you may already have those.

That is what I use, although your thumb gets tired if you have to pump a lot of fluid.

Our Hynautic system started leaking around the shaft in the upper helm on our last trip of the season last year. Bought a seal kit through Amazon and a wheel puller from the local car parts store. Easy to fix, but keep a clean workbench when doing the repair.