SeaStar Pro

Mike_G · 13-12-2010, 01:52 PM

Got a litle problem with my old SeaStar Pro Hydraulic steering system

When I'm driving straight my steering wheel is turning left. What I mean is if I would put a tape on a top of my steering wheel after 15 min of driving it would be on the left side after another 15 minutes it will be at the bottom etc.

Is there anyone who can service that? Whatcould couse that?

I don't see any leak anywhere.

What do you think. Repair? or Replace with cnew one?

Mike

Burty · 13-12-2010, 02:10 PM

Thats normal dude, all hydraulic steering systems creep!! nothing you can do about it

Mike_G · 13-12-2010, 02:38 PM

Really??

Well I just realised it when I mounted trim switches on steering wheel. Cable was always around pump.

Thanks mate. You have just made me safe like 700 bucks for new steering.

IOU a beer

OCRDA · 13-12-2010, 02:47 PM

You need to use either Pro Trim switches or a CRT system !!

Mike_G · 13-12-2010, 02:50 PM

Got Pro Trim - I will instal it for next season

NIC SURRY · 13-12-2010, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike_G

Got a litle problem with my old SeaStar Pro Hydraulic steering system

When I'm driving straight my steering wheel is turning left. What I mean is if I would put a tape on a top of my steering wheel after 15 min of driving it would be on the left side after another 15 minutes it will be at the bottom etc.

Is there anyone who can service that? Whatcould couse that?

I don't see any leak anywhere.

What do you think. Repair? or Replace with cnew one?

Mike

I raised the same question and was shown that if you jiggle the steering wheel repetatively with the engine straight ahead the steering wheel will slowly creep arround and the engine doesn't move,I think its something to do with the no feed back.Nic

Ringmaster · 13-12-2010, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike_G

Got a litle problem with my old SeaStar Pro Hydraulic steering system

When I'm driving straight my steering wheel is turning left. What I mean is if I would put a tape on a top of my steering wheel after 15 min of driving it would be on the left side after another 15 minutes it will be at the bottom etc.

Is there anyone who can service that? Whatcould couse that?

I don't see any leak anywhere.

What do you think. Repair? or Replace with cnew one?

Mike

This may sound silly, but, have you tried bleeding the system again? Mine was a nightmare. Was always steering to stay in a straight line. After bleeding was spot on.

HT20 · 14-12-2010, 06:55 PM

Hi.

I installed a Seastar Pro system this year on my Hydrolift, and really took the time to bleed it out when installing it-no air.

But it still behaves like you describe on here, when running high lift on the engine(prop-shaft even with bottom of the keel..)
When running the engine lower in the water I at least don`t have any problems with the steering "creeping".

A solution to the problem would be a high dollar system with dual hydraulic rams on it like SEM/Latham etc...

Burty · 14-12-2010, 07:07 PM

ALL hydraulic systems creep, its the nature of the non return valves in the helm pump. They shouldn't creep whilst travelling in a straight line though

peterunwin · 14-12-2010, 07:44 PM

As Burty has pointed out the check valves do cause quite a lot of wheel creep as they open and close. The helm unit itself is a bidirectional hydraulic pump with pistons operating inside honed bores, the pistons do not have seals they rely on the precision fit to the bore so there is a small amount of leakage which is another reason for wheel creep as the pressure is never equal on both sides so a side wind or prop torque will require constant steering input to counter the effect.

Peter

baj666 · 15-12-2010, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peterunwin

As Burty has pointed out the check valves do cause quite a lot of wheel creep as they open and close. The helm unit itself is a bidirectional hydraulic pump with pistons operating inside honed bores, the pistons do not have seals they rely on the precision fit to the bore so there is a small amount of leakage which is another reason for wheel creep as the pressure is never equal on both sides so a side wind or prop torque will require constant steering input to counter the effect.

Peter

with your hydrol expertise is there a mod that can be done Peter as i too suffer the same with the same system on my boat.

Germansaleen · 15-12-2010, 08:25 PM

thats why somebody invented those ugly steering wheels for boats,after a one hour of driving or so..... its straight

.
thats the case on my setup !!

peterunwin · 15-12-2010, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baj666

with your hydrol expertise is there a mod that can be done Peter as i too suffer the same with the same system on my boat.

Hi baj666,
Before i started development on my fly-by-wire steering system i stripped a new seastar helm unit to see if i could modify it to rectify the wheel creep, unfortunately the design doesn't lend itself to modification as it is a bit cheap and cheerful and although i could reduce the amount of leakage i would not be able to cure it totally so i decided to go down the fly-by-wire route which will at some stage become an alternative to seastar.

Regards

Peter

OCRDA · 15-12-2010, 10:20 PM

By reducing the Torque on the engine you will reduce creep !! A Torque tab on the skeg worked on both me inboard and outboard !! also by using the equal spoke wheel you dont notice it anyway !! Inboard ran 100+ on a 1000psi Seastar helm with side mount ram !!

Bob

Burty · 15-12-2010, 11:12 PM

or, just bolt a second engine on and no more torque steer

baj666 · 16-12-2010, 05:53 PM

intresting replys...