How to bleed air from your
hydraulic steering system
Almost all boats built today, utilize
hydraulic steering systems. You as a boat owner, should have the equipment
onboard at all times that will allow you to refill and bleed the air from your
steering system. The items you should have onboard are a quart of steering fluid
for your specific system, a filler tube that connects to your steering helm fill
hole and to the steering fluid bottle and lastly, a clear bleeder tube which
connects between your bleeder fittings on the steering ram.
To bleed your system, connect the
bleeder hose to the bleeder fittings on the steering cylinder and secure with
tie wraps. Next, you remove the fill cap from the steering helm and install the
fill tube and fluid bottle. At the steering cylinder, loosen the bleeder
fittings until oil flows into the bleeder hose. Invert the bottle of steering
fluid allowing oil to fill the helm and filler tube. slowly turn the steering
wheel clockwise while watching the steering bleeder tube and cylinder. If the
cylinder moves the vent fitting are not loose enough and must be opened more. Do
not turn the wheel too fast as it will cause the bleeder hose to be blown off
the fittings. 1 turn every 2 seconds is sufficient. As you turn the wheel you
will notice air bubbles exiting the helm. When you no longer have air bubbles in
the filler tube while turning the wheel clockwise, reverse direction and repeat
the process in the counterclockwise direction. Once no air bubbles are present
in either direction in the filler tube and especially the bleeder tube, close
the bleeder fittings. Test the system by making full turns from hard port to
hard starboard and starboard to port. If the steering feels spongy or the wheel
turns but the engine or rudder doesn't, you still have air in the lines and must
repeat the bleeding procedure listed above. When all the air has been removed
from the system the steering ram will move at the slightest steering wheel turn
in either direction when not at hard port or starboard. and will come off of
hard port or starboard with a minimal turn in the opposite direction.
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