Sea Star Hydraulic Cylinder Leak

Jaybeaux

Jaybeaux

Well-Known Member
Jan 3, 2016
2,053
Upper Potomac River
Boat Info
2006 Sea Ray 48
Naught On Call
Engines
Cummins QSC-540s with V-Drives
11 KW Onan Genset
Diagnosing a "jumpy" steering issue, thinking that there is air in the line and it needs to be bled, I have discovered a small fluid leak at the cyclinder on the Starboard side. Has anyone had any experience and good results rebuilding the cylinder? Either themselves or sending it out to a company (Boat Steering Solutions?).

Complete new cyclinder is about $800.

Jaybeaux

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Sounds like a rebuild is in order. Got to be cheaper than buying new.
 
I asked the same question not too long ago. I was told buy a new one, that the chances are the shaft may have some Pits in it and it will continue to fail after a rebuild. I have not done anything with it yet. I value the advise but won't throw the money away until I pull it apart and see the condition for myself. Good luck to you. I will be following this to see what you do.
 
They are rebuildable but it won’t last. The shaft corrodes and pits so while the new seal will work the damaged shaft will chew away at it and in short order you will be replacing the entire thing.
 
Guilty as charged! I am the one who recommended replacing the cylinder rather than re-packing and re-sealing it. I wrote this article some time ago and it explains why:

http://www.clubsearay.com/index.php...with-teleflex-seastar-steering-systems.87925/

How hard it is to get to your steering ram has something to do with your decision to spend a bit more money and do a replacement. In my case, one glance at the tie bar and I quickly shifted from "do it cheap" to "how do I fix this permanently where I never have to crawl back there again" mode.

I have equipment with lots of hydraulic cylinders so repacking a cylinder doesn't bother me and is really pretty easy. But as Josh warns, if you have even a single pit (and you cannot polish then out) that imperfection in the ram will eventually cut the packing gland seals and you will be facing a do-over.
 
Thanks for all of the advice! The only thing that I know at this time is that it will be a winter project. I have an email in to Boat Steering Solutions to get an idea how much a rebuild costs. I'll update as more information becomes available.

Jaybeaux
 
Be sure you have some SeaStar Steering fluid on the boat until you get your ram repaired. The helm pump doesn't hold much fluid so even a slow leak on a cylinder that size can empty enough fluid to cause the helm to suck air and if that happens, you have no steering.
 
Last edited:
fwebster said:
Be sure you have some SeaStar Steering fluid on the boat until you get your ram repaired. The helm pump doesn't hold much fluid so even a slow leak on a cylinder that size can empty enough fluid to cause the him to suck air and if that happens, you have no steering.
Click to expand...
Second that. Been there.
 
Received a reply from Boat Steer.....$375 + shipping and taxes, about 3-5 day turn around. Interesting that it is essentially 1/2 the price of a new cylinder. Things that make you go "hmmm".

Doing the cocktail napkin economics coupled with the advice from this thread, it's looking like a new cylinder is getting installed over the winter. Thanks for all of the advice and counsel.

Jaybeaux
 
Part of the rebuild cost is buying the rebuild kit which contains all the wearable parts, plus a few other things like lock rings from Teleflex/SeaStar. Several years ago when I went thru this the kit was horribly (think Westerbeke!) expensive ......like $175......and you can probably hold all the parts in one hand.

Kinda defies common sense when a rebuild kit for a 6” boom cylinder on my Case backhoe costs about $65 from the Case dealer or $40 if you go to a rubber and gasket store and just buy the components.

But what else can you do when the ram is a proprietary product FOR A BOAT!
 
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