Teleflex seastar hydraulic oil

[rcknecht]

Four Questions:

1. Where is best place to finde Teleflex hydraulic oil for my 340 steering?
2. Where do I pour/pump it in?
3. How do I added it? (Do I need any special tools).
4. How do I know I need to add oil?

 

[rcknecht]

I read you can you brake fluid or ATF transmission fluid rather than the teleflex hydraulic fluid. Still not sure where to add this fluid... Any ideas???? The is a cap the the steering wheel, is that where you add the fluid?

 

[Redhook98]

Yes, the cap in front of the steering wheel is where you add it. I would stick with the Teleflex oil that is recommended. YOu can get it at WM or Defender pretty easily. I keep an extra quart on hand just in case.

 

[rcknecht]

Yes, the cap in front of the steering wheel is where you add it. I would stick with the Teleflex oil that is recommended. YOu can get it at WM or Defender pretty easily. I keep an extra quart on hand just in case.

Thanks... I was going to buy it from Defender, but the shipping made me reconsider... I thought I would go to WM and see if they have it...

 

[Turtlesboat]

I got mine at WM. It's pricey so it must be good?!?

 

[george2064]

Also when you buy it buy the little hose attachment that goes with it. It screws in the hole and in the bottle so all you have to do is turn the steering end to end 7 - 10 times and it will suck the fluid right in to it.

 

[fwebster]

AFT is not recommended except in an emergency........

Teleflex oil is expensive, no matter where you buy it, but you will most likely never need more than a quart, unless you have a pump or cylinder failure.

A trick I have used for filling the Sea Star helm pump and the Bennett trim pump is to take a cheap plastic wine glass with a hollow stem and cut the base off....makes a nifty small funnel.

 

[rcknecht]

Just bought a quart from WM for $20, which was cheaper than buying it online with shipping... I will try a small funnel... I thought about using my out drive oil pump that fits into a quart container to pump it in, but I will try the funnel first... I assume you pour the oil in with the engines running turning the wheel as you pour?

 

[fwebster]

I don't think your boat has steering assist, so the hydraulic steering has only a helm pump and a steering ram or cylinder. All you need to do is top off the helm pump with oil and turn the wheel from lock to lock 4-5 times, then check the oil level.

 

[trit21]

While I was in the bilge one day, I noticed a plastic cap attached to a clear piece of tubing and on the other end was a plastic screw in barb fitting. This piece was zip tied to the steering ram. Upon further inspection, I realized it was the fill tube to be used on the helm pump. Screw the cap on the bottle, screw the other end in the helm pump, turn bottle upside down and you fill the helm pump up. You may also have one zip tied to the steering cylinder. Always wondered what it was and now I do. Obviously the previous owner never knew what is was either. So take a look in your bilge, you might find the fill tube to be used on the helm pump.

 

[trit21]

Oh yeah, if you look at the manual for your SeaStar steering system, it says DO NOT USE ATF or brake fluid, unless (as Frank says) it is an emergency. Once you get back to land you are supposed to bleed all the ATF or brake fluid out and replace with hydraulic fluid.