Hydraulic steering slipping?

[Jkraft]

Hydraulic steering question/ opinion needed - I know what air in the line normally feels like, wheel gets jumpy feeling and steering feels light.

This weekend I experienced something similar but different. Steering feels light however it’s not jumpy, but if you turn it hard to port until it stops, you can wait a few seconds and then you can get a couple more turns out of the wheel. And you can do that over and over. From memory I think it did it on starboard turns also. The more I turned the better and stiffer the steering got, like it was purging the air out.

One thing that I did on my way out the last couple of times is plot my course, engage the AP, put boat in neutral, and then went and pulled my fenders in. I’m not sure if my AP was just sitting there working to try to turn the boat and over pressurized something but I did notice the AP fittings are a tad wet with steering fluid. I cleaned that up and couldn’t replicate any fluid seeping afterward.

Any thoughts?

[Tree]

Mine does the same. There has also been the very rare occasion the wheel just spun with no resistance. Also happened on my buddy’s 2000 and 2005 boat. Turn the wheel the opposite way and it sorts itself out. I can only think it’s check valve in the steering pump that does it.

[Jkraft]

Mine does the same. There has also been the very rare occasion the wheel just spun with no resistance. Also happened on my buddy’s 2000 and 2005 boat. Turn the wheel the opposite way and it sorts itself out. I can only think it’s check valve in the steering pump that does it.

Sweet thanks! The more I work it the more pressure it’s building. Going to try to top it off on fluid and keep my eye on it

[Pitou]

I had something similar with a minor hose weep at one of the nut connections at the cylinder and finally replace the compression nut and bled the system. All systems go now for the past 4 years.
SeaStar Tube Nut: HF5526

http://www.seastarsolutions.com/product ... ngs/#other

[Jkraft]

I had something similar with a minor hose weep at one of the nut connections at the cylinder and finally replace the compression nut and bled the system. All systems go now for the past 4 years.
SeaStar Tube Nut: HF5526

http://www.seastarsolutions.com/product ... ngs/#other

Thanks Kevin!