We have a flybridge helm and tuna tower helm. Hydraulic steering with air assist. I cant't seem to figure out how to add fluid or bleed system, etc... We had a cracked line and lost fluid,air--NO Steering! Can anyone help.
what steering system do yuou have? If hynautics, like most hatts of that vintage, you should have a reservoir, usually in the engine room. You refill the system there, add some air (about 20psi using a hand pump). Turn the lowest helm one way until you build pressure and get to the stop. turn the other way till it stops. it can be as many as 50 turns... repeat and the highest helm and you should be done. If air got in the system near the rams, you may need to bleed at the rams. there was a thread on that on the hatterasowners.com forum a couple of weeks ago.
The easiest way to do it is to just add fluid, pump up the system, then crack the lines on the tower and let the air bleed out until you have fluid. Air always rises to the top of the system.
Greetings, Good advice but may I add, as you are getting rid of the air using either afformentioned tecnhique make sure the resovoir is kept topped up. Savasa
1970 Hatteras Thanks for all the help on the steering, was'nt easy but fixed it and now it's almost scary to only have to turn the wheel two times instead of twenty. Now can anyone tell me why the prop shaft going into the transmission would slip out and can I fix myself Ken
Hi, Can you elaborate on this particular problem a bit? If it is the shaft that connects the Gearbox output flange to the shaft that the propeller is at the far end of I would say you have more than a minor do it yourself problem.
1970 Hatteras prop shaft problem Up on taking it apart I discovered that the rear locknut on the transmission that holds the flange on the transmission sheared a pin and the threads on the locknut are poor. Anyone out there have one-locknut and flange? Allison M20
Hi, If you can't find the real thing then any competent machine shop should be able to make you a new nut. When tightening it make sure that when trying to get the holes to line up for the locking pin that you tighten it till they line up do not slack it off to get them aligned.
1970 Hatteras prop shaft problem Thanks for reply, can't find parts, what do you think about KB Weld????
Hi, I am not familiar with that product and when doing a search for it came across something called JB Weld- Is this what you were thinking of? There are many similar products out there- Belzona, Devcon, Marine Tex to name a few. Personally I would only use that type of repair if there was no other way to get the job going. You are obviously not deep sea or stranded hundreds of miles from anywhere so getting a proper fix should not be that difficult and you can save your glue for an emergency.