Hydraulic oil leak at Flybridge Helm

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AMCarter3
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Hydraulic oil leak at Flybridge Helm

Post by AMCarter3 »

I have slow leak of hydraulic oil at the Flybridge helm. It appears to be coming from the steering wheel shaft. The steering system seems to be operating normally and I do not see any leaks anywhere else in the hydraulic hoses. Does anyone have advise on how to deal with this issue? I'm assuming it might be a gasket around the steering wheel shaft. I plan to call Seastar, but thought I'd ask all of you too.
Mac Carter
2006 34' PDQ PowerCat "All Heart"; MV 98; twin 100 HP Yanmars
Home Port: Bellingham WA 98229
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Re: Hydraulic oil leak at Flybridge Helm

Post by duetto »

hi mac,

if it's leaking from under wheel and onto black hub, the most common problem in that area is the seal on shaft under the steering wheel. seastar has a kit which you can get from west, among others. you pull the wheel off, remove 3 screws in plate, remove plate, then pop out the seal and re-assemble. with that said i had the same leak last season. i got the kit but the leak stopped on its own. i suspect i piece of grit got under seal in the off season and worked its way out.
john & diane cummings
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Re: Hydraulic oil leak at Flybridge Helm

Post by AMCarter3 »

John, that is really good to hear. My slow leak has ben happening for over a year. A very thin line of oil slowly runs down the fiberglass directly below the wheel shaft. Sometimes less or none and sometimes continuous. If I slide a folded paper towel up under the black wheel shaft cover, it picked up oil traces,

So, I’ll contact West Marine about the kit. I assume I’ll need some kind of nut puller to get the wheel off. Is that right?

Thanks very much!
Mac Carter
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Re: Hydraulic oil leak at Flybridge Helm

Post by AMCarter3 »

Mac Carter
2006 34' PDQ PowerCat "All Heart"; MV 98; twin 100 HP Yanmars
Home Port: Bellingham WA 98229
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Re: Hydraulic oil leak at Flybridge Helm

Post by duetto »

mac,

that's the kit. actually i didn't do it (it fixed itself) but had it done earlier by yard. i was there and mechanic just put arm pulling and then i whacked the nut with lead hammer.

james power may want to weigh in on this.
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Re: Hydraulic oil leak at Flybridge Helm

Post by James Power »

A 3 jaw puller will do the trick to remove the wheel. Some are more stubborn then others. Whacking the shaft is not the best for the pump.

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Re: Hydraulic oil leak at Flybridge Helm

Post by deising »

Gentle tapping to set up some vibration with the puller in place can be helpful, but solid whacks are not advisable.
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Re: Hydraulic oil leak at Flybridge Helm

Post by AMCarter3 »

Good, timely advice. I watched several YouTube videos - all of them advised loosening the nut and whacking it with a hammer a few times to break the wheel loose. I will try to find a 3-jaw puller.
Mac Carter
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Home Port: Bellingham WA 98229
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Re: Hydraulic oil leak at Flybridge Helm

Post by AMCarter3 »

James or Duane, could you be a bit more specific about what kind and size of 3-arm puller works to pull the steering wheel? I went to our local O’Reillys auto parts store and they rent or sell a variety of 2&3 arm pullers. Are the puller arms supposed to grab behind 3 spikes on the wheel?
Mac Carter
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Re: Hydraulic oil leak at Flybridge Helm

Post by deising »

Mac, I have not done this particular job yet. My comment was to reinforce that whacking a shaft on a pump like this with any force can cause damage and is not advisable.

That said, I have just ordered some seals myself and will be looking at the job before long.
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Re: Hydraulic oil leak at Flybridge Helm

Post by duetto »

mac,

3 arm puller is needed to fit between 5 spoke wheel. i think the thing you care about is the thicknessof the jaw that goes between hub & the wheel. obviously needs to be thin enough to fit. other dimension is the radius of the arms to allow a straight pull outside of the wheel hull.
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Re: Hydraulic oil leak at Flybridge Helm

Post by James Power »

As John said the important things are 3 jaws and they have to fit between the hub and pump face, sometimes requiring grinding down depending on the puller arm dimensions. I have use from a 3 to an 8 inch puller for the removal. Also work clean.

James
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