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my new boat came with sea star pro hydraulic steering ,, it seems to be sloppy, do i need to bleed the system ? whats the scoop on maintaining this steering,, and how do i know its working correctly last thing i want is an air lock in my helm at any speed

There shouldn't be much slop if any....bleed it...the only maintenance is to keep everything tight.

what is the correct bleeding procedure? are there any seals that need to be replaced?

i have about an 1/8 or so turn of play in my wheel

1/8 seems like a lot. I have none. If it is air though the steering seems choppy. The procedure for bleeding it is a 2 person job. Get a manual on your cylinder and helm from seastar, it explains how to do it better then I can type it. Their tech support is reall good as well and will walk you through questions. Yes there are seals, I replaced one at the helm in an older model anyways. I suggest you contact them about this.

thanks ill have to order some parts, i googled it`,,,, doesnt look too bad but i will need oil and a filler tube etc.. and a hand

The fluid you can get at Muskoka Auto Parts (ask for sea star oil)...and the hoses most marinas that sell new boats should have...we have dozens at work.

Keep in mind there will always be a certain amount of play in the wheel because of the shuttle valve in the helm. There shouldn't be much movement at the motor though. If its not leaking...don't take it apart lol.

Dok is right about the valves in the helm. I checked mine tonight. Check all your fittings for leaks, even dampness. What I did after I replaced mine was wiped all fittings down and then you can keep an eye on them. Never back one off unless you are taking it apart - you have to put pipe dope on the threads and seat them again as well. This is likely getting a head of the game though - bleed it out first.

you always know where the goods are ,, i do think i need to bleed it, i dont think its leaking but there was some oil on the seals when i was swapping motors, i wiped them off ill inspect them again to see if more oil seeps out,, i think there ok tho and i dont think there is much air in the system either,, but its used so i think it would be a good idea to bleed it to be certain,, i cant wait to go beat up on some slomcs with my yamaha

Whatever you do Boomer don't mess around with it - find the problem and fix it or take it to someone who knows. It is scary to think what can happen if a steering system should fail.