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Author Topic:   Hydraulic Steering Leak at Cylinder Elbow

whalerben posted 07-17-2015 09:58 AM ET (US)
What started as a slow leak [of hydraulic fluid] on the starboard elbow fitting going into the [hydraulic steering] cylinder became a significant leak last weekend. The elbow doesn't tighten or screw-down all the way because the elbow makes contact with the bleeder valve we screwed down far enough. I was wondering if anyone has experience this before. Do I need to get a new elbow because the threads have failed or can I use Loctite? I tried to fix it a few months ago with Teflon tape but it didn't really give me the results I was looking for. I was also thinking about [using] JB-Weld [on] the fitting. Any advice would be great.
The boat is an 1989 Outrage 20 with a Mercury 200-HP Black Max. All appears to be original back there, except new hydraulic lines installed by previous owner.
jimh posted 07-17-2015 10:22 AM ET (US)
A good place to look for fittings for a hydraulic steering system is to look on the website of the manufacturer of the hydraulic steering system. You have given no information about the manufacturer of your hydraulic steering system. Here is a sample of the hydraulic steering fittings made by one manufacturer. I suggest you visit the website of the manufacturer of your hydraulic steering system and look for similar listings.
http://www.seastarsolutions.com/products/hydraulic-new/fittings-new/ npt-fittings/
whalerben posted 07-17-2015 10:30 AM ET (US)
Gotcha. I will take some pictures.
contender posted 07-17-2015 04:55 PM ET (US)
Replace the elbow with a straight then use the elbow, and only use Teflon tape.
whalerben posted 07-17-2015 10:00 PM ET (US)
Seems there are two different types of metal you can possibly use. I guess brass and steel. Is there a [recommendation to use] one over the other? Also, I assume no stores would carry these items and they need to be ordered on-line somewhere. I'll still take some pics in the morning. hanks for all the input thus far!
jimh posted 07-18-2015 09:42 AM ET (US)

quote:
Also, I assume no stores would carry these items and they need to be ordered on-line somewhere.
You probably cannot walk into your local hardware store and find every possible type of fitting available from the manufacturer of your hydraulic steering system, but some of the fittings are probably on the shelf or in a bin at a good plumbing supply house. Is it especially critical for this repair that you must buy the fittings at a store that is local to you?
Whalrman posted 07-18-2015 10:35 AM ET (US)
hi, as per the Teleflex manual; DO NOT USE TAPE TYPE THREAD SEALANT, use a pipe sealant such as Loctite P.S.T. or equivalent on threads. Replacing of the factory nickel plated brass fittings with brass or cad plated ones will cause the cylinder threads to corrode.
whalerben posted 07-18-2015 04:24 PM ET (US)
Here are some pics of the elbow as well as the numbers on the cylinder itself. I can't find the maunfacturer of the cylinder unfortunately. The numbers on the cylinder are gp01 and sn-1
Link to photos:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1HHcc88Je-efnhpLXlfdEpnTmVtaWZna2ZweXlOR0g1dEkwZU9jeURuVDNNYllQYnJNVnc
jimh posted 07-19-2015 12:50 PM ET (US)
I do not recall seeing any installation of hydraulic steering hoses and their attachment to the steering actuator that used two 90-degree elbow fittings connected together. That looks rather unusual to me.

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Author	Topic: Hydraulic Steering Leak at Cylinder Elbow
whalerben	posted 07-17-2015 09:58 AM ET (US) What started as a slow leak [of hydraulic fluid] on the starboard elbow fitting going into the [hydraulic steering] cylinder became a significant leak last weekend. The elbow doesn't tighten or screw-down all the way because the elbow makes contact with the bleeder valve we screwed down far enough. I was wondering if anyone has experience this before. Do I need to get a new elbow because the threads have failed or can I use Loctite? I tried to fix it a few months ago with Teflon tape but it didn't really give me the results I was looking for. I was also thinking about [using] JB-Weld [on] the fitting. Any advice would be great. The boat is an 1989 Outrage 20 with a Mercury 200-HP Black Max. All appears to be original back there, except new hydraulic lines installed by previous owner.
jimh	posted 07-17-2015 10:22 AM ET (US) A good place to look for fittings for a hydraulic steering system is to look on the website of the manufacturer of the hydraulic steering system. You have given no information about the manufacturer of your hydraulic steering system. Here is a sample of the hydraulic steering fittings made by one manufacturer. I suggest you visit the website of the manufacturer of your hydraulic steering system and look for similar listings. http://www.seastarsolutions.com/products/hydraulic-new/fittings-new/ npt-fittings/
whalerben	posted 07-17-2015 10:30 AM ET (US) Gotcha. I will take some pictures.
contender	posted 07-17-2015 04:55 PM ET (US) Replace the elbow with a straight then use the elbow, and only use Teflon tape.
whalerben	posted 07-17-2015 10:00 PM ET (US) Seems there are two different types of metal you can possibly use. I guess brass and steel. Is there a [recommendation to use] one over the other? Also, I assume no stores would carry these items and they need to be ordered on-line somewhere. I'll still take some pics in the morning. hanks for all the input thus far!
jimh	posted 07-18-2015 09:42 AM ET (US) quote: Also, I assume no stores would carry these items and they need to be ordered on-line somewhere. You probably cannot walk into your local hardware store and find every possible type of fitting available from the manufacturer of your hydraulic steering system, but some of the fittings are probably on the shelf or in a bin at a good plumbing supply house. Is it especially critical for this repair that you must buy the fittings at a store that is local to you?
Whalrman	posted 07-18-2015 10:35 AM ET (US) hi, as per the Teleflex manual; DO NOT USE TAPE TYPE THREAD SEALANT, use a pipe sealant such as Loctite P.S.T. or equivalent on threads. Replacing of the factory nickel plated brass fittings with brass or cad plated ones will cause the cylinder threads to corrode.
whalerben	posted 07-18-2015 04:24 PM ET (US) Here are some pics of the elbow as well as the numbers on the cylinder itself. I can't find the maunfacturer of the cylinder unfortunately. The numbers on the cylinder are gp01 and sn-1 Link to photos: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1HHcc88Je-efnhpLXlfdEpnTmVtaWZna2ZweXlOR0g1dEkwZU9jeURuVDNNYllQYnJNVnc
jimh	posted 07-19-2015 12:50 PM ET (US) I do not recall seeing any installation of hydraulic steering hoses and their attachment to the steering actuator that used two 90-degree elbow fittings connected together. That looks rather unusual to me.