this really is one of the most unfuctional designs of a flybridge helms I have ever seen, I am going to make helm wheel vertical so it’s not like driving a bus, am thinking about using pipe/tubing mounted nav pods to gauges and a panel, but there is not much space for anything else ...any suggestions woukd be great
Thanks Sealion I am considering electronic controls , these hydrolic controls take two hands to move, I am sure if they are worth rebuilding , can u guys give me recommendations on type of electric controls and what I would expect to pay to rebuild existing controls
how about moving the helm back to the area where the stack was and making seating up front, like a SF Tournament bridge.
I used Morse cable controls, but Glendinning and Vetus are the electronic control companies that come to mind.
That’s a good idea to move it back ,the stack is probably to far back ,I might be able to buy a prefabed fiberglass center console
I think the boat is just big to go to cables that’s why it was built with hydrolic /air pressure steering , the yard says they are not working well, would love to have electric ,but saving $5-8k sounds better , especially if it might only take rebuild kits and or O rings to fix what I have , these days everybody wants change everything , I don’t have any experience with these controls ,so I don’t know if they are worth rebuilding
Hynautic is easy to work with. If everything is moving like it should but is stiff, it's going to be the sintered iron filter that is at the reservoir. Change that and blow out all of the lines and put clean fluid and it will probably be smooth again. O-rings don't make it stiff. Are there cables at the actuators to the engines or does it have the actuators right on the engine and gear?
Thanks for the info , I’ll check on the actuators , next time I run up to the boat In Seattle , it’s funny how a yard will tell you need to change out a system before they even checked the filters
Can you tell me where to find the sintered iron filter on my Hynautic reservoir? My helm is ultra stiff and has been rebuilt, ram has been replaced and I was ready to give up and get a new helm. Seems crazy that my mechanic was unaware of this filter.
It's inside the supply line fitting, the larger one on the right in your picture. Unfortunately it will make a mess when you remove it as you'll have to drain all the fluid. If those are flexible hoses I'd unbolt the reservoir from the bulkhead to get it high enough to get a bucket underneath it. The good news is it's fairly inexpensive and still available. If you can, get the kit with the seals not just the filter itself.
Thanks very much. I removed the filter and it steers easier. I took your advise and removed the reservoir from the wall and dumped the contents into a bucket. I ordered a new filter.
The Hynautic manuals are available online. It's good practice to familiarize yourself with the bleeding procedure and be sure to use the right fluid. Some anti freezes have additives that will corrode moving parts (double pilot check valves) in the actuators.
Was there much crud in the reservoir? The ones I've seen with clogged filters usually had a bunch of sludge in them too.