16
Apr
After replacing the steering ram I went with their snake oil. Sea star says you can use ATF on a temporary basis when you dont have ready access to their 25qt snake oil.
Posted 11-17-2009 0724 PM ET US.
Seastar hydraulic steering fluid alternatives. It is called LHM. I searched and found a few sites where there was a direct comparison between MIL-H5606G seastar recomendation and LHM one by a hydraulic engineer and LHM is almost identical. For me in the UK Seastar fluid is 20 a qrt and and 50 miles away LHM is 8 and 2 miles away.
From the FAQs of Seastar. SeaStar Steering Fluid can be replaced by any Hydraulic fluid with Mil Spec H5606 This. I went to NAPA and picked some up for tractors I believe it was.
Got a gallon for about 12 as the other guy stated. It didnt take nowhere near a gallon but I have it now in case I need in the future. Rhafley Member Join Date.
This is good to know. Sea star says you can use ATF on a temporary basis when you dont have ready access to their 25qt snake oil. After replacing the steering ram I went with their snake oil.
10 years of no problems definitive answer. Recommended oils for your steering system are. SeaStar Fluid PN HA5430 1 quart HA5440 1 gallon.
The following brands are acceptable. Take the other end cut a hole in the bottom of your hydraulic fluid bottle and place the end of the tygon tubing in it making sure the tube is submerged so it wont pickup air Now hang the bottle upside downover the top of your helm attach the. No cheap alternative that actually saves you enough to make it work the risk in my opinion.
2 qt bottles should be enough fluid for the entire system. Buy the Sea Star Bleeding Kit from Amazon has a tube and lid to hold the bottle upside down when bleeding the system. SeaStar cant force you to use their hydraulic oil exclusively because its not a unique product specifically for their steering system.
So instead they list a substitute product Like Mil Spec H5606 thats not so common so that its a little more difficult to get than their 26 quart of oil at West Marine. Check out your local airport. I bought gallons of aviation hydraulic fluid for my boats steering system for around 25 a gallon.
Basically 13 or 14 of the marine version. Same stuff different containerdifferent label. 2242021 53348 PM EDT.
ATF will work but it is of notably higher viscosity c. 38 in comparable terms and your steering would be noticebaly lighter with ISO22 - mine is. In addition ATF Dexron etc is not intended for use with the seals contained in many steering systems - eg.
Over time this can cause degradation and leaks. In Emergencies only. ATF will void the warranty and decrease the efficiency of the steering system.
SeaStar Steering Fluid can be replaced by any Hydraulic fluid with Mil Spec H5606. For a list of approved oils you can read page 46 of the installation manual at this link. Thats a much higher load than your steering will ever see.
-But hydraulic oils doesent mix with water so id go for a THF universal tractor tranny fluid wich has some mixing ability. And change the stuff now and then- its cheap. If you use hydraulic fluid check for watertry to heat a sample and se if it forms bubbles if so change.
Mine are Teleflex-Morse Seastar 1s. The website quotes aviation hydraulic oil but I dont recall seeing that stuff anywhere in the uk. The website says an alternative is Dexron 2 but says steering performance will be impaired if you use this.
They also say that in an emergency any non-toxic non-volatile fluid can be used. SeaStar Marine Steering Fluid 1 Quart HA5430 HA5430H. SeaStar Marine Steering Fluid 1 Gallon HA5440 HA5440H.
SeaStar Marine Steering Fluid 5 Gallon Pail HA5458 HA5458H. SeaStar Marine Steering Fluid 55 Gallon Drum HA5490 HA5490H. Oh yes this stuff is 12 bucks a quart not 30.
If you get tired of paying ridiculous prices and get tired of the scare-tactics used in the installation manual use only genuine seastar fluid etc this is a good alternative. I will report back next year unless I have some sort of issue. In this situation youll need to get some hydraulic-steering fluid that meets Mil-Spec H-5606C standards such as Sea StarBay Star No.
An adapter hose like Sea Star No. And a pushpin from the bulletin board in your office. A rag also helps.
Due to recent upgrades in our steering system components SeaStar Solutions recommends use of SeaStar Steering Fluid ONLY in our hydraulic steering systems. SeaStar Steering Systems have been engineered and validated using our proprietary SeaStar Hydraulic Steering Fluid. SeaStar Steering fluid is engineered with special additive package that contains anti-foaming.
Replace all and reinstall and refill with Dextron IIIflush out all the old cloudy hydroscopic SeaStar oil and bleed the system. Now when you turn. Due to recent upgrades in our steering system components SeaStar Solutions recommends use of SeaStar Steering Fluid ONLY in our hydraulic steering systems.
SeaStar Steering Systems have been engineered and validated using our proprietary SeaStar Hydraulic Steering Fluid. SeaStar Steering fluid is engineered with special additive package that contains anti-foaming. I need to add hydraulic fluid to the steering reservoir on my 190 Outrage.
Of course the instructions provided by Ultraflex are as clear as mud. What type of fluid do you use with the Ultraflex system. Im am told that it is NOT the same as a Seastar system.
Any help appreciated thanks. Posted 11-17-2009 0724 PM ET US. High rates of moisture absorption could cause internal component corrosion and may also result in scratched steering cylinder bores and shafts due to contamination.
If you think non-standard fluids have been used we recommend an immediate and complete system flush using approved fluids by an approved steering technician. You can find out more about SeaStar Hydraulic Fluids along with product specifications on our website at. Dometic SeaStar Hydraulic Steering Fluid HA5440H 1 Gallon Five Pack.
This a economical alternative to SeaStar hydraulic fluid. If you like to properly maintain your boats hydraulic steering system Octopuss Steering Fluid allows you to properly flush the system without taking out a mortgage. SeaStar hydraulic fluid is specifically engineered to maximize performance and lifespan of SeaStar steering systems.
Corrosion and rust inhibitors combined with anti-wear agents keep contamination to a minimum and increase ram and seal longevity. Viscosity stabilizers and anti-foaming agents are added to provide consistent and predictable performance. Water emulsification additives reduce moisture content that can cause damage and compromise steering.
Hydraulic Oil Requirements FILLER PLUG REMOVED PUSH PIN FILLER KIT HELM FILL PORT DO NOT LET OIL LEVEL FALL BELOW THIS POINT. SeaStar Pro 20 40 NA NA No. Steering Front Side Splashwell Wheel Turns Mount Mount Mount x 2 x 2 x 2 SeaStar 17 92 107 107 SeaStar.