Seastar Solutions SeaStar Installation Instructions page 2

MOUNTING THE HELM
Ensuring that the steering wheel will not interfere with
any other functional equipment and you have adequate
space "behind" the dash for fittings and steering line
connections, determine your desired mounting position.
NOTICE
The helm may be mounted with the helm shaft horizontal,
vertical or any angle between.
At ALL times the fluid cap MUST be in the
uppermost position.
Installation
• Tape mounting template to dash and use a center
punch for locating required holes.
• Drill the 3" diameter hole and the four 5/16" diameter
mounting holes, positioned as shown.
• To ease installation, install your helm hose fittings
into the helm pump prior to mount.
See Positionable ORB Hose Fitting Installation.
• Ensuring the fill port is in the uppermost position,
install helm pump onto dash.
• Install the four washers and four nuts onto the mounting
studs of the helm pump. Torque nuts to 110 in-lb.
POSITIONABLE ORB HOSE FITTING INSTALLATION/REALIGNMENT
Re-Positionable Pump Fitting Installation (if require .)
NOTE: for straight OR fittings simply torque fitting
to 18 ft-lbs. Fitting re-orientation not required.
1. Back off lock nut (item 1), counter-clockwise, until it
stops. NOTE: O-ring must be fully on sealing surface
and cannot contact any threads. Do not use Teflon
tape or any liquid pipe sealant with OR fittings.
2. Thread fitting into helm port until fitting washer
(item 2) contacts the face of the helm port.
Tighten hand tight. DO NOT USE A WRENCH.
SECURE WITH
WRENCH HERE
WHILE TIGHTENING
LOCKNUT (ITEM 1)
2
Figure 5.
• Using a good quality marine grease, lightly grease
taper of the helm pump shaft and mount steering
wheel to helm. Tighten wheel shaft nut to 150 in-lb.
• Install hoses as directed in your steering cylinder
installation manual.
• Fill and Purge steering system as outlined in your
steering cylinder installation manual.
CAUTION
-3 helm pumps are fitted with positionable O-ring style
hose fitting ports (referred throughout this manual as
ORB). Do NOT attempt to install an NPT pipe fitting
into a -3 helm hose fitting port. Doing so will lead to
irreparable damage to the helm. ONLY use SeaStar
Solutions O-ring style hose fittings (ORB).
Figure 3.
3. Re-position fitting to desired orientation by turning
it counter-clockwise to a MAXIMUM of 1 full turn.
4. While holding the fitting body securely with a wrench,
torque the lock nut (item 1) to 18 ft-lbs.
5. While holding the fitting body securely with a
wrench, torque the hose end nut to 15 ft-lbs.
6. Purge system per applicable instruction manual.
WARNING
Failure to properly tighten the lock- nut (item 1) may
lead to loss of steering control. Loss of steering control
may result in unpredictable boat behavior, collision with
an obstacle and/or ejection from vessel, leading to
property damage, personal injury and/or death.
WARNING
1
SeaStar Solutions recommends that the hose and
hose fittings are checked on a regular basis to
ensure the safe operation of the steering system.
HYDRAULIC FLUID
Recommended oils for your steering system are;
• SeaStar Hydraulic Fluid, part# HA5430
• Texaco HO15
• Shell Aero Fluid #41
• Esso Univis N15
• Chevron Aviation Fluid A
• Mobil Aero HFA
• Fluids meeting MIL-PRF-5606H specifications.
• Automatic transmission fluid Dexron II may be
used in an emergency.
Never use brake fluid. Any non-approved fluid may
cause irreparable damage, loss of steering, and
cancellation of warranty.
In cases of extreme emergency any non-toxic, non-
flammable fluid may provide temporary steering.
Filling the helm full of oil can be done faster if oil is
ORB HOSE
poured into the helm prior to connecting filler tube
FITTING
and oil bottle to the helm.
THREAD FITTING BY HAND UNTIL
WASHER CONTACTS THIS FACE
Figure 6.
FILLER PLUG
(REMOVED)
WARNING
NOTICE
Figure 4.
OIL LEVEL & SYSTEM CHECK
STEP 1 – Oil Level Setting
The oil level MUST be checked and maintained BEFORE
EACH use to ensure safe steering operation. Failure
to adhere to this warning may lead to loss of steering
control resulting in persons being ejected from vessel
or collision with an obstacle, leading to property
damage, personal injury and/or death.
Side mount and Splashwell mount cylinders are unbal-
anced. To set the oil level in the helm pump the
cylinder rod MUST be fully "retracted (cylinder shaft
all the way in the cylinder body). Failure to adhere
to this caution WILL result in oil spillage at the helm
filler port and/or stiff steering operation.
• Helms mounted with the wheel shaft completely
horizontal MUST be filled to the bottom of filler
hole AT ALL TIMES. DO NOT allow oil level to drop
more than 1/4" below filler threads.
• For helms mounted on a 20 degree angle, or, with
wheel shaft in the vertical position, oil level should
be within 1/2" of filler hole.
STEP 2 – System Check
The system check MUST be completed after installation.
Doing so will ensure the safe operation of your steering.
Any fault/leak will be shown during this check. Failure
to adhere to this warning/check may result in loss of
steering control resulting in persons being ejected from
vessel or collision with an obstacle, leading to property
damage, personal injury and/or death.
• Turn steering wheel hard over to hard over to confirm
unrestricted movement of the steering system and
hoses. Repeat this procedure in ALL trim/tilt positions
of the engine(s). If interference occurs, or, hoses
are being stretched this MUST be removed prior to
operating your boat.
• Confirm that engine(s) are steering to the proper
direction when steering wheel is turned.
• If no interference is noticed, or, any interference
is corrected, go to next step.
This step will NOT harm the system and any noise
made during this step should not be considered a
fault in the steering system.
• Take steering wheel hard over to starboard (any
helm can be used on a multi-station boat). Once
the wheel reaches its stop point (cylinder is fully
stroked out), continue to force the wheel one (1)
full turn past stop. Leave wheel in this position
while you check all connections, fittings, seals
and hoses for leaks.
• Repeat to the Port direction and inspect ALL
connections, fittings, seals and hoses for leaks.
• If leaks are noticed they MUST be repaired prior
to operating boat. After repair repeat bleeding
procedures as outlined in the steering cylinder
manual.
Failure to complete the above noted step or, failure
to correct a problem may result in loss of steering
control leading to ejection from the vessel or collision
with an obstacle resulting in property damage,
personal injury and/or death.
PUSH PIN
FILLER KIT
DO NOT LET
OIL LEVEL
FALL BELOW
THIS POINT
HELM FILL
PORT
WARNING
CAUTION
WARNING
NOTICE
WARNING