SEASTAR Helm Jizz

[oldmako69]

My Seastar helm creaks and groans as I rotate the wheel in spite of copious amounts of applied jizz at the wheels axle. I have not removed the wheel, only shot the lube at the stub and spun the wheel.

Is there a trick to shutting this mofo up? I have also not checked the fluid level in the helm pump as my tiny brain cannot see how this would have any affect on the noise, as it sounds (and feels) separate from the inner workings of the pump itself.

Or, as my GF says, am I wrong again?

[fairdeal]

The helm pump itself has only one part that is not completely wetted/lubricated by hydraulic fluid: the "quad ring" - sort of o-ring - sealing the shaft.
I would not expect it to make noise.

now, if you have a tilt helm - the tilt mechanism, which is simply bolted to the front of the helm, has several bushings and a universal joint which can make noise.

I think you would have to pull off the wheel, in order to get off the plastic cover,
to get a decent shot at greasing those parts

[pstephens46]

You probably want to check that fluid level from time to time.

I would suggest flushing the thing too. Basically hooking up clear tubes to the bleed valves on the cylinder in the back and rotating the wheel in one direction or the other until clean fluid exits. You have to have a fresh bottle attached to helm, obviously, to replace what is being flushed. The first quart removed was extremely nasty. Looked like pus after 10 years of use.

[oldmako69]

Its one tilting mofo. Tilt position seems to have zero effect on the racket. The noise is only associated with rotary motion and remains uniform throughout the tilt swing.

Headed over there later. If I have time, I'll pop the wheel and the tilt cover and see what type of gremlins reside there.

I rebuilt the helm pump on my old Hynautic system twice in 12 years. Not something I'd like to repeat, hence my trepidation with tearing into this one unless its totally necessary.
Thanks.

[zenoahphobic]

Its one tilting mofo. Tilt position seems to have zero effect on the racket. The noise is only associated with rotary motion and remains uniform throughout the tilt swing.

Headed over there later. If I have time, I'll pop the wheel and the tilt cover and see what type of gremlins reside there.

I rebuilt the helm pump on my old Hynautic system twice in 12 years. Not something I'd like to repeat, hence my trepidation with tearing into this one unless its totally necessary.
Thanks.

Just a thought. You discount noise from the tilt mechanism, so it could very well be the fluid, old and gooyed up or full of bubbles, passing past the valves as your turning of the wheel pushes fluid one way or the other through non return valves. This being amplified resonance of the bulkhead.
As suggested, change the fluid and insure the valves are clean, they may also need replacement.