Here we go again.....TELEFLEX (not good) Kick up a stool.

[JETTYWOLF]

Well, it's been a whopping two years....MAYBE from when I called Teleflex and said, "why the hell is my SS steering shaft that goes back and forth in and out of the cylinder all marred up looking? Which happens to eat up those damn seal/end caps really fast."

Answer from Mark or customer service in Canada:

"Well, being that it's not that old a system, and YOU have an aluminum boat you probably have stray current, and it's marring that SS rod, being it gets wet. Aye"

My response:

WTF??????????

HUH???????????

Coversation continues.....

"Yeah, we'll send ya a new one under warrenty, but that's gonna have to be fixed, Aye????

"how and why do you say stray current? Nothing else is being marred like that."

"we've seen it before with aluminum boats. You'll have to use a good 12 gauge wire and put round terminal ends on each end of the wire and take one and put it on the end of the SS rod, and run it up to the ground on your engine (outboard)."

End of conversation.

Okay I did that. It's been there now for at least a year or more. Jay says, "What the hell, too.....never heard of such a thing."

Now present day life.

The SS steering rod is not as bad as before. But where the engine sits straight ahead, there's more marring! If I turn the engine and expose the "set straight" area of the SS steering rod, I can feel marring...(don't know what else to call it.) and now the end caps are leaking thru...AGAIN!

Why is this a HOT topic with me? Because I've had problems with Teleflex since the first boat I had the Hydraulic steering on. Seals, in the helm unit, seals in the steering cylinder, marring of the SS rod. I know I use my boat ALLOT more than the average Joe. But C'C'mon?????

Talked to a guy today with an OLD Hynautic Hytrac steering system and it's been maintence free and working for 12 years with out a single hitch. His SS steering rod seems to be much larger than the one on my Teleflex unit.

Plus, ya just don't boat enough if you don't get "CHATTERING" IN YOUR HELM PUMP, via weak or not strong enough check valves. I hate that!!!!

Some day, the Teleplex is coming off, and I'm gonna have installed the BEST most Heavy Duty steering system money I have can possibly buy!

My "Sea-Daddy", ole Cappy Randal (everyone needs a Sea-daddy, a guy who forgot more than most people ever knew....) Told me back years ago. Hynautic brand was the cats-azz for O/B's.....then Teleflex took them over.

I've looked at Kobelt, Vetus, UFlex, and even some "after-marketers" with no name brand really.

ANYONE, have any idea what the hell is going on with the marring problemo?
Do I need an anode on my SS steering rod?

Because once the system starts to leak, you most likey will suck up air, and air means wet, and wet means marring???
And even when the temps radically change here, my steering in the old (below 60) gets all stupid, but as soon as it warms up again, it's back to working.

I am constantly purging it because what else is there to do?

[kmorin]

JWolf
if I'm tracking (?) the hydraulic shaft is pitting in the surface (chrome/ss/hard coating) at the point where it is traveling in and out of the cylinder?

I have a hard time with stray current, but you do have your battery Neg terminal ground ONE PLACE directly to the hull - right? if so then its not stray current if not, I've not seen it but I guess it could be stray current but is seems an unlikely place to see that corrosion.

My first question is what are you using for fluid? If you're not using Marvel Mystery Oil, http://www.marvelmysteryoil.com/index.p ... rveltales/ then its worth trying out? I think you may have some acidic oil that is getting some oxygen at the outside of the seals an the acidic hydraulic oil with some fresh air and salt my be going after the thin coating on the shaft? I've run this stuff in more uses than I can count including hydraulic steering on skiffs but I may all wet?

If the hydraulic oil is 'wet' I will just about guarantee that water, which might be trapped in the cylinder, has become acidic.

This is total conjecture because you mentioned the 'mar' or surface pitting is around that area, and that seems like the cylinder rod is being attacked by a corrosive but electrical corrosion usually needs immersion. I don't know what's happening to your cylinder rod but if its acidic you can buy a Ph strip/litmus paper at the pharmacy and put the paper on wet oil coming out and if it turns pink ( I think?) then you're melting the coating with acid. If the strip is neutral (colored) there's something else at work. Incidentally I'm not sure if litmus works too well in oil but I've used these strips all over metal boats to see if I had acidic cells and they've worked in plenty of places. IF the cylinder happened to have residual water in the oil then it might show up as acidic in that area?

shot in the dark but I've not see shaft wear you're describing,

By the way-- you gonna get rid of his outboard skiff and go to a nice inboard charter boat? All this fiddling with outboards with bad castings, salt sprayed steering, and other skiff related headaches has got to get old for you commercial fishermen?

Cheers,
Kevin Morin

[peterbo3]

Dave,
Do you change the oil in the system? With the amount of use you get out of it I would be draining the oil, flushing with new oil to clean out the system, then a final fill with new oil at least every three years but preferably two years.
Or bust out & get a Kobelt.

[JETTYWOLF]

Pete,

That's all well and quite a procedure. That I don't think would solve anything. Plus, how many of us know 10 people who have had no problems like this on their alloy boat?

I seem to be constantly plagued with BS problems ever single year. But what amazes me my 1995 Ford F-250 keeps just plugging along. Why can't this boat, engine and steering?

[goatram]

Maintenance!















Just saying dude





Ya gotta do some. Farmers have the Same mental state. Use it till it breaks; buy a new one

[JETTYWOLF]

Unlike many people. My boat sits under a wonderful steel carport and is no more than 2 feet from my garage.
And 10 feet from my front door of the house. I'm in it no less than 3 times a day, and am spending $100's of dollars on it a month. So it's maintained beautifully. And used very regularly. Doesn't take any multimonth vacations.

That has nothing to do with what Teleflex says about "stray current".

Un-appreciate the analysis..."that's the kind of comment I'd make", so you're chimming in on my signiture commenting style.

[welder]

Jetty , I guess I better tell ya, I have been emailing every company in the world that makes anything that you might buy and told them to send you REJECT PARTS ONLY because you would not be satisfied with ANY part or tool that would last more than a few uses by you , your family or your crew.

What I typed above almost sounds for real doesn't it.....

Jetty, you need to get a job with a testing lab to find defects , because , Dude, you get blessed with them all and that aint right .
You need to pawn some of that stink off on someone else and preferably in a foreign country .

[Occams Razor]

Jetty:

replace the damn thing and after every GD use spray the shaft with corrossion X or WD40 ! Take out the GD grease gun

and pack the trailer bearing and grease the engine fittings ! I do all this after every trip and and that is that. Next time I go

to use it I put some fresh go go juice in it and away I go. This year will be the first time I pull the valve covers and run the

valve lash. I think i might put a new set of sparklers too ,no need to stress the CDI coils

[JETTYWOLF]

W,

Your right. Since I was born my dad has called me the "defect finder". I know how to use stuff. I expect stuff to work, and expect things over $100 to work good. Cuz $100 is my breaking point for big $$ spent.

But I've recieved many a comment here and none of them have made mention of "why the SS cylinder shaft is marring".
I thought this was the GO-TO place for info about alloy boats?

People think I don't maintain my equipment, and I really beg to differ. I bet I could check other members steering shafts back there on the transom and come up with leaky seals and oil on my fingers. So ya'll better get to it!

Jay, my main answer man was shocked when I told him what Teleflex said. I'd like to hear something from a Hydraulics expert.

Either way, it's been two years and when things slow to a crawl, I'll change out those end caps on the ram. I've done it before so it's no biggy, just not all that fun.

My last boat I had for 10 years and did it four times.

Just don't get the reason why I'd have to (and I did it) run a heavy wire from the SS shaft to the engines ground post.
No one else has.....have they?

[Polywave]

Hi JettyWolf,
I heard you're looking for a hydraulics expert. I'm not one. I'm just another person that's been plagued by corrosion.

The corrosion you're describing could be caused by immersion corrosion, something I've read about and personally experienced. It occurs when metal is constantly in contact with salt water and never allowed to dry. Could you possibly be pulling some salt water under the seals and trapping it there?

I have a SeaStar system, never had any corrosion issues, although the valves in the helm rattle a little (in case you are ready to switch to another brand).
Poly

[21ftcc]

http://www.metcoat.com/coating-benefits.htm

We use this on bolts all the time. You could have the cylinder coated, 2000 hr salt fog test. Sorry haven't been around.

[JETTYWOLF]

Hi JettyWolf,
I heard you're looking for a hydraulics expert. I'm not one. I'm just another person that's been plagued by corrosion.

The corrosion you're describing could be caused by immersion corrosion, something I've read about and personally experienced. It occurs when metal is constantly in contact with salt water and never allowed to dry. Could you possibly be pulling some salt water under the seals and trapping it there?

I have a SeaStar system, never had any corrosion issues, although the valves in the helm rattle a little (in case you are ready to switch to another brand).
Poly

Poly, that maybe true. But am I the "Lone Ranger"? Teleflex says it's stray current....again, I must be the Lone Ranger. Because no one but them has ever heard of such a thing.

My 30" Honda sits so high out of the water on my transom that I never even get water around the cowling, though. My boats a trailer boat and here in Florida, wow do things dry.........dry rot that is if you don't use them.
I don't know.

The Marring of the SS shaft last time was inside where the cylinder would sit most of the time over the SS shaft. This time it's on the edges of the outside of the cylinder on the SS shaft, where the cylinder sits when I have the boat stored.

But your valves rattling in your Seastar helm unit pump is WEAK valve springs. I get that too. And the local Kobelt installer told me that's what the chatter is, and claimed a Kolbelt will never do that. It's when you are turning and there's back pressure on the valves, obviously.

Oh well, coatings are not gonna do anything as they will get wiped off as the cylinder goes back and forth, don't think everyone understands where I'm talking about. And yes, other's could have the "marring" of the shaft but they don't even know it.

Thanks for the info and inquiry.

[welder]

I installed my new Bait pump today and I turned my motor hard over checked my shaft and guess what i'm in Jetties shoes now.

[shansgonefishin]

W,

Your right. Since I was born my dad has called me the "defect finder". I know how to use stuff. I expect stuff to work, and expect things over $100 to work good. Cuz $100 is my breaking point for big $$ spent.

But I've recieved many a comment here and none of them have made mention of "why the SS cylinder shaft is marring".
I thought this was the GO-TO place for info about alloy boats?

People think I don't maintain my equipment, and I really beg to differ. I bet I could check other members steering shafts back there on the transom and come up with leaky seals and oil on my fingers. So ya'll better get to it!

Jay, my main answer man was shocked when I told him what Teleflex said. I'd like to hear something from a Hydraulics expert.

Either way, it's been two years and when things slow to a crawl, I'll change out those end caps on the ram. I've done it before so it's no biggy, just not all that fun.

My last boat I had for 10 years and did it four times.[/b]

Just don't get the reason why I'd have to (and I did it) run a heavy wire from the SS shaft to the engines ground post.
No one else has.....have they?

Wolf,

While I am not incinuating anything......

I'm in the A/C game, and this is a long shot...... but if a dog does this to an A/C condenser long enough....



You will get this....




I know in my boat in a bit of "rough stuff" the only real place to "Aim true" is straight out the back and sometimes it ends up...... well..... bluddy everywhere!

[21ftcc]

Jetty the coating is will not to come off.

[IN2DEEP]

Jetty, Post a close up picture of the marred shaft and how it connects to the motor.
I'm almost thinking that it might be an alignment problem and that the shaft is rubbing against the guide walls too hard causing this marring problem.
But let's see a picture first

[IN2DEEP]

I installed my new Bait pump today and I turned my motor hard over checked my shaft and guess what i'm in Jetties shoes now.

He didn't talk about it?
Mojomizer is also in those shoes in regards to a steering issue

[JETTYWOLF]

Scott.....My POS camera can't even take a decent pic of a customers big fish from 4 foot away let alone this marring, that's more of a "to the touch" than something you can see perfectly.

I knew ya'll would have it too.

I told ya it's not something WD-40 can fix.

All the problem is, is new end cap seals sooner. I'm gonna strain it out. Cause I hate dealing with anything like this.
When the seals really start leaking I have the kit to fix. Got it a 1/2 price when Boaters World went under. $50.

[JETTYWOLF]

JWolf
if I'm tracking (?) the hydraulic shaft is pitting in the surface (chrome/ss/hard coating) at the point where it is traveling in and out of the cylinder?

I have a hard time with stray current, but you do have your battery Neg terminal ground ONE PLACE directly to the hull - right? if so then its not stray current if not, I've not seen it but I guess it could be stray current but is seems an unlikely place to see that corrosion.

My first question is what are you using for fluid? If you're not using Marvel Mystery Oil, http://www.marvelmysteryoil.com/index.p ... rveltales/ then its worth trying out? I think you may have some acidic oil that is getting some oxygen at the outside of the seals an the acidic hydraulic oil with some fresh air and salt my be going after the thin coating on the shaft? I've run this stuff in more uses than I can count including hydraulic steering on skiffs but I may all wet?

If the hydraulic oil is 'wet' I will just about guarantee that water, which might be trapped in the cylinder, has become acidic.

This is total conjecture because you mentioned the 'mar' or surface pitting is around that area, and that seems like the cylinder rod is being attacked by a corrosive but electrical corrosion usually needs immersion. I don't know what's happening to your cylinder rod but if its acidic you can buy a Ph strip/litmus paper at the pharmacy and put the paper on wet oil coming out and if it turns pink ( I think?) then you're melting the coating with acid. If the strip is neutral (colored) there's something else at work. Incidentally I'm not sure if litmus works too well in oil but I've used these strips all over metal boats to see if I had acidic cells and they've worked in plenty of places. IF the cylinder happened to have residual water in the oil then it might show up as acidic in that area?

shot in the dark but I've not see shaft wear you're describing,


By the way-- you gonna get rid of his outboard skiff and go to a nice inboard charter boat? All this fiddling with outboards with bad castings, salt sprayed steering, and other skiff related headaches has got to get old for you commercial fishermen?

Cheers,
Kevin Morin

Mr Morin,

As with most folks.......probably 99%. I use what is reccomended. Ya know....Teleflex Sea Star Hyraulic fluid. Up wards of $20 bucks a bottle. So your Marvel Mystery Oil at half that is already a huge SAVINGS!

As welder said, it's like a discoloration now. Before the first time, it was really bad. On the SS shaft. This time, for me it's under the end caps. Hard to see, but it's there.

And as you know any non babies butt smooth shaft will prematurely wear the end cap seals.

As far as the "inboard" engine solution. I've never owned an inboard, but been on plenty with bigger problems than I have. I couldn't or wouldn't want to take an inboard in shallow water, that's fore sure.

It could be the oil in the system, and yes when the seals get worn could grab moisture easily. And may on every single boat out there. The system seems flawed....NOT ME.

It came from the factory with teleflex steering, then the shaft had a problem. They replaced it for me under warrenty. Now it seems to be doing the same thing all over again after they said to ground the SS shaft to the engine block.

SO?? Marvel's Mystery Oil huh?? Has all the same attributes of a bottle of genuine hydraulic fluid, huh?

If, I change out the end caps. (which is part of the Teleflex steering maintenence) Get all the oil I can out and replace with Marvels?

Never heard that before. EZ to see a leak, seeing Marvel's is RED. BTW.....my boats wiring is the way it came from the factory. The negative is somewhere. I'm not even sure, never looked. But I doubt that's the problem. Or I might have bigger problems.

I'm just bring to light a problem that alot of us probably have and don't even know it when it comes to steering systems. I've never liked the Teleflex steering, it just doesn't seem to be "commercial grade" to with stand me...the defect finder.

[fatcow]

Don't feel bad brother it's happened to me three times so far. Bought my boat in 2006. My mechanic first told me I might be hitting it with some sinkers. I just keep on replace them under warranty. Pain in the BACK SIDE but it's free. Seeing that pic with the dog makes me wonder. I'm going to see if I need a new one this year after replacing one last year. Is it me or do u find that it's the same side always leaking. They looked for scratches on mine and found none. Hopefully I don't need a new one but time will only tell.

[JETTYWOLF]

Leaking end caps are par for the course usually. That's up to us. But marring of the SS shaft, makes for premature wearing of the end caps.

Even friends of mine (after major investigation) have marring of the SS shaft, on little glass flats boats!!!!!!!!!

Teleflex has a problem somewhere. BUT, while others with 15-20 year old systems, have no problems at all.

watz up wit dat???

Mine is better after changing the end caps, cleaning all the CRUD outa the cylinder that built up inside after just a year, and changed all the oil, using Marvels Mystery Oil (cheaper than that Teleflex gold bullion oil they sell)

Yep, since OCT. 2006 - two helm pumps, and two complete stern cyclinders, and two end cap changes. That doesn't speak, Great Product!