Quote:
Originally Posted by evm1024
Yes I expect that a hydraulic steering pump would have the same (in function at least) check valves. Great minds and all that.
For myself I was going to rebuild the existing pump (with the existing bypass valve)and go with that but on further thought I think that I will just buy a new pump that includes a new bypass valve.
The Octopus pumps run less than $900 discount (I saw $825). Be done with it and sell the old pump as-is.
Could you do the same?
One of the reasons I was choosing the octopus pumps is because they OEM for other vendors. The original AP on my boat is a Navico PH8000 which uses a Octopus pump.
http://octopusdrives.com/sites/defau...ng%20Pumps.pdf
|
Great comments from all. The link came back with a 404 error but I found this:
http://octopusdrives.com/sites/defau...20Brochure.pdf
I will consider Octopus after the comments here. I had looked at them last year but for some reason took them off the list. Memory fails me on why. I selected the Accu-Steer partially based on what a friend had installed on his Tayana 42 with the same cylinder I was looking at. HRP100-12 pump and HRP100 pump (hard to find now since Kobelt took over but I am a "lucky" owner of a new one).
Of course the plot has thickened. I got a reply from the SeaStar engineer. BTW - they have been great. He hasn't given me the easy answer I wanted since he told me it wasn't possible. My pump would work with my cylinder, but would not with a smaller bore cylinder. It has a max 500psi working pressure which could only work with the larger bore size.
But a cylinder with a 1/2" clevis ball end would have to be less than 2". I wanted a smaller end to work with the (expensive)
Edson Marine tiller arm. Most all readily available AP pumps (Furuno - actually Accu-Steer but smaller, Simrad,
Raymarine, and Octopus) are rated at 1000psi. Although I am chasing down the rating for the Octopus, I think it will be the same.
Octopus offers two types of reversing pumps -
gear and piston style. The
gear pump is quieter but the piston pump is more precise and more powerful. Two features I like are the built in shutoff valves, and more important, the availability of the
electric solenoid bypass valve. Such as the example you provide the photo of. I haven't priced the combo yet.
So it looks like I could still use the Hynautic cylinder I have with the pump I have. They are strong and robust with great
reliability from all reports. The cons of the cylinder are its size and weight and the size of the ball end.
I will ask
Edson (also great tech support) about whether I could use a top or bottom clevis bored to 3/4", which they will do for an additional fee or I could do it. The normal fit of a ball end to their arm is in between a bracket on the working end. I thought the Edson arm was over the top expensive until I priced the HD Buck Algonquin arms. They are all expensive although I can get a lighter duty with less robust mounting bolts for less.
And I thought the
installation was the only hard part left to do! This is way too important to try to go
cheap on this. I view it as the most critical upgrade I will do for my boat to go
offshore, along with the windvane pilot of course. I want it done right with the right
parts.
Steve - thanks for the recommendation on the Alpha tiller arms. Your experience with several boats with them speak well to their use and
reliability. I am still going with a bypass, either electric or manual.
I think it would still be a good idea to have a manual backup bypass, in addition to an electric solenoid bypass, in case the electric one fails for whatever reason. It would be in parallel with the hydraulic tubing to the cylinder between the electric bypass or pump bypass. I could manually open it and take the pump out of the circuit so I could manually steer.
What I think is strange is that I have found zero comments on any autopilot/pump provider information addressing combination manual and AP steering. They all assume you will be adding an AP into an existing hydraulic helm system. So there is not discussion of bypass valves, at least that I have found so far.