mecanical steering not free with hydaulic autopilot

[5rock]

Hello, I have a issue, and hope someone could help me. I just instaled a simrad rpu160 connect to a seastar hydaulic drive to my Nac-3 autopilot. All working well but, I have a mecanical steering and my problem is that it is lock. I thinking that I need a bypass to let the steering move free when the autopilot is not engage. Please I need some idea, I am in Costa rica and my permit ending in 1 week.

Merci

[smac999]

how did you hook up a hydraulic pump to a mech steering?

why didn't you use a hydraulic or electric ram?

normally in a hydraulic system the 3rd hose in the pump goes to the helm wheel as a bypass. do you only have 2 hoses from the pump to drive? and the 3rd capped?

not sure what you can do if so.

normally you'd use something like this, it will have a built in clutch that only engages in auto mode. and moves freely in steering mode.
https://www.simrad-yachting.com/en-g...ic-ram-t1-12v/

[44'cruisingcat]

I'm gathering that you've connected a hydraulic ram to mechanical steering.

The problem would be that hydraulic system can't be backdriven. So the mechanical steering can't move the ram.

What you need is a valve between the two hydraulic lines on the ram. Open this to allow the ram to move freely.

If it's not easily accessible to manually open or close the valve, then you can use a solenoid actuated valve, which you'd wire to the "clutch" connection on the A/P.

[DeepFrz]

Like these.
https://www.google.com/search?q=hydr...w=1536&bih=767

[5rock]

Thank to all of you. All your advice help me a lot. I need to create a bypass with a ball valve. There is a shop where I could find the parts that I will need. The dealer who sold me the system told me that It was not necessary to do the bypass. I who now.
Merci et bon vent.

[Boston Blackie]

I would not use a ball valve. Too slow to disconnect the autopilot in an emergency. The bypass should be a normally open 12VDC solenoid valve which connects both ends of your hydraulic cylinder together. When the pilot clutch output supplies 12VDC it closes the bypass and allows the pilot cylinder to move the rudder. If power fails the bypass is open and allows manual steering.

[davefrediam]

Hi what you have is termed hydraulic lock. My yacht has steering driven by hydraulics from the pilothouse steering and autopilot but mechanically from the cockpit. So it is a bit more complicated than yours but I will describe the components relevant to your system.
I have three bypass valves for various scenarios and easy of use.
1) I have one directly ontop of the actuator ram for emergencies (ie if my electric solenoid activated bypass jamms closed). I have never had to use this one.
2) I have a 12v solenoid activated bypass that actually closes the bypass when power is provided to it, thereby enabling hydraulic steering. This can be activated by the autopilot (Raymarine SPX30) or a switch in the pilothouse when steering inside. It uses about 10 watts of electrical power.
3) I have another mechanical bypass valve located next to the solenoid one but it is operated by a telelever type cable which can be activated from the cockpit.
This means that if I lose electrical power (or just wish to save it) or the solenoid fails I have an easily accessible way of switching between hydraulic and mechanical steering.

Hope this helps

Dave