hydraulic steering

[totalrefitdan]

hi I have a Canada metals octopus hydraulic ram and I have been having issues with it.for a start when I looked down below the bolt eye where it attaches to the steering quadrant seems very loose and there is allot of play in it left to right is this wear or is there a bearing that has failed .when a big wave hits the rudder the ram arm moves back and forwards a few inches.when I'm sailing I turn the wheel and once I reach a certain point it seems to not react and then it comes back its very worrying. can I service it.
Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated.'
thanks

[Lepke]

Any hydraulic cylinder can be repaired or rebuilt by a hydraulic shop. One that caters to farmers or loggers would be cheaper, probably better. Manufacturer may have a rebuild kit. CMP should have parts.
It sounds like it's wore out. Nothing should be loose. End caps usually are the bearing. If the rod moves sideways you should be loosing oil. It also sounds like it could fail. I'd pull the cylinder and take it apart or take it to someone that can.
A hydraulic ram is just a smooth pipe with end caps, piston and rod. Usually they have o-ring seals and the piston has one or more o-rings. Sometimes the rod will have a cup seal. You need to be clean and not get dirt, especially sand inside or it will ruin the seals and pump. Reassemble with oil on the seals and lube the cylinder with it. Bleed all the air out. If you don't get all the air out, since air compresses, the rudder won't go all the way to hard over. Get a manual if you don't have one.
I have a Wagner and rebuilt my ram years ago. It took about an hour not counting extracting and reinstall.

[RaymondR]

Many of these have a thing called a rod end screwed into the end of the push rod and these can be replaced. Photo would help.


Sounds like you have air in the cylinder and need to bleed it.

[totalrefitdan]

the hydraulic system is one of the areas of the boat I'm unsure about will take some pic thanks