How to service manual hydraulic steering - add oil

[Addis]

The steering on my fly bridge is very slopy compared to the main steering in the wheel house.
I think the steering wheel hydraulic system on the fly bridge might have air in it.
There is no motor or cables for steering so I guess the steering wheel assembly must have some type of vane hydraulic pump system.
There is a 1/2" silver plug on the top of each assembly.
I don't have any instruction or find any info for servicing this sysyem. Does anyone have an idea

 

[Addis]

The steering sytem is on a 1978 Holiday Mansion houseboat with a fly bridge.

 

[Grub54891]

No Title

My pic did not go. Lookup seastar steering,see if it looks like what ya have.

 

[Watermann]

Have you checked under the helm for a reservoir to fill with fluid? On the steering ram is where the bleeder is located. Here's a video telling how to bleed an Teleflex OB system, yours should be similar.

 

[Addis]

If purge the fly bridge first then will I have to do the same with the inside helm?

 

[Addis]

I guess if I would of finished reading the instructions all the way my question would of been answered.
This would be a good time to remove the electric steering motor for the auto-pilot system which id not being used no longer.
Thank you for the great information.

 

[frantically relaxing]

Not the best pic but this is my flybridge hydraulic steering unit on our SkipperLiner. The one downstairs is identical. Not much to it- The "bowl" between the steering wheel and the bridge is the fluid reservoir. On the other side out of view is a screw-on cap. You just use a funnel and fill it until it comes out the hole. I believe the fluid tubing is connected to the lower steering unit and then it all goes back to the drives, because I've had to top off the top unit once in 8 years but never the bottom unit. (you know when it needs topping off when the wheel won't turn the boat!)

FWIW, I've never had air in the lines or bled them. Once the fluid's up, the boat steers fine.

This is the only pic I can find at the moment of the BOTTOM of the unit--