Hydraulic steering hose leak

[Dave1027]

I have an old SeaRay outboard runabout with Hydraulic steering. One of the Hydraulic hoses that connects to the Hydraulic cylinder at the engine has sprung a leak. I'm very competent at repairing many boat related items but have never worked on Hydraulic hoses.

Is this something I can do as a DIY? Does it require special tools to fix? Can I simply replace the last foot or two of hose with the leak or do I need to replace the entire hose from the steering wheel?

 

[mike_i]

I don't know if my experience is the same as yours and hopefully others will chime in. When I had my boat re powered the tech had to used some kind of a vacuum to fill the steering system with fluid and remove the air. Not something I'd be able to DIY.

 

[Texasmark]

I don't know about boats but most hydraulic systems carry a lot of pressure and mickey mouse repairs won't get it. I'd buy new and be done with it. Teleflex Marine builds and markets steering systems. I have used their products for 10's of years. They also sell replacement hoses. I just scanned the subject on ebay and looks like availability for new hoses are numerous with good (I guess) pricing.

 

[Scott Danforth]

You need a complete new hose. There is no repair of hydraulic hoses, professional or DIY Hack

 

[Dave1027]

Thanks for everyone's input. I can source a new hydraulic hose.

The issue I'm having now is removing the bad hose. There is a large gasket near the engine where all the hoses and cables pass through the hull. It's about 5-6 inches diameter. Everything is very tight there and I don't think there is enough room to slide the old hose through. Anybody have any tips? Should I attempt to remove the gasket? It's in there very solid and the underside is near impossible to get to.

 

[Scott Danforth]

the rubber grommet is dried out, so its not pliable. however work the grommet thru the hole in the hull and you can then get the hoses out the slits

 

[Dave1027]

Following up on this issue.

I ended up working the grommet partially out of the hole and then was able to remove the old hose. Locating the correct replacement hose was the next obstacle. Finally stumbled onto the website of Boatsteer.com. Called them and they assured me they had what I needed. They shipped me a brand new 15 foot SeaStar compatible hose for $75. It was a perfect match. I installed the new hose, bled the system and I'm now I'm back on the water.