I have an 11 year old boat with Seastar hydraulic steering. Port seal started leaking oil so I ordered a new seal kit and installed by the book. Both new seals started leaking first time out. I ordered another set incase I got a bad set. Same thing. They haven't dumped all the oil but are just seeping out. Anyone have any ideas on why the new seals will not hold oil.
Thanks,
Did you use genuine sea star seal kit? No obvious nicks on ram?
I resealed one successfully for a friend years ago, dont remember much in the kit.
An o ring or two and the gland nuts was it
What oil are you using?
ye, ensure that the replacement seals are the correct size and type for your Seastar hydraulic steering system, as using incorrect seals may result in leaks. Additionally, carefully inspect the shaft and cylinder for any scratches, nicks, or damage that could compromise the seal integrity. Lubricate the new seals with the appropriate hydraulic fluid during installation, as dry seals can lead to leaks.
If you did use the cheaper kits most of those are not synthetic seals. Most of the research I have done says the synthetic fluid seastar uses will deteriorate normal seals. But that’s usually over a long period of time. I’m with the others that I would be doing a thorough inspection of the shaft and other components to see if something is causing damage.
When I was researching this topic to replace mine, pretty much the most offered piece of advice was use genuine sea star seals. One guy stated he's used 3-4 different brands and only Sea Star wouldn't leak. What seals did you use?
USMC Vet!
why would you use anything but the correct oem parts on something like the steering on a boat doesnt make sense.
I did not use OEM seals. On Amazon there is plenty of after market replacement seal kits but I could not find anything that was an OEM part by Seastar. Dos anyone know where I can order the OM Searstar seals from.
Thanks
Had a friend help me do mine last summer. He went through same thing with his. He said before putting new seal on the shaft clean all debris in the cylinder and flush it a check times. He is blaming the old seal debris wrecking new seals. Mine went good. No leaks. Cheaper seal kit.
I think Seastar is now Dometic/Seastar and Amazon should have them or you could just order them directly from Dometic. You can just google Dometic/Seastar and get to their website.
2005 Triton TR-186
2024 Mercury Pro XS 150
THISOriginally Posted by jrh_67
I had the same issue. I had cleaned out the system and installed seals. It still leaked. I just ordered the sea star kit that had the threaded end caps with seals already installed. No more leaks. I assume my issue was wear on side of the seal cap leaking.
I used the Seastar seals and cap ends for decades. The seals only lasted a couple of years and I was doing it again. I ended up buying seals from a hydraulic parts store and haven't had any issues in 10 years or more.
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