Mine is low in my boat and went to bass pro and they had an oil called green marine hydraulic fluid. He says it's the same thing. I read the label and it says it works in power poles, jack plates, trim system and a few other things. Anyone know of this and can you use regular steering fluid in a hydraulic steering system.
I have hydraulic tractor fluid in mine I know that doesn't help much. lol
I've been using hydraulic jack fluid in my Sea Star steering for years, including a cylinder overhaul. You can get it in small bottles making it easier when filling the helm.Originally Posted by gcross
I have a Seastar Hydraulic steering system and the manual calls for the use of SeaStar Steering fluid only.
You can use any fluid that meets Mil Spec 5606.
If you have a small airport close by, you may purchase from them.
Aircraft spruce has several brands of fluids available.
https://m.aircraftspruce.com/catalog...ickkey=1712302
I thought the manual said you could use ATF in a bind but recommend there high dollar fluid.
don't remember for sure but I bet someone has there owners manual
Yes it does say atf can be used. They want you to pay for “their” high dollar stuff. When I rebuilt mine this summer, I used dexron VI. The seals in the end caps of the cylinder are made of nitrile, which ATF is highly compatible. I did my homework with a Sea Star tech and I’ll use ATF from now on. Easy to get and much cheaper.
2008 BULLET 21XD 2007 Merc 300xs
That's what has been in mine for 5yrs.Never had a leak or issue.
No need to use a lesser alternative OR pay high prices.
AeroShell Fluid 4 or 41 are the correct product for Seastar systems.
All above are approximately $25/gallon at a local distributor.
I ordered a gallon of aviation hydraulic fluid for about $30 off amazon I believe. Not too cheap but it's cheaper than buying the sea star stuff.
I'm the idiot that bought the real stuff
" Talking to you is like clapping with one hand "
Anthrax
I use Walmart "trim/tilt/power steering" fluid in mine, It's cheap and comes in a tube with a pointy end. I have a small leak somewhere.
I used the AreoShell
Agree!
2007 Skeeter 21i 300HDPI
Green Marine is for power poles and it is pricey about $13 a quart.
Green Marine is a bio-based fluid. You can safely substitute a man-made synthetic product.
Something along the lines of a ISO32 synthetic ashless compressor oil would work just fine.
You would still be protecting the environment and the water emulsification issue goes away too.
Can I safely add green marine to what's already in there or should I just top off with steering fluid? Ordered sea star on Monday off amazon and it was supposed to show up yesterday but it didn't, got an mail that said it should be here Friday or Saturday. Fishing a tournament Saturday and don't wanna go out with all this slack in the steering.
According to Sea Star you can use Auto Trans Fluid in a pinch ...
See post #6 and #7.
There has been several people who has used ATF with excellent results. QuickBullet on here has used it for many years in his Sea Star system. He can tell you quite a bit about ATF’s compatibility, due to his long work history in that area. I’ve used ATF in several applications for many years. The ATF VIS is comparable to the higher dollar hydraulic fluids. I’ve had in depth conversations with Sea Star techs about the seals they have used in the past as well as all the new updated ones. ATF is highly compatible with nitrile. You won’t be able to tell any difference in the ease of steering with ATF. Any temperature change your system will face, won’t affect ATF in it’s ability to perform. Bleed your system properly and you’ll love the results.
2008 BULLET 21XD 2007 Merc 300xs
Transmission fluids will have less anti-wear than a traditional hydraulic fluid.
And they will contain VI improvers, friction modifiers and plentiful detergents.
IMO, the characteristic of ATF aren’t optimal for use - especially around H2O.
Stick with the recommended product - it’s not prohibitively expensive.
Average cost of aviation hydraulic fluid is about $6.00 per quart, that’s it.
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