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Cetrek Autopilot & Hydraulic Pump question

H

hgput17

Member
Hello,

My boat once had a Cetrek Autopilot that has long since been abandon (prior owner). The question I have is it appears there is an electric hydraulic pump connected to the hydraulic steering lines. Does this pump still work? is it necessary? and can it be removed? Isn't the hydraulic pump part of the TeleFlex helm pump? Thank you in advance.

p.s....pulled the access panel off to wire in a new bilge and noticed there is some wiring clean-up that needs to be done.
 
The hydraulic auto pilot pump does not need to be there if the auto pilot is no longer functional. You can remove it without affecting helm function. Before you disconnect any hydraulic lines at the pump, you need to determine if you have a pressurized system by looking for a cylindrical container tied into the system. It's usually mounted somewhere near the transom and typically has a pressure gauge mounted on top. If you have one of these, it pressurizes the system with air which you will need to release before you undo any fittings or you'll have fluid all over the place. There would be a shrader valve (tire valve) on the top of the cylinder for filling and releasing the air. If you don't have this system you should be able to simply go ahead and remove the "T"s to the pump; you will loose some oil. Install couplers to reconnect the circuit. You'll then need to top up the fluid again. This is done at the helm or at the cylindrical reservoir if applicable. The cylinder will then need to be pressurized to about 35 PSI (read label). As a last step, the system will need to be bled. There should be two bleeders at the steering ram to accomplish this or you can simply turn the steering wheel back and forth a few dozen times.
 
If it is a Sea Star system, it won't be pressurized. The autopilot pump performs the same functions as the pump under the wheel when the autopilot is used. Like Woodie said, just replace the Tees with couplers (or cap the legs going to the pump), refill and bleed then you should be good to go.
 
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