What fluid for C30 Garmin Autopilot system?

[serpa4]

Garmin has no recommendations. Their website says:
Generic hydraulic equivalents such as ISO-15 Hydraulic Oil or mil-spec 5606 fluid are acceptable for Garmin hydraulic autopilots.
I don't live in a boating town or near a west marine, etc.
Anyone know what will work that people can source locally at a Lows, Home Depot, Auto store, etc?

Any sugestions on bleeding it after installing the check valve kit?
I will youtube tomorrow.

What steering help do we have teleflex or something? Need to buy the right kit to bleed the system. Usually less mess if I can have a hose screw into the steering wheel vice filling it manually.

 

[chicagosam]

https://www.amazon.com/SeaStar-Solutions-HA5430H-Hydraulic-Steering/dp/B000RZR7IG

 

[SkookumR29]

Below is an extraction from a post I made a month ago regarding a bleeding tool I found called Bubble Purge G2. I found it worked extremely well - hope this helps.


I bled the steering system on our 2011 R29 yesterday and the process could not have gone smoother. I found a cool tool - basically some brass quick disconnect fittings and clear tubing - called Bubble Purge G2 and sold by Outboard Specialty Tools (outboardst.com). There are very good youtube videos that clearly show how this works.

One tube with quick disconnects attaches to the port and starboard bleeder valves on the cylinder and when you open the bleeder valves, steering fluid bypasses and allows you to pump fluid through the system without movement of the rudder. Another length of tubing with brass fitting attaches to bottle and another fitting that screws in to the port on helm allows for filling the helm pump. As you fill the pump, air bubbles are displaced rise up in to the bottle and fluid from the bottle drains down into the helm pump. Once the pump is topped off, you slowly rotate the wheel in one direction and air bubbles work their way through and vent up into the bottle, while fluid flows via gravity to the helm. Then you rotate wheel the other way to vent air from the other side of the system. I spent about 20 minutes rotating back and forth until I was satisfied all the air was out. You then close the bleeders and remove the quick disconnect hose from the cylinder. Whole process took me about and hour and I did not spill/leak a drop of oil.

I also first checked the entire system (helm pump, Garmin autopilot pump fittings and cylinder connections) for leaks - there were none.

Once I got air out by turning wheel as described above, I also operated the autopilot pump in both directions to make sure there was no air hidden there and then went back to a few more turns of the wheel in both directions and did get a few more air bubbles work through and up to the bottle.

This same tool can be utilized if you want to do a complete flush and refill/purge which I intend to do in the near future.

 

[serpa4]

Thanks! Just ordered the bleeder. Seems to make it very easy.

 

[serpa4]

Below is an extraction from a post I made a month ago regarding a bleeding tool I found called Bubble Purge G2. I found it worked extremely well - hope this helps.


I bled the steering system on our 2011 R29 yesterday and the process could not have gone smoother. I found a cool tool - basically some brass quick disconnect fittings and clear tubing - called Bubble Purge G2 and sold by Outboard Specialty Tools (outboardst.com). There are very good youtube videos that clearly show how this works.

One tube with quick disconnects attaches to the port and starboard bleeder valves on the cylinder and when you open the bleeder valves, steering fluid bypasses and allows you to pump fluid through the system without movement of the rudder. Another length of tubing with brass fitting attaches to bottle and another fitting that screws in to the port on helm allows for filling the helm pump. As you fill the pump, air bubbles are displaced rise up in to the bottle and fluid from the bottle drains down into the helm pump. Once the pump is topped off, you slowly rotate the wheel in one direction and air bubbles work their way through and vent up into the bottle, while fluid flows via gravity to the helm. Then you rotate wheel the other way to vent air from the other side of the system. I spent about 20 minutes rotating back and forth until I was satisfied all the air was out. You then close the bleeders and remove the quick disconnect hose from the cylinder. Whole process took me about and hour and I did not spill/leak a drop of oil.

I also first checked the entire system (helm pump, Garmin autopilot pump fittings and cylinder connections) for leaks - there were none.

Once I got air out by turning wheel as described above, I also operated the autopilot pump in both directions to make sure there was no air hidden there and then went back to a few more turns of the wheel in both directions and did get a few more air bubbles work through and up to the bottle.

This same tool can be utilized if you want to do a complete flush and refill/purge which I intend to do in the near future.

I just got the system G2 in the mail. So, the quick fittings should just click onto the factory ram? That would be nice if it was that easy.
I did just replace my Garmin 1.2 GPH10 pump with a brand new one. I also installed the check valve kit.

How did you operate the auto pilot while the boat was out of the water? Just set some imaginary course and turn the wheel a few time? Thanks.

 

[SkookumR29]

serpa4,

Yes, just that easy; the quick disconnects on each end of the one tube simply click on to the bleeder valves on the hydraulic cylinder. You then open the the two bleeder valves at the cylinder and fluid will bypass. Make sure to close the bleeder valves before you disconnect, or you'll have a mess to clean up.

Regarding the autopilot pump; power up your chart plotter and autopilot system and then push - one at a time - the port and starboard buttons on the Garmin panel (left and right arrows). You will hear the Garmin pump run. I only did this long enough in each direction to push any air through the pump and into the main lines and then went back to slowly rotating the helm pump to push that little bit of air through and up to the bottle - slick.

Good luck.