Archive | Hydraulic System Flush

Bringing New Life Back to an Older 112’ Westport Yacht

By Chris Brown on August 31, 2017 in Cylinders, Hydraulic Power Units, Hydraulic System Flush, Hydraulics, Maxwell, Naiad, Stabilizers, Steering Systems, Windlass

We are seeing a growing number of new owners of older 112’ Westports. This “Made in America” production boat has a lot to offer but many of these vessels are purchased without a solid maintenance history. Nevertheless, their new owners/Captains still want to bring them back to life. In order to do that, sometimes a total refit of the vessel is required.

One of these new owner refits spent a few months at LMC getting a full paint job, mechanical upgrades, interior work and hydraulic systems overhaul and refurbishing. Our capable team of hydraulic technicians was tapped to handle all the hydraulic projects.

Starting with the Naiad stabilizer system, we did a full rebuild including removing the shafts and bearings. The entire stabilizer actuator system was also rebuilt back to new. The stabilizer shaft had some corrosion in the lip seal area from sitting too long in salt water so our on-site machine shop, Straight Line Marine, performed a cladding repair.

We then moved on to work on the entire hydraulic central system where we performed a full hydraulic fluid flush, cleaned and pressure tested the heat exchangers and changed all the filters.

In the engine room, we found that we needed to change a large number of the hydraulic hoses. Hydraulic hoses have a 10-year life and can cause huge problems when they fail on the high-pressure side so it is very important to inspect and replace them during routine service.

We also did a little work on the bow thruster, installing new seals in the lower leg, adding fresh gear oil and testing the hydraulic motor.

Stainless steel ring on main gear

Our team did a full rebuild on the single Maxwell 4500 windlass on the bow, down to the gear box including installing new seals and bearings. As part of the rebuild, Straight Line Marine also fabricated new stainless steel rings for the main gears to help prevent future gear oil leaks around the lip seals. We also replaced the small Maxwell 2500 capstans in the stern with new electric units due to the cost of installing new versus re-building these smaller units.

We found the steering system to be in good shape. There were no leaks on the cylinders so these were left alone. We did, however, replaced a few hoses and upgraded some of the ball valves to stainless steel to help prevent future corrosion. Finally, we changed the fluid and filters.

This was a big job from start to finish but our talented hydraulic technicians, supported by our in-house machine shop, were more than capable of tackling every hydraulic system from bow to stern and everything in between.

Need Running Gear and Hydraulic Work Done on your Yacht – Work with Us

By Chris Brown on July 11, 2017 in ABT Trac, Bow Thrusters, Hydraulic System Flush, Hydraulics, Stabilizers, Steering Systems, Windlass

A 106’ Westport yacht was recently hauled at Lauderdale Marine Center for a variety routine maintenance projects including shaft work, bearing replacements and an overhaul on several hydraulic systems. To streamline the process and help the captain and crew better manage the project, they contracted with both High Seas Yacht Service for the running gear portion and High Seas Hydraulics to handle the hydraulics work.

Our running gear mechanics inspected the shafts to ensure they were straight and aligned and replaced the bearings and seals. Normal wear and tear associated with running the vessel and prolonged exposure to salt water makes this task a necessary evil for properly maintaining the boat. As seen in the adjacent photo, there was a visible gap where the cutlass bearing adjoined to the shaft.

We were also commissioned to replace the seals on the lower stabilizer fins. ABT Trac, one of the more popular brands, recommends changing the lower stabilizer fin seals every couple of years but at least every six years depending on use. The components on the stabilizer are constantly working except is absolute calm seas, so the wear and tear can be considerable. After dropping the fins, we proceeded to change out the old lower stabilizer fin seals with new ones, check the hoses and cylinders, then reassembling the units.

In addition to the routine maintenance on the stabilizer systems, we flushed the entire hydraulic system using the simple drain, filter, fill approach commonly referred to in our shop as a DFF. This type of flush is more of an “oil change” and is part of routine maintenance. It is not appropriate where a more serious condition such as water, metal particles or other contaminants are found in the oil. The process calls for draining the hydraulic tank, changing out the filters and refilling the tank with hydraulic fluid.

To round out the work on this Westport, we did an overhaul on the bow thruster, single Maxwell windlass, the boat’s heat exchangers and the hydraulic steering system which was slow to respond.

From running gear to hydraulics, our teams at High Seas Yacht Service and High Seas Hydraulics, make easy work of maintaining the systems that make your vessel safe and operating smoothly.

Hydraulic Flush – When, Why and How

By Chris Brown on May 4, 2017 in Hydraulic System Flush, Hydraulics

Every system on a mega yacht is important to the overall comfort and safety of the vessel and vessel’s using hydraulics are no exception. So how often should a hydraulic system, like those used for the steering, stabilizers, bow thrusters or windlass operations be flushed? To be on the safe side, a sample of the hydraulic fluids should be tested every six to 12 months or whenever the system is opened and potentially exposed to outside contaminants, you suspect that water may have infiltrated the tank or metal particles are found in the oil.

There are three methods for flushing a hydraulic system. The first is a simple drain, filter, fill approach referred to in our shop as a DFF. This type of flush is actual more of an “oil change” and is typically recommended for routine maintenance. It is not appropriate where a more serious condition such as water, metal particles or other contaminants are found in the oil. In this scenario, we would drain the hydraulic tank, change out the filters and refill the tank with hydraulic fluid. Pretty straight forward.

The second method, known as a double oil and filter change, requires us to drain the hydraulic tank and fill with fresh oil that will be circulated using on-board system pumps. This method would be suggested under a few conditions; many years since last oil change, requirement to change oil types, minor discoloration of oil, etc. This method involves an initial oil drain from the tank and low points in the system and filter change which can expel a large percentage of contaminants and degraded fluid. We would then fill the tank to the minimum level allowable to still safely work and circulate the oil until operating temperature is achieved. The oil is drained again and the filters changed for a second time before re-filling the hydraulic tank with fluid. For best results, the system should be drained as thoroughly as possible including the tank and manually cleaned.

The last option is more time consuming and costly and is used when there is known contamination of water or metal particles. This method often uses special high pressure pumps or power flushing rigs. Some of these pumps or rigs have directional valves that enable flushing direction to be changed which can assist in dislodging contaminants from dead spaces throughout the system. As in previous methods, the first step is to drain all old hydraulic fluid from the system and refill with a low viscosity fluid that will be circulated at high velocities to create turbulent flow conditions that equate to a Reynolds number of more than 2,000. This process would be repeated as needed until there is no longer any contaminants present in the filters or fluid. We would also remove, inspect and when necessary replace any hoses, cylinders and valves that are damaged.

Just like changing the oil in your car or any other mechanical device, hydraulic systems on your yacht need care and attention to keep them performing in peak conditions for years to come.