Carver Owners Forum

Ok, this weekend I didn't work on anything mechanical on the boat except the toilets. This weekend was about making it livable. That was accomplished, but late Saturday i decided to spin the wheel many times to the port. It turned until it finally hit the full turn port and then I went back to the starboard and it hit full turn too. I then had my friend turn it and I went in the back and checked to see it moving. It works perfectly now. I guess it just needed to be pumped up

Also discovered the steering reservoir

You should get a bicycle pump and pump that up to about 30 psi. You may have a small leak someplace. Note the indicated pressure after recharging and also make a mark on the reservoir for fluid height. Check every once in a while. If either is dropping, you must find the leak or one day you may find no steerage!

waybomb wrote:You should get a bicycle pump and pump that up to about 30 psi. You may have a small leak someplace. Note the indicated pressure after recharging and also make a mark on the reservoir for fluid height. Check every once in a while. If either is dropping, you must find the leak or one day you may find no steerage!

Ok Ill pump it up and see what it does. i don't want to drive home with just the motors

i just got a 1984 carver 3207 and the upper helm was not workin. after seeing all the posts(thats after i was advised to by a new upper helm:/)
and tracking the lines to find the pump(witch was under the mattress in the sb bed) found no fluid and no pressior.
filled it up with fluid and used a bicycle pump to get it to 30psi and guess what... worksbeautiful!!! you guys are great:)

Now that you have it working, make a mark on the reservoir at the fluid level, and note air pressure. Now turn the wheel many times in both directions. Then go check the level and the pressure. If they are lower than when you began, there is a leak. You'll want to take care of it soon if there is a leak.

Have to wonder why the reservoir was empty - it takes some doing to empty it manually.

Mine was leaking a little at the cylinder. I tightened it up and all is well last weekend

I have a similar issue on a 1979. The top helm wheel just spins and will not turn the rudder, bottom seems to be working fine except wheel will continue to turn when bottomed out with a little pressure. My reservoir looks the same as the one in the above pics. where do I add the fluid ? My my pressure gauge is very low also... Any help is always appreciated!

To fill (never full, maybe half way), discharge the air pressure. This is done with the tire-valve looking thing; that's what it is, a Schraeder-type valve. Simply depress the center pin until all the air is out, plus a little longer. Then you can either unscrew the gauge with a wrench at the fitting, unscrew the Schraeder fitting, or rig up something to add liquid through the Schraeder valve. Fill the fluid to about halfway, then get a bicycle pump or a portable small air compressor, and pump the gauge up to about 30 psi.

Watch the gauge for a while - if it drops, you have a leak. If not, go up to the bridge and turn the wheel 50-60 360 degree turns in one direction, then 50-60 turns in the other.
You'll then want to recheck you fluid level, since it has most likely dropped as you moved fluid from the reservoir into the upper bridge lines and pump. If you want to add more fluid, remember, discharge the air first or you'll see what a steering fluid volcano looks like! Once you fill it about halfway, pump it up with air again.

Then check it every once in a while. If it drops, you'll have to find the leak and fix it.

waybomb wrote:To fill (never full, maybe half way), discharge the air pressure. This is done with the tire-valve looking thing; that's what it is, a Schraeder-type valve. Simply depress the center pin until all the air is out, plus a little longer. Then you can either unscrew the gauge with a wrench at the fitting, unscrew the Schraeder fitting, or rig up something to add liquid through the Schraeder valve. Fill the fluid to about halfway, then get a bicycle pump or a portable small air compressor, and pump the gauge up to about 30 psi.

Watch the gauge for a while - if it drops, you have a leak. If not, go up to the bridge and turn the wheel 50-60 360 degree turns in one direction, then 50-60 turns in the other.
You'll then want to recheck you fluid level, since it has most likely dropped as you moved fluid from the reservoir into the upper bridge lines and pump. If you want to add more fluid, remember, discharge the air first or you'll see what a steering fluid volcano looks like! Once you fill it about halfway, pump it up with air again.

Then check it every once in a while. If it drops, you'll have to find the leak and fix it.

One thing that happened to me is when I turn my wheel to the starboard it has a stop, when I turn to port it keeps turning. When I was spinning it up on the bridge I notice fluid coming out, at the same time my wife yells "It's leaking" and it leaked down stairs in the helm as well. I think it has a over flow at each wheel. Be aware cause the original RED fluid stained my carpet in my salon