Basic Installation Instructions for Helm Pumps

- It is important to ensure that the steering wheel can be operated without any interference. The helm pump must be mounted on a secure structure which ill support the helmsman in a rough sea without the pump breaking loose. It is also recommended to have access to the connecting lines on the rear of the pump and the flow adjustment on the face of the pump as well as the filler plug front and back.

- During installation it is of utmost importance to keep dirt and foreign matters out of the system. Cleanliness is extremely important.

- We do not recommend the use of Teflon tape for pipe sealing. This often rolls over the edge of the fitting and is cut off on installation; it then floats in the system. It is recommended that liquid Teflon sealant or its equivalent is used. It is easier to ensure that none of this type of sealant gets into the system.

- Copper or stainless Steel tubing is preferred for the piping material. The tubing should be of fairly large inside diameter to avoid excessive friction in the hydraulic system, especially in cold weather environments. Depending on the number of stations, the length of runs and the size of the Helm Pump, the piping must be chosen accordingly. We recommend the minimum diameter of ½” tubing, but on long runs, and larger pumps, the ¾” tubing is recommended. When installing this tubing, it is very important to have a steady rise in the lines towards the highest point in the steering system. It is very difficult to bleed the tubing system with a rise and fall pattern, because air gets trapped in the elevated pockets.

- It is also recommended that an expansion tank is stalled on the uppermost station, to provide and additional reservoir of oil. This expansion tank must have a vented plug. The plug, however, must be arranged in such a fashion that water cannot enter the steering system. All other filler plugs on the steering stations must be of a non-vented type. If an expansion tank is not used, the uppermost steering station must have a vented filler plug on the Helm Pump. This is to allow the oil to expand during a hot day and contract when the temperature declines.