SeaStar Hydraulic Steering Grease Nipples

[John(DE)]

I have a crazy question I just ran into winterizing my 2018 for the first time. Hoping that somebody else that has the SeaStar hydraulic steering can take a quick look at theirs and give me an assist, as I would sure hate to have to tow the boat back to the dealer to get an answer on this one.

My steering cylinder has a grease nipple on the port side of the cylinder. However, on the starboard side, securing the ground strap, there is what sure looks like a grease nipple that my grease gun attaches to as expected. But there is no hole in the nipple. It's not clogged, I picked at it with an awl and it is filled with metal. I'm trying to figure out if I got a bad grease nipple that wasn't machined correctly, or if that fitting on the starboard side really isn't supposed to be a grease nipple.

It's certainly easy enough to replace the nipple. but I don't want to shoot grease into some place that it was not intended.

 

[the-little-B]

Can't help with your question as I don't have power steering but if it is plugged , the grease "ZERK" as they are called is a simple part to replace. If it's over/around any linkage I lcouldn't see how you'd hurt anything with grease.

 

[KC24]

Dealer should be able to answer by phone

 

[lakeliving]

Are they for bleeding air out? I would hold off on pumping grease into the system for now.

 

[Spoiledrotten]

Here are the 4 fittings on my sea star.

 

[SEMPERFI8387]

Top two look like hydraulic. Bottom look like grease zerks. And the bottom two look like pivot points.

 

[BulldogsCadillac]

I'd agree with Semp

 

[John(DE)]

Thanks. The bottom 2 on Spoiledrotten's pictures are the ones. Talked to SeaStar - they are both grease zerks. They were great, immediately dropped me a new set in the mail. Upon examination of the new ones, they are unlike any grease zerks I have encountered in the past, the hole in the nipple has a small spring loaded ball bearing in it. I imagine to keep water out, and when you pump grease it pushes the ball in to open it up. Now I am thinking the old one maybe had a rusted ball or spring. Going to grease up the end of the zerks to protect that mechanism.

 

[cwag911]

All zerks have the ball and spring.