Hydrolic Steering

We may have used the same mechanic in Florida. When we got it back it turned backwards just as you describe. I did the same - switched the lines on the ram, and then switched the leads on the autopilot pump.

Three weeks later, and a couple hundred miles away, the new seal he installed blew out with oil all over the cockpit floor. This time I took it to a certified hynautic repair guy in Riviera Beach. He reassembled it correctly and replaced the seal with the correct one. So far, so good. Still trying to track down a very small leak somewhere in the system.

We also had the original guy redo the steering ram. So far, so good on that one.

We never lost steering. For a helm pump leak you can lower the pressure to about 5lbs... enough to push fluid up to the helm but not enough to push it out the seal.

Our hydraulic lines were replaced by a PO with flexible, non copper lines. Only a few short pieces of copper remain inside the binnacle.

Scott