raymarine hydraulic pump installation free sample

I just received my new ev150. Was going over the installation for the Type I pump and my helm (sea star HH5261) only has the P & S hoses connected. There is no reservoir connected. The instructions say it must be connected to the pump. So what now? It appears the "R" ports are capped......

Also, can the pump be mounted at/near the helm? It is the ideal spot for the installation for hose routing and connections to the existing electronics. I know the instructions say "close tot he ram" but it is not ideal and would make this extremely difficult and the pump would have to be mounted in the bilge.

I suspect that if you consulted with Sea Star"s support team, you would find that the two capped ports are for an optional hydraulic fluid reservoir and for the additional hydraulic hose from the autopilot"s hydraulic pump shown within the diagram below.

Should no hydraulic fluid reservoir have been installed with your helm pump, then the helm pump would be acting as a limited capacity reservoir for hydraulic fluid. One of the caps which you have referenced will need to be removed to accommodate connecting the additional hydraulic hose from the autopilot"s hydraulic pump.

Regarding the location of the autopilot"s hydraulic pump, best performance will be achieved when the pump has been located in close proximity to the steering ram. The pump"s installation location should also be protected from exposure to moisture associated with rain and waves. However, it should be noted that it sometimes not practical, particularly in smaller boats, to install the autopilot hydraulic pump in very close proximity to the steering ram. In smaller boats, the location of the autopilot hydraulic pump is less important with respect to the performance of the autopilot. However, it is key to ensure that the autopilot hydraulic pump is located at a lower height relative to the helm pump and that the hose is run in a continuously upward direction from the autopilot hydraulic pump to the helm pump.

As far as pump location- it is a smaller powerboat (26 Pursuit/twin 200 outboards) and under the helm, below the seastar helm is by far the most practical as long as it will function properly.

Q2. As far as pump location- it is a smaller powerboat (26 Pursuit/twin 200 outboards) and under the helm, below the seastar helm is by far the most practical as long as it will function properly.

A2. Again, installing the pump at the helm should be satisfactory as long as the previously supplied information concerning the height of the autopilot pump relative to helm pump and protection of the autopilot pump from the marine environment are adhered to.

The Hydraulic oil in a steering system will always contain microscopic air bubbles, these will coalesce and create larger air bubbles over a period of time and will then lead to cavitation within the pump - causing loss of pressure as well as creating excessive noise and possible overheating. It could also lead to the shaft oil seal running dry, hardening and then subsequently leaking.

In addition to the above, the thrust bearing of the pump is not designed to operate in this orientation and will wear excessively leading to possible premature failure.

We would always recommend the pump is mounted with it"s axis horizontal, with the pipe connections exiting at the top, (so do not mount horizontally with the pipes exiting the pump body from the side) . Mounting the pump so that the pipes are connected to the top of the pump body will allow any air built up inside the pump to be expelled back to the reservoir and not interfere with the operation of the pump.

The Raymarine Evolution Hydraulic Pilot ACU150 Hydraulic Autopilot System Pack is a complete autopilot-in-a-box kit that is ready to install on many popular fishing and cruising powerboats with hydraulic steering. EV-150 system is engineered specifically to meet the needs of small to medium sized hydraulically steered vessels with a steering ram capacity between 4.9 cu. in.( 80cc) and 14.0 cu in (230cc).

The EV-150 system is for 12-volt DC electrical systems only. The system comes complete with our p70Rs autopilot controller, EV1 Sensor Core, ACU150 Actuator Control Unit, Type 1 Hydraulic Pump, and an Evolution autopilot cabling kit.

EV1 Sensor Core - The EV-1 is designed for Evolution mechanical and hydraulic autopilot systems. SeaTalkNG networking enables a single cable connection for power and data to the Evolution ACU (actuator control unit) and extended SeaTalkNG and NMEA2000 networks.

ACU-150 - The Raymarine ACU-150 is a component of the Evolution™ Autopilot system and is designed to provide power and control to a Raymarine Type-1 Hydraulic Drive Unit (M81120.) The ACU-150 connects to the SeaTalkNG network for communication with its other peripherals. It also has connections for an optional Rudder Reference Unit (sold separately.) The ACU-150 works on 12-volt DC systems only.

Type 1 Hydraulic Pump (12V) - The Type 1 Hydraulic Pump is intended to operate the boat’s steering mechanism as part of a Raymarine autopilot system. It is primarily designed for use on boats with an existing hydraulic steering system. Alternatively, you can use this pump on a boat with mechanical steering in conjunction with a secondary steering ram. The hydraulic pump contains a precision gear pump and a check valve driven by a servo motor.

A traditional autopilot also required a lot of calibration, Raymarine’s McGowan says. If the autopilot is installed without a sea trial, the boating angler must take on that chore. Calibration involves a compass swing, which means repeatedly circling the boat at a specific speed, allowing the heading sensor to detect the deviation aboard the boat. Then the angler must help the autopilot learn the boat’s turning behaviors by conducting repeated incremental turns.

McGowan explained that this technology sprang from two innovations. First, Raymarine improved the autopilot’s algorithms for steering and sensing, drawing from its parent company FLIR’s proprietary knowledge about motion control. FLIR makes thermal cameras like the ones used by many police helicopters; those cameras must focus on a ground target and keep it in view regardless of how the target turns.

Raymarine’s new Hydro-Balance technology looks at the inherent issues within hydraulic-steering systems — such as air in the lines and hose flexibility, which can cause the boat to wander — and teaches the autopilot to compensate.

Kunz saw an easy jump from Safe Helm to Power Assist mode, which involves bolting Furuno’s power-steering module on top of Accu-Steer pumps. With the sensors and the module, steering effort is greatly reduced.

Garmin’s SmartPump really shines with larger, multiple-outboard boats that generate heavier steering loads. The 400-watt brushless motor packaged with the hydraulic pump is much more powerful than industry-standard motors at 50 watts and below.

SmartPump also introduces safety features: Its brushless motor dissipates heat better, and the motor simply stops running if it experiences an amplifier failure, while other motors might initiate a dangerous hard-over turn.

Garmin also built SmartPump to detect the displacement of steering cylinders, so captains don’t even have to know what size hydraulic-steering pump they’re running.

A typical autopilot setup includes control heads at the helms, a hydraulic pump, NMEA 200 network, a course computer and a heading sensor (not shown).

Garmin’s GHP 20 autopilot system with SmartPump — featuring a 400-watt brushless motor — plus a GHC 20 helm control unit, a course computer, Shadow Drive and NMEA 2000 connections.