Servicing 30-Year-Old Vetus Hydraulic Rams

Is your hydraulic steering ram leaking? Before you replace it, watch this. We service our 30-year-old Vetus hydraulic rams, demonstrating that even decades-old marine hardware can be restored to perfect, leak-free operation with new seals and proper technique.

Shayne, drawing on his background as a diesel fitter, walks through the complete teardown, seal replacement, and reassembly. This video is packed with critical tips you won't find in the manual: how to handle the unique wire-lock end caps, the crucial difference between lip seals and O-rings, why seal direction is everything, and how to avoid destroying new seals on sharp edges during installation. Learn the right way to tackle this job and save thousands on a new ram.

CHAPTERS:
0:00 The Problem: A Ram Leaking "Like Nobody's Business"
1:00 The Unique Vetus Wire-Lock End Cap
3:30 Removing the Retaining Wire
5:00 Inside the Ram: Piston & Seal Breakdown
7:00 Lip Seals vs. O-Rings: A Critical Lesson
9:30 Removing Old Seals Without Damaging Surfaces
12:00 The New Seal Kit
13:30 Lubrication & Installing New Lip Seals
16:00 The High-Risk Installation: Avoiding Sharp Edges
19:00 Reassembling the Wire-Lock System
21:00 Serviced, Sealed, and Ready to Reinstall

USEFUL LINKS
➜ Supporting blog post https://youngbarnacles.com/vetus-hydr...
➜ Want to go deeper? Access our detailed composites videos, project files, and community on the Youngbarnacles Members Hub: https://youngbarnacles.com/plans/all-...
➜ Need world-class engineering for your project? Learn more about our professional design and consultancy services at SYAS Performance: https://syasperformance.weebly.com/
➜ Free Sailing Library: Check out our free guides on composites, systems, and seamanship: https://www.youngbarnacles.com/resources

MUSIC
YouTube Audio Library ➜ https://www.youtube.com/