Do you have a compass??

[Geekie1]

Hey cfelton,

My V came with a Ritchie Helmsman compass. I had the same problem as you with the compass fluid leaking out. I went on the Ritchie website and downloaded a manual and the parts list. The manual was very general. There are 2 o-rings and a diaphragm to replace to stop it from leaking. The diaphragm is for expansion and contraction of the compass fluid. The 2 o-rings are for the fill screw and the top globe seal. The globe seal o-ring is the diameter of the top globe and is reached by taking out the retaining ring screws (about 8) on the top mounting flange. I didn't try to replace the top globe seal because if it was bad you would see the leakage. The leak was in the rubber diaphragm which is accessed by opening the bottom of the compass. All in all, it was a very easy job to replace these parts. When I opened the bottom of the compass, the problem with the diaphragm was old age, and the rubber was a gooey mess. The Ritchie compass fluid is available from West Marine and was about $15.00 a pint. A pint completely fills the compass. I used an ear syringe to shoot the fluid into the compass. The total to overhaul the compass was about $30.00. I use the compass so it was money well spent. To have a compass repaired professionally, I got estimates from $75 to $100.

Geek