Just finished repainting the transom and refitting the drives, tabs, and hydraulic steering system. Is there a specific procedure for refilling and bleeding these or will they purge the air themselves when you operate the pumps. The specifics are SSM #3A, Kiekaffer tabs and Latham hydraulic steering.

Thanks in advance.

It is my experience that they purge themselves. I have never had one completely empty before so I'm not the defenative answer.
My heavy equipment hydraulic systems bleed themselves....

Same here..

Run the tabs all the way down and hold for a few seconds, the fluid will completely fill the cylinders by running the air through the pressure relief valves. Put them up and hold as well. A couple of times should do it. The excessive strange noise you hear at full extension and full retract is the air bleeding past the relief valve. Once the air is purged all will sound pretty normal at both extremes, just the pump laboring a bit. Pretty much the same proceedure with all hydraulic systems.

Thanks guys, worked exactly as described.