Hi: am installing a autohelm 6000 on my 37c. has anyone installed this type on your boat. if so like to know how you connected the unit to your rudder shaft, poor instructions supplied. any pictures you would have would be greatly appreciated. rgds tom
autohelm installation
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See this Tom, re. H37C
See the "Related Link". Tom Hadoulias did a heck of a job with an autohelm install. It is not a Raymarine 6000 but you should be able to get some good ideas. Maybe there is an H37C owner with a 6000 but I cannot remember one. Many of us have the wheel pilot, the A4000 or in my case the Simrad WP30.
See the "Related Link". Tom Hadoulias did a heck of a job with an autohelm install. It is not a Raymarine 6000 but you should be able to get some good ideas. Maybe there is an H37C owner with a 6000 but I cannot remember one. Many of us have the wheel pilot, the A4000 or in my case the Simrad WP30.
Thanks Ed: that is a great article on the Authhelm, still wonder why the bushing was not placed between the wheel and the Hull, to take pressure off the hull ! maybe I am missing something here..
Tom, I installed a 6000 on my H34.
I used the Edson tiller arm and mounted it just above the quadrant. A couple of things I noticed in the project forum from the other Tom. His clamp-on tiller arm has no provision for a securing through-bolt. The Edson arm is silicon-bronze and recommends/requires a through-bolt. DO IT! Also the Edson arm matches the 12" length needed for my drive motor. Also the other Toms' photos don't show his motor wiring completed. As such, I would suspect that he had to cut away part of the adjacent support bulkhead that the drive unit is close to. The 'drive' will swing and point more aft at maximum travel. As far as my install goes, it's kinda historic. I installed it. I was the very first person allowed to do this by Autohelm. My boat was new in '86. I ordered it and did the outfitting. I installed a 5000. That was my only choice then because it could be owner installed. I wasn't going to pay big bucks for a tech to do the work needed to install a 6000. Well, I bought the 5000 from West Marine. It completely SUCKED. I returned it and demanded a 6000. They freaked. They couldn't sell me a 6000. Dealer only! The store manager called the home office in Santa Cruz. That week they had a corporate head meeting between Autohelm and West Marine. They decided that WM would be allowed to sell the 6000 to me if they backed it will service. Randy Repass agreed to create a electronics service department. I was shipped my 6000 and installed it. A company rep had to inspect it and sign off. He did. Said my work was better than most of their dealers.
So, have fun installing your 6000, and you're welcome. Oh, except for repairs needed after a lightening strike, my 6000 has been perfect. Interfaced with GPS & laptop too. Wouldn't even day-sail without it.
I used the Edson tiller arm and mounted it just above the quadrant. A couple of things I noticed in the project forum from the other Tom. His clamp-on tiller arm has no provision for a securing through-bolt. The Edson arm is silicon-bronze and recommends/requires a through-bolt. DO IT! Also the Edson arm matches the 12" length needed for my drive motor. Also the other Toms' photos don't show his motor wiring completed. As such, I would suspect that he had to cut away part of the adjacent support bulkhead that the drive unit is close to. The 'drive' will swing and point more aft at maximum travel. As far as my install goes, it's kinda historic. I installed it. I was the very first person allowed to do this by Autohelm. My boat was new in '86. I ordered it and did the outfitting. I installed a 5000. That was my only choice then because it could be owner installed. I wasn't going to pay big bucks for a tech to do the work needed to install a 6000. Well, I bought the 5000 from West Marine. It completely SUCKED. I returned it and demanded a 6000. They freaked. They couldn't sell me a 6000. Dealer only! The store manager called the home office in Santa Cruz. That week they had a corporate head meeting between Autohelm and West Marine. They decided that WM would be allowed to sell the 6000 to me if they backed it will service. Randy Repass agreed to create a electronics service department. I was shipped my 6000 and installed it. A company rep had to inspect it and sign off. He did. Said my work was better than most of their dealers.
So, have fun installing your 6000, and you're welcome. Oh, except for repairs needed after a lightening strike, my 6000 has been perfect. Interfaced with GPS & laptop too. Wouldn't even day-sail without it.
Rudder bearings.
Tom, I think you will find that your stock rudder has a bearing surface under the radial wheel. But that there is nothing to keep the rudder from floating(they do) and being pushed up against the hull. Tom H. solved this with another bearing surface under the top shelf. And he strengthed that shelf with the long threaded bolts. That bearing insures that the rudder stays positioned in the vertical. Then he made the one that you see in the pictures. That bearing simply supports the rudder stock in the lateral direction. This reduces wear on the glass bearing inside the hull. Fred is right about the control arm, it should be thru-bolted. But not about the wiring. As you know from working back there the forward part of those lockers are all open into the boat. Something that helped me with those projects back there was to make the q-berth panel removable. That bulkhead at the rear of the q-berth opens up a new world. I removed the bungs and the screws and removed the panel. I put the panel back with oval head stainless screws with those nice Finish washers. Remove the panel and the cover over the fuel tank for running any new wiring.
Tom, I think you will find that your stock rudder has a bearing surface under the radial wheel. But that there is nothing to keep the rudder from floating(they do) and being pushed up against the hull. Tom H. solved this with another bearing surface under the top shelf. And he strengthed that shelf with the long threaded bolts. That bearing insures that the rudder stays positioned in the vertical. Then he made the one that you see in the pictures. That bearing simply supports the rudder stock in the lateral direction. This reduces wear on the glass bearing inside the hull. Fred is right about the control arm, it should be thru-bolted. But not about the wiring. As you know from working back there the forward part of those lockers are all open into the boat. Something that helped me with those projects back there was to make the q-berth panel removable. That bulkhead at the rear of the q-berth opens up a new world. I removed the bungs and the screws and removed the panel. I put the panel back with oval head stainless screws with those nice Finish washers. Remove the panel and the cover over the fuel tank for running any new wiring.
Ed,
My only comment about the wiring was that it wasn't done. Can you reach the other Tom and ask him if he had to trim the adjacent bulkhead. It sure looks too close to the ram housing.
My only comment about the wiring was that it wasn't done. Can you reach the other Tom and ask him if he had to trim the adjacent bulkhead. It sure looks too close to the ram housing.
Tom H.'s install.
Not sure which part of the actuator you are referring to Fred. What you see to the right(where wires are hanging) and behind in the picture(Related Link) are not bulkheads. That is the portside hull. The only thing that should move in that setup is the chrome piston. Actually I guess the actuator is gimbaled for an up/down and left/right motion. Are you thinking that the actuator has to swing so much toward the back that it will hit the hull?
Not sure which part of the actuator you are referring to Fred. What you see to the right(where wires are hanging) and behind in the picture(Related Link) are not bulkheads. That is the portside hull. The only thing that should move in that setup is the chrome piston. Actually I guess the actuator is gimbaled for an up/down and left/right motion. Are you thinking that the actuator has to swing so much toward the back that it will hit the hull?
No
Ed, as the actuator operates, its plunger moves in and out. That moves the aluminum tiller to port or starboard. When that happens the actuator will pivot toward the stern. When that happens it looks like it will hit that vertical fiberglass wall right next to its' mid section. (right behind it) P.S. Thanks for the link. I'd say that he never moved his rudder with the actuator installed. It can't work. That bulkhead adjacent to that threaded rod will interfere causing binding and damage to the actuator. He has to notch it. It's simple to do.
Ed, as the actuator operates, its plunger moves in and out. That moves the aluminum tiller to port or starboard. When that happens the actuator will pivot toward the stern. When that happens it looks like it will hit that vertical fiberglass wall right next to its' mid section. (right behind it) P.S. Thanks for the link. I'd say that he never moved his rudder with the actuator installed. It can't work. That bulkhead adjacent to that threaded rod will interfere causing binding and damage to the actuator. He has to notch it. It's simple to do.
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