Autopilot linear drive installation

[jviss]

I'm installing a linear drive "on the cheap," and 'though I gt a good deal on a used drive unit, I don;t have a tiller arm.

Has anyone installed a drive unit so that it drives the Edson radial drive directly, i.e., without using a separate tiller arm?

Thanks,

jv

 

[Stu Jackson]

Hi, again, the C36 Association website

has a great writeup with pictures of just that installation.

 

[jviss]

I can't find it

Stu,

Can you please post a link to the article?

Thanks,

jv

 

[Stu Jackson]

Me, too

Since they revamped their website, it's been tough to find the older material. I suggest you get in touch with Tom S and Tom Soko and figure out where it went. They used to have a very good writeup with photos.

 

[jviss]

ques

Stu,

Did it deal with connecting hte linear drive arm directly to the radial drive, i.e., not using a separate tiller arm?

 

[Stu Jackson]

I believe it did, although

I wasn't particularly interested at the time, just remembered there was a good writeup and photos. They used a starboard block to hold the arm up off the "ceiling" of the aft cabin (bottom of the cockpit deck) and ran it right to the quadrant.

 

[BobD]

Edson says NO

Making the drive cylinder connection directly to the quadrant wheel is NOT condoned by Edson. The quadrant wheel is a casting and is not made for supporting a torque/tension load on the wheel from a drive. Edson highlights this as a warning - "Do not connect drive directly to quadrant."

You also need to connect the drive at about 10" from the center of the rudder post and the quadrant is not that big.

BobD
Boston

 

[jviss]

alternatives

Bob, where did you see that? (can you post a link?).

I know it's supposed to be 10".

I just can't stand the idea of $400 on a bronze tiller arm, but maybe I should bite the bullet. The are is remarkably like a connecting rod, which is something that's ordinarily $20 or so. Now, if I only knew which motor might have a 10" center to center connecting rod with a 1/2" wrist pin and an approximately 2.86" journal diameter.

Seriously, I may just make one of aluminum. I've made several similar things before, with clamping features, etc. I might even have a suitable piece of stock laying around.