Belt-type Autohelm Setup

[Eric Fiste]

I have not been able to properly setup an existing, late model, wheel Autohelm on my recently purchased used Hunter 28.5. Amazingly, I have the instruction booklet but cannot figure out the gear lock mechanism. My only workable solution has been to rig the automhelm motor and the gear lock so that it is wedged in to provide the proper tension on the belt. Unfortunately, this does not allow me to easily engage and disengage the autohelm. Any help would be appreciated.Sincerely,Frustrated Singlehander

 

[Kenny Logsdon]

Me Too

Eric, I too have an Autohelm 3000 belt drive unit. There is a encentric cam where the motor unit mounts that allows you to flip a little lever tightening or loosening the belt. However, my experience has been, even with the belt loose there is considerable friction at the wheel since the belt is just slipping over the textured surface of the large pully mounted to the wheel. If you loosen the whole system so that there is less friction at the wheel, then there is not enough friction when the belt is tight and slips while in use. I imagine you are experiencing the same problems. So I started the think of a modified wheel mounted pully that incorperates a clutch system. In my ideas, the pully would be similar to bearing but about 10 inches in diameter with the inner race attached to the wheel and the belt riding on the outer race. In the midle would be plastic balls to allow nearly frictionless slip until you engage the clutch (the part I havn't figured out yet). The belt would remain tight all the time. Does this sound like too complicated of a solution?? If you or anyone else has a similar solution please post. If I build this thing I will post on the photo section of this forum or all.Kenny H28.5 "St Somewhere"

 

[Mark Waggoner]

samo, ditto

This has been a frustration for me too. With a whole lot of teenie, weenie adjustments, I got the bracket just right with just enough tension. Still not a good solution however. I hope to win at the racetrack and buy a wheel unit so I can toss the belt drive. Unfortunately, I've already invested about twice what the unit would have cost me, if I'd have just bought the dang thing. But I swear, I'm gonna hit next week.

 

[Barry Olsen]

Try this - works on my H34

I saw an idea in the back of Sail or Cruising World that I tried and it improved the performance of my Autohelm 3000. I took a spare belt, cut it and glued it to the wheel pulley upside down using contact cement. Now the cogs in the belts mesh and it never slips. Tension is not nearly as critical as it was. If I had it to do over I'd get the 4000 but this made the 3000 easier to live with for me.Barrys/v "PER DIEM too"