EV-100 Autopilot 4000Mk2 Wheel Drive Repair

[jssailem]

When it comes to selecting an autopilot, if your boat has a displacement weight less than 16,500 lbs, the Raymarine EV-100 is a likely option under consideration. It was the primary option when I explored my first AP.

Now that I am 5 years into use with about 2000 nm usage I have had to do a major repair on the 4000Mk2 Wheel drive.

For the past year I have been experiencing failures of the drive to function. This is not a problem when I have fellow cruisers sharing the load of Helm Watch. As a solo sailor there is a dependency that develops between the AP and the Skipper/Crew. When the AP acts up there are issues.

First to go was the rubber boot that covers the power connection (Cable Plug) to the motor. Rubber rot. No replacement is available. Looking for an alternative replacement that I can slip over the cord and keep water from easily corroding the motor.

About 18 months ago my trusty AP started to act erratic. It would work for a time then drift off course or not work at all. The ACU and Sensor elements of the system worked and worked well. This pattern was all associated with the 4000Mk2 Wheel drive.
Symptoms:

1. The clutch lever would slip. I tried:
   1. Tightening the lever screw
   2. taping the lever in place
   3. Wrapping a rubberband around the lever to hold it in place.

These would work for a time then not. When I inspected the lever I discovered that the plastic used for the original lever was rounding out (breaking down - slipping off the stops). The wheel drive design has a couple of plastic knobs that are intended to soft hold the clutch lever in place when operating. The lever did not fit over the nobs properly. So I sought out help from Raymarine. Even talked with the London based engineers for the AutoHelm Wheel drive design. Their solution was to package the drive up and send it to them. They would evaluate the problem and let me know the cost to do repairs. Bugger that.

I found i3DGear out of Canada. They were making a replacement clutch lever - guaranteed to fit. It's cost was about the shipping cost of my drive to Raymarine. I ordered one.

While it fit the gear system, it suffered from the same issue. The cut on the inside of the lever was not fitting over the nobs in the back cover of the wheel drive. I discussed the issue with i3DGear and a replacement was sent with a new improved design.

I was back in business for at least 200nm. Then the symptoms returned. I read about cleaning/lubrication of the drive, as sitting outside in the elements can cause deterioration and dirt build up. So I took the unit apart and cleaned the insides, then sparingly applied lubrication to the roller bearings around the drive wheel and the insides of the Clutch Roller. Taking care not to let the lubrication get on the drive belt or the belt side of the clutch roller.

Again I thought I had solved the issue. And I had until the system acted up again.

Yes a little frustration began to blind me. Maybe I was all wrong. Perhaps I need to consider a linear drive system. But I persevered and again opened up the 4000MK2 wheel to discover the new failure..

The Drive Ring (an essential part of the Wheel Drive) was cracked.

Not just a little failure - TOTAL FAILURE. I know it is plastic and decays, but when you spend over $1,000 for a boat part, I do not expect to see this type of decay of a critical part in such a short time frame.

To add insult to the problem, these drive rings (part# A18076 ) are not easy to find. Our Seattle chandler has them as a "Special Order" item. I found 1 in Denmark @ 795 DKK, 1 in Nova Scotia @ $120 CDN but when you list as a US buyer it is :This item is currently out of stock. No ETA date available. and cost to ship "Priceless". When you search Defender they switch your search criteria to the electric motor A18086.

Clearly the supply chain for this part is either being tightly controlled by Raymarine or they have run out of production and want to push their in house repairs. My take on the issue is the wheel drive design is flawed. The plastic used for the extrusion was either too thin or the material absorbs water and fractures when in use. Raymarine is running out of the original production run and may eventually the part will be unobtainable.

In summary:
I did find a replacement part that just arrived for under $100. I have cleaned the insides of the Wheel Drive, applied a dry lube to the parts identified.

I installed the drive ring. This was a little tricky. There are 21 ball bearing balls that encircle the unit and are held between the back cover and the drive ring by 3 "wheel bearing clips".

To get these in place, I placed the drive ring on the back cover and slipped the 21 bearings into the space between the back cover and the drive ring. I then started to put the 3 wheel bearing clips on the bearings between the back cover and the drive ring. The clips slide over and snap into place over the bearings as you work your way around the drive wheel. It was really quite easy once you decode the design and how it fits together.

Joy was the drive ring smoothly rotating around on the back wheel cover when the clutch is released. When the clutch is tightened the belt grabs the drive ring and moves when the drive motor is powered.

I will have the unit back in service for my next cruise.

I may start to explore other options for a powered autopilot as this design has some serious design issues and lacks long term reliability.

 

[Tally Ho]

The older MK1 seems a bit more robust…at least the wheel drive.

Not sure if the 2 system use the same drive motor or not. I expect the Mk2 has updated electronics.

I rebuilt my drive motor and gearbox last year layover. Don’t open the gearbox if you have a faint heart…lots of little plastic gears in there!

My only issue with my AP is the clutch. It lifts up and disengages the clutch when the unit gets “dirty”.

About 2 times a year, I remove the wheel, open the drive wheel, clean & lubricate, and put it back together.

.


Greg

 

[Calif. Ted]

Over a month ago I was asked to look at a faulty wheeldrive, when I took it apart the bearings fell out and that black drive ring was fractured worse than yours. I told them we could try to repair if we can get the parts but probably best to just order a new drive. They ordered a new drive but it still hasn't been delivered, I have never seen one come apart so completely before.

 

[jssailem]

I agree I think the MK1 was more robust. I looked at an old AUTOHELM at a consignment shop. It had it's issue with some of the screws that were set into the outer covers.

The MK2 is all plastic. Lighter weight. The motor may be smaller. Not sure. There is likely no electronics in the Wheel Drive. Motor is DC and goes left or right depending on the positive or negative charge to the motor.

 

[jssailem]

They ordered a new drive

I'm not too surprised to hear it is on backorder. My guess Raymarine may be getting quite a few of these drives ordered as the design came out in 2015. I bought mine December 2015. My guess is there are a lot of them failing or about to fail. At $795 for a replacement drive wheel unit that is a big expense.

 

[jaysweet]

See this thread for pictures of my broken drive ring (and dust cover): ST4000+: RIP . I bought a replacement for the whole assembly (motor included) for $528. The new one is wonderfully quiet and non-squeaky, so it was money well spent as far as I'm concerned. My AP lasted for 17 years and always worked well (except for the squeaks). I suspect it was b/c we keep the whole pedestal covered 100% of the time with a canvas cover, so the AP is never truly out in the weather.

 

[SoSound]

Given where you sail and where and when you want to sail, I would think that you’d want something a little more robust in construction that a wheel pilot… we had a wheel pilot on our First 285 which was only ~6500 lbs. displacement (and it suffered some of the same failures). Our new 34 came with a B&G/Simrad linear AP. Having experienced the difference between the two, I’d never feel comfortable on a boat of our size with a wheel pilot again.
Not that I want to send you down the path toward an expensive upgrade, but I can think of plenty of inconvenient times, locations, and conditions where I would not want to experience a wheel pilot failure.

 

[Tally Ho]

There is likely no electronics in the Wheel Drive. Motor is DC and goes left or right depending on the positive or negative charge to the motor.

Right… I meant the computer is upgraded on the MK2.

When I retired my motor, I wasn’t thinking about polarity…took the boat out to check out the AP…and she would hold course for about 1 minute..then each correction went further and further off course uNeil the boat would Crazy Ivan.

Turned out I wired it backwards…so the computer said steer to port, but the. Otto steered to STB…the more the computer said “port”, the harder it turned to STB..

Once I realized I wired it backwards, it was easy to fix.

Greg

 

[MikeHoncho]

Hearing stories like this ( there are a lot of them when you search) steered me in the direction of a CPT.
the replacement cost of the part isn’t a big deal but it continued to be available is. You may want to consider picking up another one to have on hand.

 

[BigEasy]

Disappointment was that Raymarine redesigned the EV100 wheel pilot with a new course computer, compass, course controller, and motor; however, they didn't change the wheel mechanism. Just kept the same wheel as the 4000+ that has been a problem for years with breakage of the plastic parts.

 

[dLj]

Hearing stories like this ( there are a lot of them when you search) steered me in the direction of a CPT.
the replacement cost of the part isn’t a big deal but it continued to be available is. You may want to consider picking up another one to have on hand.

I quite like the CPT if one wants that kind of mechanism. I've spent a good number of miles on different boats running CPT's of various ages. Robust is a word that comes to mind. Also simple, but I've always felt simple is good...

dj

 

[jssailem]

I look at the CPT and agree with the simplicity and the engineering. What causes concern is the exposed belt and gears driving the wheel in the cockpit. There are already hazards galore in the cockpit that can grab you, your clothes or a sheet and gum up the works.

That is what leads me to consider a below deck linear system. Not that it is fool proof, but perhaps more robust and than the on the helm system.

It would be interesting to see if a more robust motor and wheel control system could be developed expanding on the already functional sensor and ACU-100 Actuator Control Unit.

 

[BigEasy]

It would be interesting to see if a more robust motor and wheel control system could be developed expanding on the already functional sensor and ACU-100 Actuator Control Unit.

Seems that is in the realm of possibility of Raymarine; just fabricate the internal components from metal and as you mentioned, a more robust motor. I believe I paid 1300 for the new wheel pilot a couple years ago. Would not have complained if it would have cost an additional $2-3 hundred for a better wheel mechanism instead of plastic.

 

[Head Sail]

I've had the EV-100 for maybe 6 years. The unit is intended for recreational not commercial use so the plastic wheel is not the most robust. I haven't put 2000 hrs on it but noticed early on the clutch engagement/disengagment must be done very deliberately. Forgeting to disengage is easy to do and the torque placed on the wheel may not be forgiving. Also, agree with @jaysweet, a pedestal cover is good preventative maintenance. I seem to recall wrapping the protective boot with stretchy electrical tape.

 

[Stu Jackson]

What causes concern is the exposed belt and gears driving the wheel in the cockpit. There are already hazards galore in the cockpit that can grab you, your clothes or a sheet and gum up the works.

I've had my ST3000 exposed belt for 24+ years, never got caught by it once. CPT is a great unit. I visited them in Aptos back when I lived in California.
Regarding getting stuck by belts: Put on my new inflatable life vest one day. As I turned from behind the wheel, something snagged, so I pulled harder, instead of figuring out what it was first. As I pulled, I heard this big loud POP! and the vest inflated! I looked down and saw the yellow handle, upon which is engraved: "Jerk to inflate" You betcha... There are things in the cockpit that are potential issues, but AP belts aren't one of them in my mind, because they are "inside" the wheel.

 

[jaysweet]

Interesting question: how hard would it be to have this black plastic ring made for you (out of metal, I mean), or to make one yourself, I wonder? For me, the rest of the unit has worked flawlessly for 17 years.

 

[SoSound]

Regarding getting stuck by belts: Put on my new inflatable life vest one day. As I turned from behind the wheel, something snagged, so I pulled harder, instead of figuring out what it was first. As I pulled, I heard this big loud POP! and the vest inflated! I looked down and saw the yellow handle, upon which is engraved: "Jerk to inflate" You betcha...

Steering off topic slightly…. . I had my PFD inflate when the handle got caught in a 35 lb. crab pot that I had just over the side of a friends boat one day . Luckily I stayed on board and didn’t actually need the newly inflated life vest.

 

[jeepbluetj]

Given where you sail and where and when you want to sail, I would think that you’d want something a little more robust in construction that a wheel pilot… we had a wheel pilot on our First 285 which was only ~6500 lbs. displacement (and it suffered some of the same failures). Our new 34 came with a B&G/Simrad linear AP. Having experienced the difference between the two, I’d never feel comfortable on a boat of our size with a wheel pilot again.
Not that I want to send you down the path toward an expensive upgrade, but I can think of plenty of inconvenient times, locations, and conditions where I would not want to experience a wheel pilot failure.

Me too. Old boat had an old ST4000 wheelpilot that the computer fried on. I built a new one and used the old wheel drive. It worked, was loud, and required lots of hand-holding to keep the drive alive.

New boat has a below-deck linear drive AP.

The difference is massive. It's absolutely silent. It works every time. I haven't needed to mess with it once. I understand the cost difference, but if one is singlehanding a lot, the boat is > 30 ft or so, or lots of miles/yr on the boat the linear drive is the way to go.

Back to wheelpilots:
Seems that a halfway decent machine shop could machine that ring out of AL pretty easily. Heck, a hobby CNC could likely do it too.

 

[Bob J.]

Thanks for putting this up.
After reading this can't you tell how happy I am that I put one of these on this year...
At least now I have a real trouble shooting guide to refer to

 

[dLj]

New boat has a below-deck linear drive AP.

The difference is massive. It's absolutely silent. It works every time. I haven't needed to mess with it once. I understand the cost difference, but if one is singlehanding a lot, the boat is > 30 ft or so, or lots of miles/yr on the boat the linear drive is the way to go.

I can't agree more!

Back to wheelpilots:
Seems that a halfway decent machine shop could machine that ring out of AL pretty easily. Heck, a hobby CNC could likely do it too.

Not sure I'd use Aluminum. I might go buy a sheet of Delrin and have a machine shop build one out of that material - but you'd also have to address the gear material on the motor. Might be better to upgrade both.... Just a thought.

dj