SF Bay Area tiller pilot repair
- Thread starter PSR
- Start date
Thanks John. $300 to repair is almost 75% of the price of a new one at MarineScreens ($419). I just ordered a new one, so the old one will be a backup when it’s repaired. Maybe if I take it apart the old one can be fixed at home....
It comes apart easily and they do price the repair right at the point where you wonder fix or new. Have you looked into the Pelagic autopilot, I hear good things it is a local to SF made doodad.
I thought about the Pelagic, and I think it is probably better (clean, robust, better controls) than the st-2000. But it’s priced at $895. The st-2000 has worked well for 5 years, and it’s 1/2 the price. At 75 I’m hoping with good fortune for 10 more years of sailing on the bay. The st-2000s will probably serve me adequately. Thanks for the thoughts!
Simon says.
What they look like inside.
Belt replacement
replacement belts
45 minute job to replace belt. Even faster for a technician at Raymarine who has done it before.
This is another case where a company makes it almost more expensive to repair than to buy new.
No accident that.
gary
What they look like inside.
Belt replacement
replacement belts
45 minute job to replace belt. Even faster for a technician at Raymarine who has done it before.
This is another case where a company makes it almost more expensive to repair than to buy new.
No accident that.
gary
Thanks for all this, Gary. I appreciate the belt replacement video especially. It demystifies service, etc. So good to see what you need to do before opening the black box. No water intrusion in mine. It put itself hard over trying to maintain course while I was dropping the main in 20 knots and the boat blew off the wind. “A” for effort, but the motor just kept pushing. Afterward there is a lot of rattling and grinding noise as the pilot does its work. Probably not the belt, but maybe the gears. I’ll bring it home to the shop & look inside tonight. Thanks again for the excellent links !!
Peter
Hi Peter.
Lots of these types of posts (someone has a problem) just peter out without any resolution.
i love reading how people finally sort things out.
So, Don't forget to let us know about the new purchase and the repair.
It can be really useful information for someone down the road.
gary
Lots of these types of posts (someone has a problem) just peter out without any resolution.
i love reading how people finally sort things out.
So, Don't forget to let us know about the new purchase and the repair.
It can be really useful information for someone down the road.
gary
Lots of water under the keel since this thread ended. I finally opened the old st2000, and this is what I found:
No teeth missing on the belts, but all the pieces of plastic/rubber chewed up and spit out by the machine. I’ve written to RayMarine’s American support for advice. Any thoughts or advice?
No teeth missing on the belts, but all the pieces of plastic/rubber chewed up and spit out by the machine. I’ve written to RayMarine’s American support for advice. Any thoughts or advice?
Hi PSR.
In your first post you mentioned a distressing noise.
Would this be it?
My original repair was a piece of 5 mm (1/4 inch) wetsuit neoprene to replace the flimsy piece of chewed up plastic washer.
It solved the cushioning problem but the noise (and rattle) remained.
I found that the plastic bearing housing that prevents the bearing from moving forward with the drive rod had a small ( i mean really under-engineered small) lip that had disintegrated.
That was amongst the pieces floating around inside the case.
Luckily there is a 1mm groove in the drive rod and ifyou make up a simple aluminum washer that slips into the groove you can lock the bearing in place.
I made one from scratch. Draw a circle on a piece of ali. Drilled a hole. Cut out the ali with a hacksaw. Cut the slot. File round and file thickness.
It is about a 1 hour job.
materials.
a small piece of 2mm aluminum. a little larger than a dime.
A 6 mm drill
a hacksaw
a small file.
This is not a good video as I was trying a head mounted camera for the first (and last time)
But it will give you a basic guide.
All the best
gary
In your first post you mentioned a distressing noise.
Would this be it?
My original repair was a piece of 5 mm (1/4 inch) wetsuit neoprene to replace the flimsy piece of chewed up plastic washer.
It solved the cushioning problem but the noise (and rattle) remained.
I found that the plastic bearing housing that prevents the bearing from moving forward with the drive rod had a small ( i mean really under-engineered small) lip that had disintegrated.
That was amongst the pieces floating around inside the case.
Luckily there is a 1mm groove in the drive rod and ifyou make up a simple aluminum washer that slips into the groove you can lock the bearing in place.
I made one from scratch. Draw a circle on a piece of ali. Drilled a hole. Cut out the ali with a hacksaw. Cut the slot. File round and file thickness.
It is about a 1 hour job.
materials.
a small piece of 2mm aluminum. a little larger than a dime.
A 6 mm drill
a hacksaw
a small file.
This is not a good video as I was trying a head mounted camera for the first (and last time)
But it will give you a basic guide.
All the best
gary
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