Whitlock Mamba drive motor repair or replacement

[discovery]

On our 2002 passagec456 Our St 7000+ raymarine auto pilot is paired to a mamba drive unit and a smart pilot 400 course computer. It does not respond initially at start up and requires 15 minutes of warm up and key hitting before starts working. I can source a new used course computer but has.anyone had experience with repair or sourcing a pre owned drive unit? The lewmar units are crazy expensive.

 

[sail sfbay]

Had to replace the Raymarine linear drive since the clutch failed. Had to purchase a new one since I could not source a used one. Cost was $2000 plus Raymarine tech labor.

 

[artboas]

I really don’t think this is a mechanical drive problem.
Having said that, the drive is easy to test.
There are 4 wires: 2 clutch, and 2 motor
The clutch are the smaller wires.
With a fused 12v source, apply voltage to the motor wires. You should immediately hear the motor running, but the output shaft won’t spin.
Next do the same thing, and while the motor is running, connect the clutch wires to the same 12 v source. The shaft should start to spin.
If the drive passes this test, I’d look at the core pack itself.

 

[discovery]

I really don’t think this is a mechanical drive problem.
Having said that, the drive is easy to test.
There are 4 wires: 2 clutch, and 2 motor
The clutch are the smaller wires.
With a fused 12v source, apply voltage to the motor wires. You should immediately hear the motor running, but the output shaft won’t spin.
Next do the same thing, and while the motor is running, connect the clutch wires to the same 12 v source. The shaft should start to spin.
If the drive passes this test, I’d look at the core pack itself.

Ok thanks
If it's the course computer, seems strange that it will work after its been powered up for a half hour or so?

 

[S/V Talisa]

@discovery - Is your Raymarine drive the type that sits inside the pedestal? There are some known issues with this drive that I have been pushing Raymarine to acknowledge for some time now.