Spare Auto Pilots

Discussions regarding electronics, gear and other equipment of maintenance issues that ARE NOT SPECIFIC to a certain PDQ model yacht
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Spare Auto Pilots

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Spare Auto Pilots

Posted by Roger Ford (Kokomo) on February 05, 2003 at 06:14:00:

I have the ST4000 Raytheon WheelPilot on our PDQ36. Have any of you experienced
failures with this unit? What failed? Would you recommend carring an entire unit
as a spare or, just belt and motor?
Thanks in advance ...

Follow Ups:

Re: Spare Auto Pilots Colin Swithenbank 20:19:16 02/06/03 (0)
So has the 4000+ corrected those problems? Roger 08:52:18 02/06/03 (0)
Re: ST4000 WARNING - 05:07:17 02/06/03 (1)
Re: Spare Auto Pilots Marc Gershel 17:12:48 02/05/03 (1)

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Re: Spare Auto Pilots

Posted by Colin Swithenbank on February 06, 2003 at 20:19:00:
In Reply to: Re: Spare Auto Pilots posted by Marc Gershel on February 05, 2003
at 17:12:00:


Roger: I'd like to echo the concerns of the previous responses. My unit was
factory installed in 1996 and is probably the 4000. It is not well designed. We
have experienced all the problems already described

1,2. The clutch release system is not strong enough for the strain. In six
seasons cruising we have had the both the plastic clutch lever and its retaining
pin break more than once. We carry spares of both which I got inexpensively
without difficulty from Raytheon, Manchester NH. (The last parts I got from GEM:[/i]

Ph. 834-394-3565. Part number for the belt is D169)
3. The plastic wheels inside the unit break off, partially because it is a
little tricky to get the two halves apart. The first time I bought a new casting
($350??). The second time I drilled and bolted the broken wheel back in place
and now carry a set of the very precise nuts and bolts required

4. On the last trip the belt started breaking up. We made it home OK, but the
instructions with the new belt said they should be replaced every 200 hours. I
had not previously seen this requirement. On long trips, belt life can be
extended by turning the unit off and on again maybe twice a day. This moves the
belt around a few degrees to even out the wear

As pointed out in the previous response, failure of the clutch locks the wheel,
always at the most inconvenient time (we were just coming into the cut into
Little Harbor, Abacos from the ocean). There are then two ways to steer. a

Force the wheel by brute force. b. Press and hold the 10degree turn button until
the desired change in rudder setting is achieved. Its kinda hairraisin the first
time you do it

When I called Raytheon for parts and described my problems the technician stated
that the 4000 was designed only for occasional weekend use

I would not select this unit again. Maybe the 4000+ is better

Colin
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