Autohelm 6000 drive maintenance / rebuild?

[Barry Kaplan]

My drive unit sounds like it is filled with sand. Its painful to hear
and produces quite a lot of drag. I would like to take it apart and
see what can be done (clean and grease?). But after a quick look I see
no way to take it apart. The only evidence that its not a sealed box
is that little round plug with two small pin holes. The manual is of
no help.

Does anybody have any insight on these units?

-barry

[John Baudendistel]

Barry,

 

See the Raymarine vendor across the street from Svendsen's in Alameda, CA.  They rebuilt Jean's some years ago.  They can be taken apart but it is a bit tricky and the roller balls go everywhere. 

Give me a call if you do not know where they are at. 

 

John B. 

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[Michael Moradzadeh]

If it is the same or similar vintage mine was:

a.  Remove the plug.  It unscrews with a tiny trammel or with the ends of a needlenose pliers
b.  Under the plug will be a nut or a screw.  Unscrew it.  It will come off a threaded rod
c.  Now the two halves of the main housing will come apart.  Be careful not to yank them, as you do not want to break any wire connections

Okay, now it's open.  My memory is hazy here as I have not had mine open for years.  However, you should see some gearing or a cog to drive the actuator, and a motor, and circuitry.  Obviously, the sound is coming from the moving parts.  Use a flexible tube as a stethescope and locate the problem.

Then, do the right thing.

Back in the day, the tech guys at Raymarine were pretty forthcoming with diagrams and the like.

[Donal Botkin]

I completely rebuilt mine and learned two very important lessons: first, a large sheet of plastic film is essential to avoid lost balls; and, stacking greased ball bearings is easier than I thought. More later. 

Donal Botkin

View[+]Finder

1 Peninsula Rd Gate B

Belvedere, CA  94920

--

[Barry Kaplan]

Donal, did you have issues with the clutch? Did you have to replace
any parts? (Yea, yea, I know you said more later. But we want more
now! ;-)

I'm pretty sure I'm gonna replace the drive with an Octopus unit
(http://www.octopusmarine.ca/content/products-and-services/linear-
actuators.htm). But I'll still take the autohelm apart just to see if
I can fix it. Could it keep it as a spare (a 20 year old spare, pretty
scary.)

-barry

[Donal Botkin]

There was a broken ball bearing in the worm drive that was the source of the noise. The actual name is "recirculating ball drive" and, yes the balls will recirculate all over your floor when you take it apart. (hence the plastic sheet)
You will need to find a source for replacement bearings (they come in any size you need) and use the grease to convince them to stay put during assembly. It worked for me from San Fran to NZ.
Good luck,
Donal

View[ + ]Finder
Donal Botkin
1 Peninsula Rd, Gate-B
Belvedere, CA. 94920

[Donal Botkin]

I thought there was a clutch issue, but it turned out to be broken bearings in the worm drive.
D

View[ + ]Finder
Donal Botkin
1 Peninsula Rd, Gate-B
Belvedere, CA. 94920

On Aug 4, 2010, at 19:08, Barry Kaplan <mem...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Michael]

Yes, those passports can be real ball breakers. Same problem here.

If it's only one, you can even leave it out, but it's better to replace it..

M

[Jeff and Jane Woodward]

 
We have an Octopus linear hydraulic drive married to a RayMarine computer, compass and follow-up.  Works great.
 
Jeff
Adagio

 
> From: wcx...@gmail.com
> To: mem...@gmail.com
> Subject: Re: [Passport] Re: Autohelm 6000 drive maintenance / rebuild?
> Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2010 22:38:46 -0700
> CC: Passpor...@googlegroups.com
>
> I thought there was a clutch issue, but it turned out to be broken bearings in the worm drive.

>

[Barry Kaplan]

Wow. Thanks to all. I'm now much more motivated to open up the unit. I
was hoping it would be simply bearing grease, but of course from the
way it sounds a broken bearing could certainly be the problem, as
could a sticking clutch.

I did speak to Reliable Electronics and they seemed pretty confident
they could fix it, but at a cost of about 4 hours labor plus parts. So
now I'm half way into the Octopus drive. But with "Jean's Drive-Parts
R-US" in business just down the dock from me I may let Reliable
Electronics have a shot at it if turns out not to be simply bearings.

cheers!
-barry

[Robert C. Young]

Didn't raymarine acquire autohelm as well as continue the identical
manufacturing of this arm? I think they did and this might be an easy swap.
Bob

cheers!
-barry

--

[Barry Kaplan]

On Aug 5, 5:48 am, "Robert C. Young" <rcyo...@optonline.net> wrote:
> Didn't raymarine acquire autohelm as well as continue the identical
> manufacturing of this arm? I think they did and this might be an easy swap.

Sure, the Raymarine unit would plug right in. But if I go with a new
drive it won't another mechanical.

-barry

[Donal Botkin]

We keep using the word "bearings" and I don't think it means what some of us are thinking. The worm drive is coupled to the actuator (the back and forth motion) by balls, lots of balls. The same as used in a "ball bearing" but with a somewhat different function. The rebuild will be a fun evening where you learn something and end up covered in grease. Plus, even if the drive never goes sailing again, you'll have the pleasure of examining a really cool invention: the recirculating ball drive.
Donal

View[ + ]Finder
Donal Botkin
1 Peninsula Rd, Gate-B
Belvedere, CA. 94920

[Michael]

As in, "the bearing of your bearing has little bearing on bearing your
bearing?"

or, in other words, how you carry a load-supporting device is irrelevant
to producing the direction in which you are headed?

Michael
1984 Passport 40 bearing the name Cayenne

[jean nicca]

Owners of Autohelm 6000 linear drive units...........
 
I have an Autohelm 6000 linear drive unit that I bought new and installed in 1987.  When I got to New Zealand in 1996, I had the Autohelm shop in Auckland 'rebuild' the unit.  I was told that the only thing changed out was the drive belt.  After arriving here in 2006 I took the unit to Reliable Electronics.  They said that the brushes were worn and that Raytheon did not stock parts for old units.  So, I found a company locally that makes electrical brushes.  I had them custom make two for me.....  well, they made 25 brushes since it took no more expense to make so many.  Soooooo, I have about 20 brushes for the Autohelm 6000 linear drive unit.  If you think you need brushes for your old Autohelm linear drive unit, let me know since I have more of these brushes than the entire Raytheon company has.  Incidentally, Reliable Electronics did a great job of analyzing the problem and putting the unit back together.  They are located just across the street from Svend's in Alameda.
 
Jean     Passport 42           PEREGRINE

 
> Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2010 19:08:09 -0700

> Subject: [Passport] Re: Autohelm 6000 drive maintenance / rebuild?

> From: mem...@gmail.com
> To: Passpor...@googlegroups.com

[Barry Kaplan]

I brought my drive over to Reliable to ask a question about the bearings on the worm gear, but they had never taken on apart. But while I was there I mentioned that my drive seemed to make to much noise. Immediately they pulled three others out and demonstrated that the sound is normal. Cool. 

In any case, after taking the whole unit apart I can find no real internal wear. The drive clearly needs the same maintenance as any winch however. Which makes me wonder why Raymarine insists that the drives are not end-user serviceable. Utter nonsense. They are trivially simple. 

[Barry Kaplan]

Does anybody know where I can a replacement belt? The label is Uniroyall 36008. I have not yet been able to find one yet in my google searches.

[Barry Kaplan]

Not a good day for me. After a few hours getting the ball bearings to stay in place long enough to get screw back, and then after hammering 

the screw retaining pin back in (which took hours get out) I go and pull the rod out too far while testing only to have a score ball bearings come

bouncing out.

Maybe I will rethink a whole new bracket for a hydraulic drive.

[Donal Botkin]

The trick is to coat the parts with grease. That way the bearings behave themselves. 

Donal Botkin

View[+]Finder

1 Peninsula Rd Gate B

Belvedere, CA  94920

--

[Barry Kaplan]

Yes, I took that advice from the start. Thanks. Actually without grease it would not even be possible. I had it all together correctly but pulled the actuator out a bit too far and  the bearings were no longer held in place by the threaded rod. 

So, I took it all apart again, scolded the bearings, then got them all back into their spots. I think they were not at all contrite. Bearings these days just don't have respect. Clearly a sign or our deteriorating societal morals.

In the end, the drive doesn't have much different feel than before.

I still need to find some way to determine if this is a type 1 or type 2 drive.

[Judith Perkins]

Or a Type A or Type B personality???????????
 

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Date: Sun, 15 May 2011 14:13:16 -0700
From: mem...@gmail.com
To: Passpor...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [Passport] Re: Autohelm 6000 drive maintenance / rebuild?

[John Warren]

I thought the difference between Type I and Type II was simply the length of the drive arm...not sure.  Why don't you just call Raytheon/Autohelm or whoever owns the company now?

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From: passpor...@googlegroups.com [mailto:passpor...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Judith Perkins
Sent: Sunday, May 15, 2011 3:27 PM
To: passpor...@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: [Passport] Re: Autohelm 6000 drive maintenance / rebuild?