Drive Unit, Spare Parts, and Tips

We have posted a new parts diagram and are still planning a repair and maintenence page. Still waiting for the engineers to come up with that one.

The new parts guide includes photos of the newer drive and a listing of the older parts.

http://www.hobiecat.com/support/pdfs/Mi ... _Parts.pdf

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

I'll add a newbie comment to this discussion and a suggestion for Matt.

I've alredy e-mailed to Hobie that their tension adjustment instructions (p4 Mirage Operations Manual) are horrible.

The pics in the Parts (one page download) for the 80010 Mirage Drive Parts pdf are better, but not very descriptive.I'm still unsure where the tension adjustment nut is from the pics (Maybe when I get the drive I'll be able to figure it out).

I'd like to suggest to Matt that Hobie redo the Drive Parts pdf. Put in more pics, maybe pic with engineering drawing for non engineers,show, assembly, disassembly, etc. A little color coding wouldn't hurt either.

With some maintenace guidelines, plus repairs that can be made at sea, versus those recommended dry land only, etc.

Hints about getting a unit with a broken, bend blade removed would be helpful rather than trying to figure it out underwater with goggles on.

Regarding maintenance and repairs, I am NOT near a dealer. Guys & gals that are not, need some real info they can work with.

BTW Rnykster what do you carry for onboard repairs? I know from past experiences of banging up my OC-1 rudder, I'll plow into a corral head here in Hawaii sooner or later.

Edit

Edit Sorry Matt didn't see your msg on page 3. That's the PDF I'm referring to.

Aloha

Dan

Dan, from past experience with drive unit failures of various sorts, and hidden submerged objects bending the flipper rods, it is no fun being stuck with the daunting task of fixing the problem in perhaps adverse conditions like cold temperatures, swift current, strong wind, big waves, etc. As a form of personal insurance, I invested in a second drive unit and never go pedal kayaking without it. It has already come in quite handy. I still carry some spare parts as well. Some people may think this is going to the extreme, but that is the way I kayak. That is probably why my unit breaks down more often.

Your series of posts on this topic has been very informative. Being in the position to directly compare and extensively "test" the old style stainless/aluminum drive against the new composite model, how would you campare them? I get the impression that you find the older unit more reliable and durable so far.

No doubt, the new drives would have some small weight advantage (and perhaps a manufacturing cost savings). But the older units appear smoother running, less prone to flexing, chain skipping and the ravages of mud and sand. Shaving a few ounces is nice, but at what cost? Surely, there must be some net performance gain from the improved drives? Matt, perhaps you would also be willing to elaborate on this??

My older (2001) drives have been 100% trouble free (but not as worn as yours). The new Adventure (on order) will arrive with the current "state of the art" drive. I've also ordered a set of the big fins for the new drive. But I'm wondering if one of the older drive units would hold up better under the higher demand (providing the fins could be retrofitted).

In any event Rnykster, thanks for sharing your experiences on this matter!

Happy Holidays Roadrunner! Having swapped out the old and new drive units on many different trips, I can say from experience, that the older drive unit seems to be much easier to pedal, and smoother flowing.

The only chain skipping I've had was with the older unit as well as sand destroying the bushings. Avoid exposing the unit to dirt and sand, meaning, before you beach it or go into shallow area, physically remove the drive unit from its slot.

I've considered ordering an Adventure because I did start a wish list a while back that asked for what the Adventure delivers. I was in Tallahassee last month and was sad to hear there were no Adventure kayaks available and that production for the month was already presold. Hobie must be doing well with this model. But, there hasn't been enough feedback for me to make the plunge yet. Last I read, someone was happy getting 3 or 3.5 mph speed in their Adventure. Heck, I get 3.5-4.5 mph now in the Outback. I was hoping the Adventure would produce 4.5-5.5 mph average speeds. Just the hull shape changes should deliver about 1 mph more avg speed than the Outback. I'm really interested in how the power flapper perform in terms of increase in speed vs effort vs cadence necessary to comfortably pedal the kayak. Let me know how your Adventure performs.

Gad I hope not. Stuff I was reading was 5-7 using GPS.

Can you post a source?

Hi Rnykster; From what I now read, there must have been several of us bugging Hobie for a longer, faster kayak, so I was pretty motivated to try one when a local demo became available. Like you, I didn't want to spend that much money without first having some seat time. I reported on that experience earlier, so there's no sense repeating it. I'm anxious to test it out when it arrives and will report in detail how it feels!

Frankly, I'm just as excited about the new "megafins". It was really a bonus that a pre-production set was available to try out with the Adventure. My impression is that they were made for each other! I hope I'm not exagerating here when I campare it to putting a Hemi in your Dodge. For me, it created a new dimension of performance. How these will perform on the other hulls, I couldn't say; it may not be as dramatic, but it should certainly be noticable.

All this power isn't free, of course. These fins can cook your muscles real fast! You stronger peddlers will see a lot more benefit from them than most of us. In fact, for long term cruising, these may or may not prove advantageous. In any event, I'll report on these also whenever they arrive. As I now underatand it, they will support the old and new drives, so I'll probably set them up on one of the older units to minimize drive friction.

Aloha Dan, I don't think we'll be disappointed in the Adventure's speed. If someone was only doing 3 to 3.5 mph, it was probably on their GPS against the current. It's a little deceptive though. The Adventure doesn't send out as much spray against the swell as the other Hobies; it has more tendency to cut through than smack the water. Likewise, it doesn't create as much wake, so you don't get the sensation of speed as when you churn through the water. You could say the hull feels a little more stealthy and refined as it glides along. To use another old car analogy, it's sort of like moving from a VW to a Mercedes.

Yup. "Just cruzin under pedal power was 3.2 to 3.5. I was happy," by kytflyr on 10-9-05 under Field Testing Adventure. I'm interested in the cruising speed that can be maintained for 6 hours.

Thanks. Seems like what shape your in is going to count heavy.

If you'll start a Conditioning Cruising/Racing thread I can contribute from my outrigger experiences..

For the entire year, every trip I made in the Outback, I carried a spare drive unit. Only on this short 4 mile trip did I not bother bring a spare unit. You know Murphy's law. I only had my turbo fins (Masts) for about two weeks before the plastic housing broke in two. It took a much longer time to paddle in the two foot waves with a 15 mph headwind to get back.

When I first installed the turbo fins, they appeared to not fit. The notch in the fin did not match the location of the chain. My original masts fit snuggly into the housing while there was an inch gap between the housing and the top of the Turbo Fin. The instructions were pitiful for installing the turbo fins. It didn't matter which way I rotated the steel mast, it did not seem to seat properly. I could not easily tell if the set screw was in the properly location and lined up. I tried installing the fins several times with no luck of making them fit properely.

Well, I got the replacement part for the item that broke in two. During replacement of the parts, I learned why the parts are squealing again. The round shaft is becoming oval. It is wore out. The pedals on my first drive unit, don't turn any more. The pedals on my second drive unit, look like they are about to fall off. The end caps have fallen off and there is little rust left.

I haven't been able to use my Outback since it broke on June 3rd - still waiting on parts. In the mean time, I've discovered the joy of kayaking again in shallow waters using a paddle kayak. I'm thinking about getting rid of my Outback. Anyone interested in buying a leaky Outback with a good sail, and two Drive Units that don't work?

Hi Rynkster,

I'm sure sorry to hear of your bad luck with the drives. A 45 day wait for parts should be unnecessary. At the very least they should give you a loaner drive!

I have three drives; two that date from 2000 and the new one this January which has been running with Turbofins since March. I have to say I've been pretty lucky in the maintenance dept -- 0 failures in over 5 years.

One thing that has helped a lot though has been maintenance. The drives have always been inspected, rinsed and lubed with BreakFree after every use. They have also been kept out of the sand and mud. All the pedals spin, no squeeks, no rust and absolutely no problems with the Turbofins so far (once the spotty instructions were figured out). They cruise in the 5 to 5.5 mph range (with the Adventure) and sprint whenever I can catch a wake to ride, so they take a lot of stress.

Even the best maintenance program doesn't necessarily prevent failures, but well oiled gear can really make a difference in the long run. I hope Hobie gets you up and running ASAP!

What parts are you waiting for?

I am not aware of any shortages.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

I do keep them well maintained, rinsed, and lubed. Most of my down time has been to part failures (breaking). The other issue, wearing out I believe is related to the waters around here, which are quite turbid meaning there is a lot of silt and grit and sand wearing down the parts much more than in an area that might have clear water.

After taking my unit apart to replace the broken sprocket, I discovered why it my drive unit was beginning to squeal. The sprocket shaft was wearing down (becoming oval).

I ordered a new sprocket shaft and left/right pedal crank assemblies to replace the pedals that are about to fail. Still waiting on them. But, I really don't care when they get here now. I have discovered the joy of paddling in shallow areas again in my old paddle kayak.

Was out playing in the surf about a week ago and unfortunately, I hear a pop and then the drive unit doesn't work right. This is the second drive unit this has happened on, out of two. You might get your designers to figure out a fix to the problem. I did try to tighten the bolts and loosen the bolts to reduce the small gap problem, with no luck before the unit broke. No biggie, I just junked the quick release pedal adjustments replacing it with bolts. Good thing I had a backup drive unit with me...