Drive Unit, Spare Parts, and Tips

I REALLY hate having to paddle the Outback about 9 miles in 3 foot seas to get back to the launch site, against current, because some yahoo at Hobie used a knife to cut my brand new rubber mast to make it fit. If I want to go paddling, I leave the Outback at home.

Sounds like you think I'm over dramatic, right? Let me elaborate. I always experience a brief moment of chaos when a drive unit breaks. First there is the lost of stability due to unexpected free-finning (for lack of a better term) of a broken unit. Once you catch your balance, if you didn't fall overboard from the initial break, one needs to act immediately to try to keep what components are left from falling off the drive unit and sinking to the bottom. In those few precious seconds, current can move a kayak quite a distance.

If a person is preoccupied with the drive unit for a few seconds, that is all it takes to miss seeing a large wave that could be about to break on you, and there you are, momentarily without any control. We haven't even gotten to the point of grabbing for the paddle yet. I can only imagine the increase in danger for those living near rocky shores or where currents can flow as fast or faster than one can kayak. It is a scary thought to think of kayaking in Hawaii, where waves can probably crush you. Aloha Dan! I'd really hate to see someone get hurt or die due to parts breaking.

It isn't that I hate paddling (just went out on a 20 mile paddle this past weekend), I'm getting tired of the Outback Drive Units breaking every few months. Hobie's drive unit design changes need to be thoroughly tested BEFORE they are released to the public.

and to think I have two mirage drive boats to consider outfitting with spares and repair kits if I move to coast.... Keep us posted Rnykster.

I went out for a midnight pedal to watch the local New Year's Eve fireworks from the best viewing spot there is - on the water. 20 minutes into the trip to the viewing spot comes that dreaded sound of "POP," that sound of another snapping chain cable. Arrrrrr! This time it snapped during easy pedaling. Matt, these parts need to be stronger to handle the regular stresses of the turbofins!

Even thought I had a spare drive unit, I needed to have those turbofins working because current was going to be real (bleep) on the way back due to recent heavy rains and tidal change. I doubt I would have been able to go upstream against the current using just a paddle. Believe it or not, even though it was dark outside, in less than 5 minutes, I had replaced the broken chain cable and was pedaling again.

Word of wisdom to new Mirage owners - if you want to get back to your launch site without assistance from others (friends with boats or the Coast Guard), never go on a trip without having replacement parts and the proper tools to fix the drive unit. Trust me, if you pedal your Mirage unit about once a week like I do, based on experience, it is going to break.

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I've had really good luck with the Turbo fins "depowered". While Jeanne and I were touring Flaming Gorge Reservoir (never run out of room...it's 97 miles long), I experienced the clicking-grinding condition that many have mentioned. It was the edge of a thunderstorm and we were getting beat up in some wind and waves. We got to an island and I worked on my drive.

I found two problems:

1. I had been playing with the sail pitch, and had "tightened" it more than my usual setting. If it's too tight, all the energy seems to be going into driving the fins against each other....but not so good forward. VERY high load in the system, when they drive against each other.
If you are strong, you may be able to keep going with the fins set in "exercise machine" mode....(small joke, there). I know that large sailboat props use very shallow pitch, because they don't reach planing speed. If you are going to pedal FAST you need to reduce the pitch, not tighten it.

2. I had done a little maintenance on the chains and "readjusted" them. OOPS...just a tiny bit too tight and they grind and click.

After resetting to my old positions, we had a great day on the water and still no problems with my drives. I have the old metal sprocket drives, by the way, and love them. I'm sure part of the reason mine are reliable is my senior citizen status....but without these Mirage drives, Jeanne and I couldn't be out there.

Happy New Year to all.

Word of wisdom to new Mirage owners - if you want to get back to your launch site without assistance from others (friends with boats or the Coast Guard), never go on a trip without having replacement parts and the proper tools to fix the drive unit. Trust me, if you pedal your Mirage unit about once a week like I do, based on experience, it is going to break.[/quote]


Rnykster,
Do you think you could provide a necessary spare parts list for us newbees? I just bought 2 revolutions and haven't even picked them up yet. Now I'm thinking maybe I made a big mistake and should had gone with a regular paddle yak or even a porta-bote.

I'm gonna bite the big one and purchase an entire unit w/turbo... My concerns now are that the '05 drive will have to be reworked due to the differences in parts... that way there are spare parts for the spares.... Rnykster, I've fought the tide both ways on the outlet from Wolf Bay to get a few casts on the jetties.... I could not have paddled my Outback thru that pass.. Maybe the Revo, but I didn't purchase a pedal yak to paddle it.

I would get the Mirage drive spare parts kit, available thru your dealer. I use my revolution at least twice a week with turbo fins, in the gulf bottom fishing in 4-6 waves, 15 mph sea breeze in the summer, the winter months I am fishing the local creeks and residential canals catching trout and reds. I would consider myself rough on the unit and kayak compared to other people around here and I have had no problems what so ever. I always run into something fishing shallow water, fins myself "short stepping" and much as I can get a full stroke out of it somedays. I don't think there is anything wrong with the drive units, I have never adjusted my chain tension, the only thing I do is give it a shot of fresh water when I get back to the house, that is if its not to late!

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Guess I will have to look into getting a "spare parts kit" to cary along. I hope it is not as expensive as trying to get new rudder strings. When I went to Bay Cats to get them I found out that Hobie only sells a kit for $80. with the tubes, string, inserts and little bungies as a package.

Thanks for the info Sunjammers. I see your an authorized dealer. Can you give us an idea of the cost of a "spare parts kit"?

I've been reading these posts with interest. I just got a new AI and love it. It is my first experience with a kayak and with the Mirage drive. So far there have been no problems. There was no infomation in the material I got from the dealer about proper maintenance and care of the drive. I've been reading different posts and see different information. Some people say just rinse it off. Some say use WD-40. Some say silicone spray. As a newbie, I would really appreciate hearing what you guys recommend that have had and used these units for awhile. Is there anything I need to be careful NOT to do? Thanks in advance.

David

After use I flush with fresh water and spray any metal with WD40. I lube the chain part once in awhile. periodically check nuts for tightness (do not over tighten them).

Only problem I ever had was the set screw being too lose on the sail mast. Could have been when I swapped out the old fins for turbos. I also had a pedal come off it's shaft. I could live with that to get back in. Hobie replaced pedal unit portion of drive.

I do carry:

a. Extra set screws.
b.Extra chain
c.Extra idle cable
d. Extra sproket
e. Extra nuts, allen wrench, and bolt wrench for a.b.c. above.

Reading between the lines you find people like Roadrunner and myself with very few if any problems. Other seem to have a lot of them. Why the differences?

1 Is it care?
2. Is it environment (lot of banging on bottom, etc)?
3. Is it the settings of the drive? Here I'm thinking improper leg length setting so the fins slam into the hull. Maybe chain tension as mentioned above.

Or the reverse of luck? The opposite of good operation as described by Nassim Taleb's " Fooled by Randomness". Small potential failure that normally doesn't bother 99% of the populace, but can hit an individual 10 years in a row.

_________________

Thanks for the info AlohaDan - you saved me a lot of time. I appreciate not having to learn it the hard way.

Thanks again -

David

Thanks for the info AlohaDan. I agree, as I read thru the posts some seem to have no problems and some seem to have lots. I've noticed that same thing on most any other site concerning many different things, from computers to fishing gear. Why that is I have no idea. I'm trying to learn as much as possible as fast as possible about these yaks as I will be picking mine up soon and want to get anything else I may need while there for a month long trip to Fla. in March. Of course I would love to have no problems at all, but for me, I've learned that if I don't have it I WILL need it. (when it comes to fixing mechinical things especially). I did find a repair kit on line that includes the stuff you mentioned(I think) for $95 (grenade to the stomach), so that answers my question on cost. Thanks againg for the info.

Aloha, Dan. The waters around here are very turbid meaning there is a high amount of grit in the water. This might explain why my metal shafts get pitted and eventually starts grinding with squeals after time. My fins never drag the bottom as I learned long ago to take them out before reaching the shore.

As for leg length, my inseam is long, so I take the full depth of pedal stroke and come real close to hitting the bottom of the kayak with the fins, but just short. New Mirage owners need to be aware that if there is a lot of bend in the knee at the end of the stroke, it may make your knees hurt. Legs should be about straight at the end of a stroke.

My chain cables keep breaking due to rust in the crimp areas. Guess I need to get a water pick to blow out the salt water in those hard to get places, eh?

I average about 500-800 miles a year in my Outback which is probably a wee bit more mileage than most Mirage owners put in.

Adjusting the drive unit itself after having replaced a part is a learning experience. Adjusting the tension on one of the three cables can change the tension on the others. I've had to learn it on my own.

What you need to carry in case of drive failure depends greatly on your situation. For the majority of us, the paddle serves as a "spare tire" and will get us home sufficiently well. Likewise, if kayaking with another Hobie Mirage buddy, one drive can tow a broken drive rather easily for a substantial distance.

Being on your own, kayaking in fast currents or greater distances, you might prudently carry a spare drive unit, as Rynkster does. This seems to work very well for him -- no matter what the failure, you can change it out now and fix the broken drive later. Though a bit expensive, they retain their value and are not difficult to carry (tethered, of course).

Carrying spare parts requires the knowledge and tools to change them out, perhaps asea in unfriendly weather. You are also playing the percentages that your drive failure is repairable with the parts you have.

The Mirage drives are excellent, reliable units; the only time they ever fail is at the worst possible moment. If you have a back-up for that situation, you're in good shape!