New to me 07 Revolution 13

I'm new to kayaks, I was looking for a relatively cheap way to take advantage of my access to water. I've recently picked up an old and well used Revo 13. I paid 350.00 knowing I might have to invest some to get it in shape. My plan is to put it in the water this weekend before I do anything to it. I have a few questions.

1. The drive looks to be the most worn part. I see some surface rust and wear. I plan to do a full tear-down, clean, and lube. Depending on the condition of everything once it's taken apart I might do the v1 to v2 conversion as it would replace most wear parts. This is a 2007 hull is there anything preventing me from doing the conversion?

2. The map netting, and rigging are 10 years old I plan to replace both will newer oem parts plug and play?

3. The chair looks to be usable but nothing more. Will a newer oem chair fit?

















Admin Edited: Use the Copy BBCode function for images hosted by imgbb. Lower left of their page with your image. Select Embed Codes and then copy the BBCode... Hover over the code and you will see a "Copy" button on the right. I only modified the first one for you.

Thanks for the help admin!

SeadOnkey, welcome to the forum and congratulations on a great deal! Before you go out this weekend, you should lube your Drive -- ALL moving parts including the chain links. That will make it easier to operate. As to your questions,

1. Yes, you can upgrade to V-2. It would be a good choice, but if the expense is not manageable, you can get by with what you have for awhile if the masts are firmly seated (not wiggling).

2. New bungees and pockets should replace your old ones directly. Genuine Hobie bungee is high quality and will perform better over time. You may be able to re-use the old bungee hooks and buy your bungee by the foot. Note, not all dealers stock Hobie quality bungee.

3. You cannot use the Vantage seat on your boat, but Hobie sells the latest version of your old seat. The current version fastens a little differently to the hull -- you can use your old seat plug inserts for now, but can upgrade to the plug inserts later if you or your dealer can borrow a threading tool from Hobie for the plug inserts.

4. Four additions I recommend are sailing rudder for better handling, new rudder up / down conversion kit If your boat doesn't already have it (see newer models at your dealer for comparison), ST or ST Turbofins for increased performance, and a standard Hobie scupper cart (or make your own out of PVC). ST fins are less expensive than Turbos (requiring no mast replacement), give you a nice performance upgrade, and will be easier on your cam columns than the Turbos (see #5).

5. You have the older cam-column lockdowns for the Drive and this is a weak point on your hull. Accordingly, you can reinforce these and would want to especially if converting to Turbofins. This can be done with Scotchweld DP 8010 NS (no special applicator needed) and a custom made (by you) PVC clamshell to sandwich the cam columns, filling with the epoxy mentioned. Use the search feature for tips on how to use, etc.

Enjoy your new boat!

TBH I would consider replacing the drive rather than doing the upgrade as virtually every part is old tech and a source of potential failure. Then keeping this as a complete spare. If you get a new spine you will have to cut the side pins off, no big deal.

Source a spare rudder pin as this one is different to the newer ones. The pins are a fail safe feature.

Keep an eye on the drive well edges for leaks

Roadrunner,

Is the first picture you posted in this thread the area of structural concern? I'll have to peek inside tonight to orientate myself. Thank for all the great tips.

https://www.hobie.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=33359&p=134475&hilit=&_ga=2.176812453.1473120066.1495743495-2093972469.1495559705#p134475

Waverider,

I'm going to see how much I can get out of this one first. You do have me thinking about v1 to v2 vs just going new.

That's an excellent point. Replacing your old rudder pin with a new one would be good preventative maintenance. The new ones are stronger and easier to work with.

I have a little more confidence in the Drives and would not hesitate to upgrade any Drive regardless of age or condition. I have a couple of upgraded Drives dating back to 2006 and have full trust in them. There are actually a number of upgrade options:

1. V-2 sprocket upgrade. This is the most important in terms of reliability and gives you new sprockets and threaded masts. You can order this in standard length (fits standard and ST fins); and Turbo (same sprockets, longer masts).
The price is about $80. Fins are not included -- you can use your old ones or buy some new ones.

2. V2 drum upgrade kit. This is also an important upgrade and includes new drums and cable/chains. The new drums are stronger, but the most important thing is the cables. They can corrode internally and separate, so new cables are a worthwhile upgrade (different length for the new drums). This upgrade is about $120 and you can do it independently of the sprocket upgrade.

3. You could skip the other upgrades and go directly to the GT upgrade (has roller bearings). Here is a link showing parts and prices. In your case you would also need new cables, masts, and fins if desired.
https://www.hobie.com/forums/viewtopic. ... 96#p259788
This is a nice upgrade but does not affect reliability or durability. While it does reduce friction, the difference in feel is only great if your old Drive was poorly tuned (common)!

If you go with the new GT Drive option the price is about $620, of you can probably find a new pre-GT v-2 Drive for about $100 less. It's all a matter of value. If you want the most bang for the buck, keep it simple and reliable; it you want the newest and best, that's a different kind of value!

Yes, those are the cam columns. If not cracked, the reinforcement is preventive, and if already cracked then it is corrective. The messy reinforcement in the next pic is the DP 8010; the PVC clamshell is someone else's idea and looks a heck of a lot nicer!

BTW, I put probably another 2000 miles of hard use on that (2006) Adventure with that patch before drivewell cracks finally forced the retirement of that beauty! The Drive is still in service.

The nice thing about your boat is you can use it as is and tinker with it here and there to improve it a little at a time. You still get the great Hobie pedaling experience!

Keep in mind you may love the concept so much that you end up getting a whole new updated kayak anyway. I got a 2006 adventure and went through the upgrades you are talking about from V1 to GT.which apart from the changes roadrunner describes, I also had to replace the shafts as they were worn too (likely with an old drive), and also replaced the spine, stronger and full skirt. Only things original left were pedals and pedal shafts. These are no longer available so if one failed it would be new set..ie nothing much left of original drive. Shortly after this the drive well cracked.

Got a season out of it, and also did all my "novice damage" to it. Loved the concept so upgraded to a new revo 16. Point being money spent on drive was wasted. though I now have a spare drive. Should have flogged it till it busted and then made the decision as whether to upgrade drive or new kayak.

In the meantime learn how to paddle it in case drive does break on you.

Thank for all the great info.

I checked inside and the cam columns looked good.



I saw a site that sold a v1 to GT kit it listed the following parts:

2 x GT Drum, Part# 81173001
2 x V2 Chain, Part# 81202001
1 x GT Idler Pulley, Part#: 81121001
1 x Idler Cable, Part# 81203001
5 x 1/4" Nylock nuts, Part# 8050111

The GT sprockets are missing from that list and you will also need two threaded masts and possibly fins.

The inside of the hull looks good. In fact, for its age, the boat doesn't show a lot of use (few scratches on the hull bottom) and I suspect your Drive may similarly show lack of care rather than extensive use. A good rough indicator of use on the Drive is to examine the drum adjustment pin holes. If one is elongated, that shows wear; if the adjustment pin has trouble seating in the next hole forward because of material displacement), that shows substantial wear. I'm guessing you have neither.

WAVERIDER made a very good point:There is the value of getting a good deal and there is the value of using your $ to get a new boat that will last longer,has all the latest gadgets and will hold its value much better than a new car!

IMO, there is no need to spend a lot of money on a new boat when you can have the same experience for a fraction of the price with used equipment. A good perusal of the "search" feature would show lots of tricks of the trade so to speak. For instance,

1. V-1 masts / sprockets have 2 problems a) the Allenhead retainer loosens, letting the mast slip down. b) Once loosened, the mast wobbles, wearing out the its formerly tight hole, eventually falling out and rendering the fin inoperable. The solution: Epoxy the screw and mast in place, making sure the screw is properly engaged in the locking flat spot. Problem solved -- this part is now fully reliable -- just keep an eye on it and use a good marine epoxy and it will not fail on you. Cost -- one package of epoxy.

2. Drums show wear on the drumshaft by wobbling. Solution -- do nothing. This will not fail and will not hurt your performance.

3. Drums show wear on a pedal adjustment hole. Ultimately this can breach to the next hole. Solution -- reverse the drums (swap sides). The drums are symmetrical and you will have an unused hole to start fresh. Reliability -- good as new. Cost -- $0. Solution b) remove the adjustment pins and thru-bolt the crank arm to the drum. Note : don't forget to swap the pedals back to their original side.

4. Shaft wear. The Drive has 3 shafts -- idler, drum and sprocket. All three wear, depending on use, lubrication, and over-tightening of the cables, BUT they only wear on one side. Solution -- if you're re-using old parts, don't worry about it; if you're upgrading, flip the shafts to get a brand new surface. Cost: $0

5. Cables are difficult to assess, but will often stretch before breaking. If you notice a cable loosening without the adjustment nut backing out, you may have a pending failure. Cables are expensive and I tend to replace them only when I see a probable failure or suffer a failure. It's not a big deal (see below).

6. The spine will not fail unless you break it. This is done by over-tightening the sprocket shaft lock screw or idler shaft screw. Tighten these only to snug and use Loctite Blue to prevent from backing out. Solution -- none necessary. Cost $0. Note -- newer spines have an alignment pin, which is not applicable to your boat -- must be removed. They also have a flange to keep the water from surging. There is a rubber add-on for older Drives that does the same thing. The new spines lose the pitot tube capability (sorely missed by me). So "upgrading" a spine unnecessarily is a waste of $ IMO.

7. Crank arms and pedals fail rarely and when they do, it is not age-related. Solution -- do nothing.

So there you have it -- a completely rebuilt Drive for the cost of a little epoxy and grease, almost as reliable as a completely rebuilt Drive with new parts. It's your choice.

Lets take a look at what constitutes a Drive failure (unable to continue using until repaired).
1. Loss of mast? Nope. The Drive functions on one fin just fine, although at reduced speed and with some boat rocking, but will still beat a paddle!
2. Broken cable? Nope. You can break any one cable and the Drive will still function. In fact, in an emergency you only need one chain / cable to operate the Drive (although you would have to insert the Drive in backwards in one scenario)..Highly unlikely to break 2 at once!
3. Broken pedal (rare)? Nope. Use the crank arm.
4. Broken crank (rare)? Yes -- use your paddle.
5. Severely bent front mast (from grounding)? Nope. Half strokes will get you home just fine.

For some reason, most users break the paddle out whenever a part fails. I can only imagine they like paddling because all this info is posted on the forum. Anyone having doubts should run a simulation to satisfy themselves that the Drive isn't so fragile after all!

I agree with WAVERIDER -- enjoy your boat, fix the things you need to without spending a lot of money and you should have a blast! When you decide to get a newer boat later, you should be able to recover your total investment and then some.