Drive Unit, Spare Parts, and Tips

The Mirage Drive Unit is the most vunerable part of the Hobie Mirage. Do you carry spare parts for your drive unit? What would happen if you hit a submerged object and bent the flipper rod to where the drive unit no longer functions? That actually happened to me on a trip last year. Luckily I was able to hand bend the rod enough to get it working. I have since invested in spare parts and the tools necessary to do a quick replacement of a flipper just in case something bad happens to it again.

Am I the only one who has had to adjust and fix their drive unit yet? Have you had to tighten your chain yet? What are you doing to keep your drive unit in good shape?

I haven't experienced any problems with my Mirage drive unit so far. Fortunately, my dealer is close by and I know they'd take care of any problems encountered. You mentioned that you skipped a chain engagement on a sprint start and that you're a conditioned cyclist. I'm surprised that the water resistance on the fins would be enough to allow that kind of malfunction. My first reaction would be to have the dealer check out the unit for proper adjustment. If it checks out ok then I guess you'll just have to throttle back a bit. I have heard of someone who puts lots of hours on his Outback getting the drive unit rebuilt. Apparently they do wear out in time. That raises the question, how long have you had your kayak.

Since November 2003. The drive units are not rigid so they do bend a little. I keep the chains taut.

I don't carry spart parts, but I will tell you..... upriver is easy to use the drive, but take it out when going down. I bent my rods, both of them by slamming into a hidden log as teh current pushed me downriver. I had to use paddles the rest of the day. No problems with the chain. I did shatter the left unit on another day, right at the adjusment hole for the pedals. Hobie replaced it quickly for me.

_________________
3/4 of the planet is covered in water. Doesn't this tell you something?

Yes, the planet should be named Water, not Earth. Heheh

I bent another rod last weekend and was able to slightly bend it by hand to get me 200 yards back to the beach. It took another 10 minutes to replace the bent rod and I was back pedaling. Back home, I straighted the bent rod in the vice so it now serves as another spare.

i hit something underwater the other day and it bent the rod holding the fin. i was very surpised it could bend as it seemed like very strong spring steel when i put it in a vice. glad it didn't break the weld where it goes into the mechanism.
i couldn't straighten it out completely, but it looks like it works fine.
good idea to bring a spare.

on another note, does your ass get wet, too?
water come up under the seat through the hole, what's the fix for this?
thanks.

I carry a spare because I go up to 15 miles one way and need the security of a fix, much like a touring cyclist carries a spare tire. I just can't see paddling the Outback against the current and wind for 15 miles, but have no problem pedaling that distance.

A few weeks ago, I made a few slight turns on my drive unit chains and pully thinking it would tighten everything up nice and snug so there would be no slippage on the chain. On a few trips after that, I noticed some squeaking noises after intense sprints to catch waves and also observed that the main steel shaft that the chain gears go around was trying to work itself loose. It was actually shifting and I'd have to hammer it back in place ever couple of hours. It sounded like grit in the axle and after worrying about the drive unit failing somewhere in the swamps, I convinced myself that I'd worn out the unit. Don't know what made me do it, but before getting a replacement, I decided to back off on the tensions. What a difference it made. The axle isn't trying to work itself out and there is no more squeaking. Hopefully running with it over tightened for a couple trips didn't do any permanent damage. So, if your drive unit sounds like it needs oil or if you are having problems with the main axle trying to work itself out, your tensions may be too tight. Man...this drive unit might last another couple of years. By then, maybe Greg and Hobie will have a longer and faster Outback. I'm saving up now.

Soon as I thought everything was solved, my chain slipped a link during a quick start, so the paddle flippers were no longer symmetrical. Fixed that and everything worked fine for one trip. Next trip out, the drive unit started squeaking intermittently. Tried using more silicon spray with no success. Went out Sunday and was just starting to get into a good cadence when the squeaking started and it drove me nuts. Had to turn around because I thought the drive unit would lock up. Drove over to Pensacola to see Keith Sawyer who sold me the Outback. Keith said the pedal unit shouldn't wear out and he tighened down the bolts on my unit to where it was really tight. Way tighter than I'd ever had them. Reluctantly, I tried it out expecting something to snap. Damn if it didn't perform better than new. I tried catching a few small boat wakes and couldn't make the pedal unit squeak or slip. Went out for some bigger waves and enjoyed instant jackrabbit starts without any problems. I can now Fartlek in my kayak again. (Be careful on how you read that...)

Another problem we resolved was my cam lock nut hex bolts had loosened and due to rocking, the cam wouldn't really lock down anymore. Had to replace some worn cams.

I pedaled 12 miles after Keith adjusted my drive unit and I am elated. The Outback works like new and it sure feels good to trust the unit again.
If you are in the Florida Panhandle, let me tell you that Keith Sawyer, manager of Key Sailing in Pensacola Beach, really stands behind his Outback sales. Never tried a pedal kayak? Call Keith and he'll get you in the seat of one to test it out. (850-932-5520)

Guess the best advice I can give concerning drive units is if you start having problems with your drive unit, let someone who knows what they are doing adjust it for you instead of trying to tinker with it like I did. Thanks for your help Keith! I'll be getting my next outback from you as soon as I can wear this one out.

The Outback pedal drive unit that Keith Sawyer adjusted for me last week lasted about 15 miles before it started acting up again. The chain clicks against something intermittently and the intermittent squealing noise started again. I just don't feel secure pedaling off far into the swamps when I'm not sure if the drive unit is going to lock up, break, or fall apart. The squealing noise scares away all the wildlife. So I had to conclude the Drive Unit is wore out and got a replacement today. It works great. For the record, my first drive unit had approx. 586 miles on it. On average, it takes 10 complete up/down cranks on the pedals to go about 0.01 miles. That means the wore out unit has been cranked over half a million times, in water, with no oil, only silicon. I can't complain. Lets see how long this new mirage drive unit will last. Sure is nice to pedal without worry again. May the current be with you!

586 Miles!!! That's impressive! Next time you decide to pedal over to Brazil for lunch remember to bring along a spare drive.

Finally took apart that drive unit I wore out to see what was causing the squeaking. The sprocket shaft (metal) was rubbing against the sprocket (metal) because only half the sprocket bushing was left. Apparently sand or something similar must have worked its way in the bushing and disintegrated it leaving metal to rub against metal. See the photo below. Word for the wise - take your drive unit out before going into shallow waters or landing on the beach to avoid getting sand and grit near the unit.

What does the manufacturer of the Mirage Drive unit recommend in way of lubrication? When it was new, it looked like the unit had been sealed with some sort of white lubricant. I've been told to only use Silicon spray. Where do you spray it and how often? What can we do to keep sand and grit from penetrating the drive unit bushings?

The original lubrication?

The shafts have a bearing grease on them. Marine grease. Lithium maybe. We recommend WD-40 on the chains and metal parts.

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

Wouldn't that grease help keep out sand and grit and be important to replace it after it has disappeared?
Chain to sprocket is understandable, but, wouldn't the petroleum distillates in WD-40 damage the 1/100 of an inch thick plastic bushings that slip inside the metal sprocket unit? (old drive unit)

What do we do for the new drive units that don't appear to have a bushing in them and the parts don't match anything in the parts catalog?

Since I started asking questions on proper care for the drive unit, I've been getting different answers and that is disturbing. It is a rather expensive unit to replace...