Some trouble with Mirage Turbo Fin Installation

What should have been quick and easy, took over two hours of frustration and 4 broken skinny drill bits.
The alignment of holes in the top of the masts did not align with the holes in mast holder sprocket assemblies. I tried to force the cotter pins twisting and tapping many times.....NO DICE .
I had to drill and redrill the holes out on the sprocket a bit larger in order to get enough alignment to get the S.S. cotter pins to fit.
Tomorrow I test the performance.

I have 2 Mirage drives but decided to make the modification to my older Mirage drive due to the noticeable difference in friction between the new and the old drives. I don't know why there is a noticeabe difference but there is. If anyone has any tips on making the newer one less stiff I'd appreciate it. Had I chosen to use the newer one, the problem I had with cotter pins and alignment wouldn't have occured because the mast is held in place by a set screw against a flattened notch in the mast instead of a cotter pin.

dduffe you are suppose to convert the newer one. It probably has less ware.

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See ya on the water,
OffRoad

What if I didn't have the new one and had just wanted the turbo for my Outback. (purchased March 2005)
The older one is easier to pedal. I like it better. If it wears out I can always put it on the newer one. (puchased February 2006)
Do you know if there is a difference between the older ones having less friction or do they get easier to pedal as they are broken in???? I wouldn't have noticed a gradual breaking in.

I had planned to install the Turbofins on an older drive for the same reasons you did. But my old drive is pre-pitot tube, and I wanted to use the tube for speed comparisons. So the Turbos are on the new drive for now.

With the new drive though, I found that by loosening the cable tension nuts slightly helped the drive operate easier. Hobie probably wouldn't approve, but as it stretches, it's easy to cinch up.