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Hobie Drives and Chlorinated Water
http://www.hobie.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=62504		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Thomas [ Sun Apr 15, 2018 3:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Hobie Drives and Chlorinated Water
Is there a problem with bearing Hobie drives and chlorinated water? During the winter I take my Outback to a city pool to practice self-save (and also just for fun). I've not had any problems with my 3 year old bearing drive, BUT a friend had to rebuild his relatively new 360 due to "bearing problems". The dealer who rebuilt his drive mentioned that the problem had to do with chlorinated pool water. But I think my friend, who races his Hobie for hours at a time for multiple days a week (he intends to enter some long-distant kayak races this summer), is just working the drive too hard.

Has anyone here had a drive (or any other) problem attributed to chlorine? And what is Hobie's official take (if any) on chlorine?
Author:  ronbo613 [ Sun Apr 15, 2018 6:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie Drives and Chlorinated Water
If chlorine dissolves bearings, what's it doing to you?
Author:  Thomas [ Sun Apr 15, 2018 6:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie Drives and Chlorinated Water
Well, as a kid living near a city pool, I had spent whole summers "living in" chlorinated water. And except for growing that 3rd arm and hand, I turned out pretty normal.
Author:  hdpwipmonkey [ Mon Apr 16, 2018 4:50 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie Drives and Chlorinated Water
Author:  Dr.SteelheadCatcher [ Mon Apr 16, 2018 5:51 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie Drives and Chlorinated Water
"Bleach blond hair" is another hidden bonus of chlorinated pools 8)
Author:  speed633 [ Mon Apr 16, 2018 6:16 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie Drives and Chlorinated Water
Chlorine is pretty reactive... so yeah, I could see it doing a number on any steel components. I would recommend a really good rinsing with fresh water after each use.
Author:  hdpwipmonkey [ Mon Apr 16, 2018 6:36 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie Drives and Chlorinated Water
The bearings aren't metal so the chlorine shouldn't react with them. They are delrin or some other type of hard "plasticy" type material. I could see it affecting chains or cables but not the bearings.
Author:  speed633 [ Wed Apr 18, 2018 5:28 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie Drives and Chlorinated Water
Derlin = DuPont brand name for POM, or Polyoxymethylene. Read the wiki section on degradation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyoxymethylene

TLDR, Derlin is susceptible to attack from chlorine.

Based on this, even with a good rinsing after each use over time the bearings will see significant degradation with repeated pool use. Combine this with more aggressive pedaling and the drive will wear out much faster.

I wouldn't let this scare you out of the pool. For your usage the cost of an infrequent rebuild (it has lasted this long...) may be well worth the pool practice you get in.
Author:  hdpwipmonkey [ Wed Apr 18, 2018 10:03 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie Drives and Chlorinated Water
speed633 wrote:
Derlin = DuPont brand name for POM, or Polyoxymethylene. Read the wiki section on degradation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyoxymethylene

TLDR, Derlin is susceptible to attack from chlorine.

Based on this, even with a good rinsing after each use over time the bearings will see significant degradation with repeated pool use. Combine this with more aggressive pedaling and the drive will wear out much faster.

I wouldn't let this scare you out of the pool. For your usage the cost of an infrequent rebuild (it has lasted this long...) may be well worth the pool practice you get in.
Interesting. I wouldn't of thought it would have been susceptible to chlorine because they use plastic pipes for pools and what not but I guess all plastics are not made alike (that's why I'm not a chemical engineer).
I'll stick to self rescue practice in the local lake. [emoji3]

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Author:  mmiller [ Wed Apr 18, 2018 10:23 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie Drives and Chlorinated Water
You also have to be careful with the type of oils used. We have seen delrin parts fracture after contact with cutting oil residue on metal parts. Just sitting assembled on the parts shelf.
Author:  hdpwipmonkey [ Wed Apr 18, 2018 10:28 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie Drives and Chlorinated Water
mmiller wrote:
You also have to be careful with the type of oils used. We have seen delrin parts fracture after contact with cutting oil residue on metal parts. Just sitting assembled on the parts shelf.
Nothing but a thin layer of marine grease, correct?

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Author:  mmiller [ Wed Apr 18, 2018 11:00 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie Drives and Chlorinated Water
Marine grease or thin oils such as the Hobie Lube which is mineral oil based. Marine grease is more apt to collect grit.
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