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PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 1:47 pm 
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I am a new owner of a used 09 outfitter, and notice that the mirage drives do not clamp into the boat very securely. They click in but they seem loose and rock back and forth from side to side. They seem that if the kayak turns over one of them or both of them may come detached, fall into the water and be lost. I am going to hook a lanyard onto them but I want to know if this is normal for the drives to be so loose and wobble from side to side and can almost release the lock in snaps.

Thanks in advance, Bill


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PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 3:47 pm 
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Location: Amelia Island, FL
It is my understanding that Mirage Drives are standard and you can transfer from one to another.


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PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 3:54 pm 
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It would be very unusual for a drive to rock from side to side. Fore and aft movement is designed-in. The drive locks in via either stainless "Click and Go" or the original black knobs. Both would hold the drive at the drum shaft securely. Black knobs need to be turned clockwise until tight.

Image
Click and Go


Image
Cam Lock Knob

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PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 4:02 pm 
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Thanks for the info. My drives are the click and go type so there is no adjustments, they do not attach tightly and I do not know why.

Bill


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PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 4:20 pm 
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Is the Click and Go secure in the boat? There are two holes on top for access to Allen head bolts. Requires a 3/16" ball-end Allen wrench to tighten.

The lever gets tighter as it locks, so not much of a way it can be loose under the levers.

The click and go also requires a specific drum shaft. Should be tapered on the ends instead of rounded. Rounded end shafts mat spin in the spine and pop the click and go open.

We added splines to the shafts to stop them from rotating.

http://www.hobiecat.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=12867

Image

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Matt Miller
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Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)


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PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 4:35 pm 
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Matt,

Thanks for your information. The photo of the receiving device answered my question. After inserting the drive into the receiving device I was closing the latch over the shaft, instead of opening it to secure the shaft. I read the users manual and attempted to install the drive many times and it did not dawn on me to move the latch into this direction. I feel that I am really stupid or the instructions in the Hobie data is lacking the proper instructions, (or a little of each).

Thanks for the fast reply and I will install the drives tomorrow and verify that they work correctly.

Bill


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PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2013 5:18 pm 
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As you drop the drive in it locks... Click and Go!

Like you noted... pull the levers aft to "Unlock"

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Hobie Cat USA
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 4:59 am 
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Location: Sarasota FL
I think most of us probably made that same mistake with our first mirage drives. It's visually counter intuitive.

On a related note:
I learned the hard way to never to slap the drive into the latches too hard. If you catch one side and not the other, the rod can wedge into the one latch, and it can be a (censored) trying to unlatch that one side in order to properly drop the drive in evenly into both latches at the same time. For this reason, I always carry a screwdriver, as that's the only way to unlatch one side if the angle goes wrong and the pressure on the latch is too much. I find that this can happen when I have someone new "helping" me launch or riding the front of my two man. Word to the wise.



william giunta wrote:
Matt,

Thanks for your information. The photo of the receiving device answered my question. After inserting the drive into the receiving device I was closing the latch over the shaft, instead of opening it to secure the shaft. I read the users manual and attempted to install the drive many times and it did not dawn on me to move the latch into this direction. I feel that I am really stupid or the instructions in the Hobie data is lacking the proper instructions, (or a little of each).

Thanks for the fast reply and I will install the drives tomorrow and verify that they work correctly.

Bill


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PostPosted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 8:09 am 
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sunday,

Thanks for your input. I agree that the locking device is counter-intuitive. I am an engineer and did not even attempt to close latch in the opposite direction.

I was just about to think it was ME, or the latches were both broken.

Bill


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PostPosted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 9:12 am 
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There is a strong reason that the levers are forward of the slot. In that forward position the drive drops in behind them. If aft, the levers would block access.

The design is genius (another Greg ketterman design) as it does not matter what the lever position is when you install the drive... open or closed, the levers will allow the drive in and lock behind it. Pretty sweet when you don't over-think it. :)

The manual simply states:

Quote:
2. To lock the MirageDrive into the hull, lower it into the hull so that the drum shaft posts drop down into the Click and Go cams and lock into place.

3. To remove the MirageDrive, flip the Click and Go cam back and pull the drive
out. The cams should automatically reset themselves for installation, but if they do not, just flip the cam forward.


the bit about resetting the levers is not necessary. They flip forward next time you install the drive.

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


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PostPosted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 9:35 am 
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To one and all,

I FINALLY got my drives to seat properly! I tilted the drive handles toward the bow (or stern) of the boat and then seated them into the locking devices and then, they went fully into them and locked the way they were designed to.

Prior to this i was holding the drive handles (set to position 6) vertically, (lowering the drives onto the locking devices) and the pins would NOT go far enough into the locking devices to allow proper seating or locking. The front and rear of the drives were seated, both touching the boat hull and the pins would not fully go into the receivers. This prevented the pins from locking and caused the side to side rocking of the drives. Even tho it appeared the drives were in properly and could not go any further into the locking devices they were not in properly.

Thanks, again for your assistance, they slide into and out of the hull easily as they were designed to.


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PostPosted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 9:46 am 
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As you discovered, you have to be careful about tilting it fore or aft. The pedal position, when centered is perfect, but when well forward or aft, by holding the pedals... the spine tilts. That can cause the forward or aft end to get below the lip in the hull.

Alignment FAQ:

mmiller wrote:
If Mirage users are having difficulty fitting the MirageDrive into their kayak correctly, the following information can help to explain an easy process for fitting the drive. This is primarily a problem with new users and is possibly complicated by the Drive Seal accessory mounted at the back of the drive.

Correctly Seated MirageDrive
Image



Issue: The MirageDrive must be lowered into the drive well evenly front to back. Tipping the drive forward or aft when lowering can cause it to wedge into the well. Holding the pedals with adjustments far aft or forward causes a potential problem.

MirageDrive Tipped Forward
Image


This is sometimes caused by the added friction of the drive seal mounted at the aft end of the drive. In the worst case, the drive spine will miss the forward ledge and drop below the hull. Tipping the drive aft when this happens can then cause a compression and damage of the aft well wall. Pedaling the drive in this position can also damage the aft fin.


Incorrectly inserted MirageDrive
Note friction caused by the Drive Seal Accessory

Image


Correct installation of the MirageDrive: It may be easier if you place the pedals in a middle adjustment to help identify a "level" drive as it is lowered into the well.


Lower the MirageDrive...level with the well
Image


Another trick is to hold the drive at the base of the pedals from in front or behind them depending on the fore or aft adjustment.


Hold pedals at or near drum center
Image


The MirageDrive is quite simple to mount... when you understand how it fits. Friction caused by the Drive Seal accessory has caused a potential positioning challenge for users as this tips the drive forward. You may consider removal of the drive seal to make initial use of the drive easier. This makes mounting the drive into the hull easier for some users.


We added an alignment pin a couple of years ago to assist in dropping the drive in level. It now forces the drive level as you drop it in.

mmiller wrote:
Problem is most common with the pedals adjusted well aft (for shorter pedalers) which tips the drive spine forward if holding by the pedal shafts.

I can't imagine a fin falling off in this manor by simply installing the drive. It takes considerable torque to pull the brass nut through the fin. May have been another cause or hanging loosely from a previous outing.

Fyi... Hobie Mirage Kayaks are coming with a drive alignment pin feature since 2012 model year to help prevent mis-aligned drive installation. Way easier now.

Image

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


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PostPosted: Sun Aug 07, 2016 8:35 am 
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I've had my tandem outfitter for a little over a year now and no issues. Just this past weekend when putting the mirage drive into the kayak I've had issues where the right side pops out after a few pedals and then the left side pops out as well. It's a tandem and it's only the back set. I've switched mirage drives between the front and back and it only has issues on the back. Any ideas how to keep this from happening?


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PostPosted: Sun Aug 07, 2016 6:12 pm 
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Is the lever fully engaging, or is it hitting the hull potentially preventing full closure?


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PostPosted: Mon Aug 08, 2016 9:36 am 
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WAVERIDER wrote:
Is the lever fully engaging, or is it hitting the hull potentially preventing full closure?


It is fully closed when I first put the drive in place. Then after a few pedals, the right side pops out and the left side pops out shortly after.


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