jeffreydc wrote:
Really??? Who was more helpful in this situation? Myself or Matt?
Really!!! You shared a great link and offered some first hand experience on fixing your problem -- very helpful! Matt shared a couple of potential fixes that work in many cases: 1. Lube a squeak -- great advise and it always works as long as you get the lube in the right place. Because you didn't know about it doesn't make it bad advise. Squeaks are not related to sand in the bearings, but friction between moving parts. 2. Rinse the Drive for sand -- usually works except when sand gets in the bearings (but not necessarily the case) -- clears chain and sprocket and other areas that are not greased. This is the best option for the 95% of the users (and most dealers) who do not have the capability to disassemble the Drive. This is Hobie SOP, nothing "butt hurting" or "chastising" about it. Ignoring this info can cause a lot of unnecessary expense and wasted time.
This isn't a contest to see who is the best helper. The OP had a problem, asked for help and applied the advice he got. His experience with your link was very helpful -- beyond the obvious, it exposed a potential for bearing wear that Hobie will want to look into, and makes a case for stocking bearing sets for MD 180s in the future (which Matt opened the possibility for if you carefully re-read what he actually said). For the topic of squeaks, this has been a very informative discussion and IMO, all the information and suggestions have been excellent contributions.