Hydrovane drive unit slipping on shaft

[GILow]

Hi all,

The following is “asking for a friend” so my apologies for the slight lack of clarity.

I helped a friend install a new Hydrovane on his boat a few months back. It works well, however since the very first use he has experienced an issue where the drive unit slowly slips on the shaft. Over time, with the drive unit and tiller locked in the straight ahead position, the rudder ends up pointing more and more to port.

We installed it a little offset to the starboard side of the boat (A Duncanson 37 or something like it from memory) to clear the stern ladder.

We were very careful about vertical alignment in both the fore and aft and port and starboard axis.

He has contacted Hydrovane about the problem but has had little in the way of advice so far. I suggested I should post here as there are many users of the Hydrovane on this site who may have some advice.

Any ideas?

Matt

[Minggat]

Wow! Hard to imagine Hydrovane not having something helpful.


I can picture the problem and the parts I would think might be contributing.


I will ask if you have loosened the split yoke & straightened it out? If you do that and make a mark (maybe scratch) them both to show where they line up when straight ahead, then watch for any shift, that would confirm that the yoke/shaft grip isn't enough and maybe give Hydrovane helpful information.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Minggat

Wow! Hard to imagine Hydrovane not having something helpful.


I can picture the problem and the parts I would think might be contributing.


I will ask if you have loosened the split yoke & straightened it out? If you do that and make a mark (maybe scratch) them both to show where they line up when straight ahead, then watch for any shift, that would confirm that the yoke/shaft grip isn't enough and maybe give Hydrovane helpful information.

I’ll relay that. I confess I can’t picture what you describe but I just fitted the mounting brackets, I didn’t help with fitting the drive unit. I’m sure it will make sense to him.

[40 South]

GILow: Not contributing anything useful to the discussion but......
if your friend wants to sell the Hydrovane I would be interested in it.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by 40 South

GILow: Not contributing anything useful to the discussion but......
if your friend wants to sell the Hydrovane I would be interested in it.

Ha ha, I wish, you’d have to get past me first.

Nah, he’s happy and since he’s competing in the next GGR, he needs to get really, really comfy with that unit.

I haven’t checked with him for a while but I assume he got it sorted. He was on the water when I started this thread and I was trying to help him get it sorted in the field.

[Michael Cobbe]

I searched the the problem you have with the Hydrovane and found nothing, we had but a Hyrovane but din't have that problem so I cannot help. I do hope you can find a way to fix it.