Autohelm Type-2 Linear Drive Carbon Brushes

[sb1946]

12V Autohelm 6000+ with type 2 linear drive intermittently stops working and shows DRIVESTOP. RM FAQ helpfully suggests problem is likely carbon bushes in motor. Disassembled motor and confirmed. Temporary fix by padding between spring and brush with Al foil folded over.
RM in Singapore referred me to agent who want to sell new motor for SGD 550. Contacted motor manufacturer in UK via website - brushes are GBP 2.50 each BUT minimum order is GBP 100.
Motor is FRACMO Ref: 452-02-136, serial: H04123/0065, part no: 3035-006-F.
Brush is Morganite Electrical Carbon 6x10x20, grade CM9/M50-5113

Has anyone had the same problem and found a supplier of just 2 or 4 of these brushes or equivalent?
I am in a remote area of N Borneo, Malaysia, otherwise I would be doing a tour of auto electrical repairers.

At present rate I will have 36 spare brushes- having complied with the minimum order

[daddle]

You maybe should tour the local motor shops. I'd think the chances of finding a good fit are quite good. Brushes are very easy to file to fit. I'm heading from California to KK & Labuan on Saturday the 11th. If I can buy something here let me know.

FIY - I think aluminium foil is the LAST metal I'd consider placing next to carbon. Isn't AL on the opposite end of the electrochemical series from C?

[daddle]

Morgan Brush (AU) has a Malaysian distributor:

Malaysia
Tel: (60) 3 - 5569 3990

Carbon Brushes from Morgan Industrial Carbon

[ub1]

I just got two sets from raymarine online, they were back ordered, but they are now available.

[sb1946]

Many thanks for advice and offer of bringing parts to Labuan but we wil not be there until mid October. Will try auto shops in Sandakan and/or KK.
I hadn't thought about the Al/C issue but it is dry in there so there is no electrolyte to complete the cell. The brush will have worn down so it is out of the holder before corrosion is a problem.

[rodney_k]

Originally Posted by ub1

I just got two sets from raymarine online, they were back ordered, but they are now available.

Do you have the Raymarine part numbers for the brushes?

[ub1]

I found them on the raymaine website. NO34 type 2 motor brushes for fracmo motor, it took a little searching on the website till I found them. Try searching, NO34 type 2 motor brushes, type 2 motor, st6000 motor brushes, I forgot the search name I used but I found them in parts section, just took a little time to find it.

[rodney_k]

Spent about 3 hours on the Raymarine Website looking for the brushes. No joy. Tried every search term I could think of.

[ub1]

Try raymarine.com in search put st6000 autopilot, a st6000 manual will come up, click on that, hit the folder tab that says parts, type in brushes, type2 and type3 should come up. $48 for 2

[sb1946]

Thanks for replies. Finally got replacement brushes custom made by Nova in UK and for about GBP 19 a pair. Can't order from online store from outside the US. No response at all from Raymarine Customer Service

[MarinaOnMaui]

I just ordered them through WestMarine and the part number is as follows:

N034 TYPE 2 MOTOR BRUSHES KIT $48 plus shipping.

Make sure you really know which motor you have. The ST6000 had only Type 1 motors according to the manual, while the ST7000 had either a Type 1 or 2. On the outside of my housing there was an Autohelm Sticker and it said Type 2, where as my instrument panel says ST6000.

Getting the Serial and/or reference number off the motor didn't seem to help as neither matched with the numbers in the manual.

I'm hoping I get the right set!

[DeepFrz]

Those prices are highway robbery. I have filed down brushes to fit more than once and it is very easy. A little dirty but easy.

[MarinaOnMaui]

Aloha DeepFrz, do you have any pictures of the inside of your motor? If so please email to marina@marinaonmaui.com. I've tried everywhere to find an exploded drawing of this motor.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

Those prices are highway robbery. I have filed down brushes to fit more than once and it is very easy. A little dirty but easy.

Highway robbery for parts from Ray Marine??? surely not, couldn't be, not gonna happen. Ho,ho,ho...

Jim

[DeepFrz]

No I don't. Actually I didn't mean to infer that I had done that on an autopilot, just have done it on several other DC electric motors that I couldn't find the correct size brushes for.