Raymarine ST4000 MK2 Wheel drive repair

[Bolo]

Anyone with a Raymarine ST400 MK2 wheel drive will eventually hear this:

That annoying squeaking sound usually means that there is a worn out internal drive belt or more often too much tension on the belt which can addressed by adjusting the clutch with the knob located near the drive motor. Or, if the squeak is slight and infrequent a little water poured down the hole at the top of the drive can help.

NEVER, EVER, use a mineral based solvent (such as WD-40) to lube or clean the wheel drive. (See the owners manual, page 31)

But in my case no amount of clutch adjustment or water solved the squeaking which just got louder the more I tried to adjust the clutch. So, my thinking was, the belt needed replacing. When I took the wheel drive off and opened it, to replace the belt, I was surprised to see that one of the plastic studs, which has a metal threaded insert, was broken off. This probably was my real problem.


I first drill a hole through the wheel drive ring, at the center of the broken stud, so that I could run a new longer screw though the threaded insert, matching it’s threads, and out the other side where I added a flat washer and locking nut. This held the broken stud firmly up against the inside wall of the wheel drive after I used some J-B weld epoxy to glue it back in place.


The new screw and nut didn’t interfere with the workings of the wheel drive so I left them after the epoxy cured. The little bit that protruded out the locking nut I cut off later. (Not shown in the photo)


I reassembled the wheel drive back on the binnacle and all that’s left is to test it out which I’m sure will work out. (Famous last words, right?) But this quick, easy and low cost fix for the broken plastic mounting stud saved me the cost and hassle of finding a replacement ring or possibly having to buy a whole new wheel drive.

 

[peaman]

Not sure about that exact repair, but i3dgear has a variety of wheel pilot replacement and repair parts.

 

[Bolo]

Not sure about that exact repair, but i3dgear has a variety of wheel pilot replacement and repair parts.

Good to know but I couldn’t find a replacement for the “inner ring” of the wheel drive from which the stud broken off. I did manage to test the wheel drive at the dock a bit and noticed no problems with the fix. Feel better about leaving the thru-bolt in place and not relying on just the J-B epox.

 

[william.haas]

Hey Bolo… if the fix does not work out I have an entire unit in fair to good shape that has been sitting for three years that I never got around to listing for resale. If you, or anyone else, need it I’m certain we could figure something out. PM me if that’s the case.

 

[Bolo]

Hey Bolo… if the fix does not work out I have an entire unit in fair to good shape that has been sitting for three years that I never got around to listing for resale. If you, or anyone else, need it I’m certain we could figure something out. PM me if that’s the case.

Thanks! Good to know and share. Didn’t test it yet under real sailing conditions but I can’t see why it wouldn’t work. Shame Raymarine doesn’t sell replacement ”rings” for the ST4000 so it’s good that folks like you have them for sale.

 

[southofvictor]

Thanks for the notes Bob and Peaman, taking my ST4000 apart and cleaning / adjusting it is on my list. Was using water to cut down the squeaking but it hasn’t really worked for more than 10 minutes at a time.

 

[bigd14]

Not really related to this problem but my same autopilot unit has a weird issue when heading east (and occasionally other directions but less so). The unit will not react to small directional changes in time, resulting in steadily increasing yawing until it swings so wildly that I have to cycle the unit to standby, steady the boat, then reengage the autopilot. I’ve gone through all the settings and nothing seems to help. I plan on replacing the unit unless someone can point me in the right direction.

 

[Bolo]

Not really related to this problem but my same autopilot unit has a weird issue when heading east (and occasionally other directions but less so). The unit will not react to small directional changes in time, resulting in steadily increasing yawing until it swings so wildly that I have to cycle the unit to standby, steady the boat, then reengage the autopilot. I’ve gone through all the settings and nothing seems to help. I plan on replacing the unit unless someone can point me in the right direction.

I can’t really give you an answer but I do suggest contacting customer support at Raymarine on-line OR find a local marine electronics guy who knows about Raymarine and ask him (or her). One of my dock neighbors did that and got the answer to his issue in short order.

That all said, and with me just speculating now, the issue might be with a defective sensor core or possibly where it’s mounted. Is this a new install or did the problems just start on equipment that’s been in the boat for awhile?

 

[Christian Williams]

I think of a wheel pilot as more or less disposable, and 10 years old is old. You can fix the mechanics--drive housing, belt and so on, but the rest is beyond me.

They're still $1500 if this ad is accurate:

Raymarine EV100 Wheel Pilot | The GPS Store

The Raymarine EV100 Wheel Pilot is a must have for any sail boat under 16,500 lbs. Make your day trip or cruise to the islands more enjoyable. Get your Raymarine autopilot at The GPS Store

www.thegpsstore.com

 

[Loren Beach]

I think of a wheel pilot as more or less disposable, and 10 years old is old. You can fix the mechanics--drive housing, belt and so on, but the rest is beyond me.

They're still $1500 if this ad is accurate:

Raymarine EV100 Wheel Pilot | The GPS Store

The Raymarine EV100 Wheel Pilot is a must have for any sail boat under 16,500 lbs. Make your day trip or cruise to the islands more enjoyable. Get your Raymarine autopilot at The GPS Store

www.thegpsstore.com

I do like the "no calibration required" brag. If it works as stated this would be a nice feature over my existing Raymarine wheel pilot.

 

[bigd14]

A new autopilot is in the plan, but the boat has already received significant attention this year at the expense of my other family members, so I was hoping for an easy temporary fix. I rarely use the autopilot for more than a few minutes when raising and lowering sails singlehanded since we don’t do much extended sailing these day so it’s more of an annoyance right now.

 

[Bolo]

A new autopilot is in the plan, but the boat has already received significant attention this year at the expense of my other family members, so I was hoping for an easy temporary fix. I rarely use the autopilot for more than a few minutes when raising and lowering sails singlehanded since we don’t do much extended sailing these day so it’s more of an annoyance right now.

Then get one of those family members on board to be your ”autopilot” when you’re busy tending to those sails. They might even enjoy it!

 

[Nick J]

Careful which family member you choose! This was back in 2016 when I took my son for a long weekend. I gave him the tiller and asked him to go straight while I pulled the fenders up and stowed the dock lines. The boat started turning to starboard and my son was just standing there with the tiller in his hand and a big smile. What I didn't realize was he couldn't see over the cabin. He was just staring at the companion way cover!

 

[Prairie Schooner]

Careful which family member you choose! This was back in 2016 when I took my son for a long weekend. I gave him the tiller and asked him to go straight while I pulled the fenders up and stowed the dock lines. The boat started turning to starboard and my son was just standing there with the tiller in his hand and a big smile. What I didn't realize was he couldn't see over the cabin. He was just staring at the companion way cover!

A friend said he had a novice on board and asked them to 'hold it steady' while he did some sailory things. When he looked back up he found the boat going in a wide arc off course. He realized the guest was dutifully holding the tiller steady. He was more specific about his direction after that.