How to open Autohelm 2000

[Sta]

I have an Autohelm 2000 which works once in a while. I think it's a bad connection in the electrical motor.
I manage to open the tillerpilot so I have two parts: One with the motor and one with the arm that is moving the tiller. How to get the motor out if the cylinder? I find one screw which I have removed. I have tried to turn all parts that might be possible to unscrew, but no luck.
The problem seems to be in the motor part, but if someone knows how to open the arm I would appreciate to know that too.

 

[europe172]

I have an Autohelm 2000 which works once in a while. I think it's a bad connection in the electrical motor.
I manage to open the tillerpilot so I have two parts: One with the motor and one with the arm that is moving the tiller. How to get the motor out if the cylinder? I find one screw which I have removed. I have tried to turn all parts that might be possible to unscrew, but no luck.
The problem seems to be in the motor part, but if someone knows how to open the arm I would appreciate to know that too.

If I remember correctly the part with the motor in unscrews from the part with the actuator in . I think there is silver tape around the joint. I cannot remember how it is locked . Sorry it has been some years since I had it apart . I believe the motors are out of production

 

[vic008]

Google is your friend. Just had mine apart yesterday for a successfull repair. There are youtube videos showing how to do just about everything. And the official instructions with drawings. Dont understand how you can have the motor already seperate to the drive? It should be remove the 3 screws(holding the pcb), disconnect the compass, lift all out as one.(something seriously wrong if motor not part of that-held by 2 screws)

 

[europe172]

Google is your friend. Just had mine apart yesterday for a successfull repair. There are youtube videos showing how to do just about everything. And the official instructions with drawings. Dont understand how you can have the motor already seperate to the drive? It should be remove the 3 screws(holding the pcb), disconnect the compass, lift all out as one.(something seriously wrong if motor not part of that-held by 2 screws)

I think the op is referring to an old auto helm with separate control and drive

 

[earlybird]

Here's a diagram of the later Raymarine drive unit which might give some clue as to dismantling the old 2000 drive

 

[Sta]

It's the one earlybird and europe172 show I got. I thought they got different names when the controller unit was built in.
That drawing confirm that I should open it the way I tried. The problem is that parts 10 and 11 are stuck. I try to put it in a vise and use a big plier with rubber between the plier and the autopilot. Any ideas about how to get more force on those parts.

 

[garymalmgren]

Hi Sta.
I would wrap a piece of towel around 10 and pour hot water onto it.
At the same time wrap a towel that has been in the freezer around part 11.

Can you disconnect 10 from 7 and 7 from 2?


The o-rings (6) were originally greased. I suspect that the grease has hardened.
gary

 

[KAM]

Mine just unscrews by hand. A strap spanner may help. Squeezing in a vice is likely to distort things and make it worse. Could be the O ring is gummed up. Try gentle heat with a hot air gun and spray with WD 40. Do several cycles of heat and cool but be very careful as there are plastic components. I never managed to find a drop in replacement motor for mine as the shaft diameter was an odd size but I managed to get a very cheap motor for a few pounds with a smaller OD and made up some plastic spacers so it was clamped in position. It's impossible to tell the difference in performance between this and my spare ram which has the original motor.