oGaryo
Well-Known Member
Firstly, please bear in mind doing this will affect any warranty on the actuator but if out of warranty there's no loss there.... these things are most definitely servicable units!
This guide is for errrm, guidance only, and is based on my limited experience. I'll hold no responsibility if I've missed something that costs you something or you injure yourself.. knives are sharp boys n girls and tend to sting a bit if you stab yourself with one, use something else if you're prone to cutting yourself
With a price tag of £180 in the UK, well worth the effort to repair
30 mins to remove from the boat and max, 30 mins to effect the repair for the fault I came across.
Step 1:
remove the actuator from the boat as described by many posts on google and the Lenco website I believe... for me, I cut the cable (just two wires inside) so I didn't need to pull several metres of cable through a very tight wiring loom.. I'll refit with push connectors and seal with electrical tape. I also removed the triangular mounting bracket from the top of the actuator (plastic rod tapped out with a thin screwdriver to do so)
Step 2:
You should now have the actuator removed from the boat to make it easier to work on.
Remove the 2 x domed nuts and the compression joint for the cable entry on the top of the actuator cap... I also removed the part of the compression fitting from the body of the unit to aid removal of the cap (see step 3, less friction from rubber grommets and cable entry joints = the cap comes off more easily).. it can be removed with a spanner and can be seen in the top left hand corner of the photo below.
this photo shows all components laid out to aid with understanding the subsequent steps...
Step 3:
The unit is still whole so we now need to commence dismantling it to make it look like the above photo.
To remove the top cap, I took a strong but thin none cerated sharp knife (I used a filleting knife) and slid it in between the top cap and the main body of the actuator, lengthways not pointy end in first... you can gently prise the cap off the main body by working progressively around the circumference of the cap using as much surface area of the blade as possible... be careful, once you have the cap off enough to get a blunt knife (or the back of a sharp one) in there, do so.. there's a rubber sealing ring that could be damaged with the sharp edge of the blade as it becomes exposed, see photo below.
This photo shows the top cap removed where you should just be able to see the rubber sealing ring and also the brown stains showing where water has bypassed it.. You'll also note the basic means of making the electical connection to the motor.. this was the reason for my actuator exhibiting a fault (no movement but still had power drop on pressing the button), one of the connectors had corroded making for a poor contact.. a quick clean with wire wool and we have a working actuator again, simples!!!!
Also note only one domed nut is shown, I chucked the other as it was corroded and was the cause of the water ingress as it didn't keep the top plate tight against the main body of the actuator. It also shows washers and rubber grommets that I also removed to aid the removal of the top cap / plate from the main body as mentioned in step 2... the rubber gromets sit in a recess so take care removing them if you do the same as they'll be easily damaged, resulting in water ingress on refitting.. I will replace mine.
Step 4
once the top cap is off, it's a simple case of pulling down on the lower section by hand to separate it from the main body.. no need for prising off, it'll saperate easily if you wiggle it and you pull.. the two rods in this photo extend through the main body, then through the top cap and ultimately, to the two domed nuts.. check the tightness of the two little nuts as part of your maintenance programme, if they become loose, that is when water gets in as they hold the whole unit together. I also advise you keep them protected from rust with antifoul paint.. whilst my fault was a poor electrical connection, the root cause was a rusted nut that worked loose allowing the water to come in to the main unit!!
Lower unit removed
Step 5
and that's all there is to it really... a case of fixing whatever it is you find and putting back together in reverse order taking care not to damage the sealing rings and making sure the cogs in the gearing sit in their recesses in the main body (see photos below). I will be regreasing the cogs and cleaning up the contacts, this time protecting them from corrosion.. I'll also replace the rubber grommets as said above and domed nuts to ensure there is no water entry point via that route. I won't be putting any sealant on the joints as that will make it harder to disassemble should it break again, they will be left dry relying on the rubber sealing rings to do their job but as said, I will be making a better job of protecting the electrical connectors as that seems a weak point in the design.
A few more photo's with pointers to help put the unit back together and also show other components can be replaced easily if needbe e.g. a burnt out motor.
Photo's
central cog in the main body that drives the gearing made up of 3 x cogs in the lower unit.. note the 2 x screws, undo these and the motor can easily be removed from the main body for repair if needed. I'll put up another photo later in the guide as there's a few holes that need explaining.
rubber ring that seals the lower section to the main body of the actuator.. no water bypass on this one.. the same type and size sealing ring that's used to create a water tight seal between the main body and top cap.
plan view of the main body with the central driving cog again.. the two rectangular holes are where the rods go through the main body to meet up with the top cap and domed nuts.. the two circular holes (one covered in grease) are where the cogs in the lower gearing seat.
top section of the main body showing the motor and the water damage (only slight).. still very much a servicable unit.. note the red dot, this is the connector that the black wire needs to connect to
and finally, a plan view of the lower section showing the gearing clearly and also a central screw.. I've not undone this as I don't need to but presume it allows access to or frees the actuator ram should it or the seal to the ram need replacing
Hope this is helpful and this saves someone a few quid... it did me!
This guide is for errrm, guidance only, and is based on my limited experience. I'll hold no responsibility if I've missed something that costs you something or you injure yourself.. knives are sharp boys n girls and tend to sting a bit if you stab yourself with one, use something else if you're prone to cutting yourself
With a price tag of £180 in the UK, well worth the effort to repair
30 mins to remove from the boat and max, 30 mins to effect the repair for the fault I came across.Step 1:
remove the actuator from the boat as described by many posts on google and the Lenco website I believe... for me, I cut the cable (just two wires inside) so I didn't need to pull several metres of cable through a very tight wiring loom.. I'll refit with push connectors and seal with electrical tape. I also removed the triangular mounting bracket from the top of the actuator (plastic rod tapped out with a thin screwdriver to do so)
Step 2:
You should now have the actuator removed from the boat to make it easier to work on.
Remove the 2 x domed nuts and the compression joint for the cable entry on the top of the actuator cap... I also removed the part of the compression fitting from the body of the unit to aid removal of the cap (see step 3, less friction from rubber grommets and cable entry joints = the cap comes off more easily).. it can be removed with a spanner and can be seen in the top left hand corner of the photo below.
this photo shows all components laid out to aid with understanding the subsequent steps...
Step 3:
The unit is still whole so we now need to commence dismantling it to make it look like the above photo.
To remove the top cap, I took a strong but thin none cerated sharp knife (I used a filleting knife) and slid it in between the top cap and the main body of the actuator, lengthways not pointy end in first... you can gently prise the cap off the main body by working progressively around the circumference of the cap using as much surface area of the blade as possible... be careful, once you have the cap off enough to get a blunt knife (or the back of a sharp one) in there, do so.. there's a rubber sealing ring that could be damaged with the sharp edge of the blade as it becomes exposed, see photo below.
This photo shows the top cap removed where you should just be able to see the rubber sealing ring and also the brown stains showing where water has bypassed it.. You'll also note the basic means of making the electical connection to the motor.. this was the reason for my actuator exhibiting a fault (no movement but still had power drop on pressing the button), one of the connectors had corroded making for a poor contact.. a quick clean with wire wool and we have a working actuator again, simples!!!!
Also note only one domed nut is shown, I chucked the other as it was corroded and was the cause of the water ingress as it didn't keep the top plate tight against the main body of the actuator. It also shows washers and rubber grommets that I also removed to aid the removal of the top cap / plate from the main body as mentioned in step 2... the rubber gromets sit in a recess so take care removing them if you do the same as they'll be easily damaged, resulting in water ingress on refitting.. I will replace mine.
Step 4
once the top cap is off, it's a simple case of pulling down on the lower section by hand to separate it from the main body.. no need for prising off, it'll saperate easily if you wiggle it and you pull.. the two rods in this photo extend through the main body, then through the top cap and ultimately, to the two domed nuts.. check the tightness of the two little nuts as part of your maintenance programme, if they become loose, that is when water gets in as they hold the whole unit together. I also advise you keep them protected from rust with antifoul paint.. whilst my fault was a poor electrical connection, the root cause was a rusted nut that worked loose allowing the water to come in to the main unit!!
Lower unit removed
Step 5
and that's all there is to it really... a case of fixing whatever it is you find and putting back together in reverse order taking care not to damage the sealing rings and making sure the cogs in the gearing sit in their recesses in the main body (see photos below). I will be regreasing the cogs and cleaning up the contacts, this time protecting them from corrosion.. I'll also replace the rubber grommets as said above and domed nuts to ensure there is no water entry point via that route. I won't be putting any sealant on the joints as that will make it harder to disassemble should it break again, they will be left dry relying on the rubber sealing rings to do their job but as said, I will be making a better job of protecting the electrical connectors as that seems a weak point in the design.
A few more photo's with pointers to help put the unit back together and also show other components can be replaced easily if needbe e.g. a burnt out motor.
Photo's
central cog in the main body that drives the gearing made up of 3 x cogs in the lower unit.. note the 2 x screws, undo these and the motor can easily be removed from the main body for repair if needed. I'll put up another photo later in the guide as there's a few holes that need explaining.
rubber ring that seals the lower section to the main body of the actuator.. no water bypass on this one.. the same type and size sealing ring that's used to create a water tight seal between the main body and top cap.
plan view of the main body with the central driving cog again.. the two rectangular holes are where the rods go through the main body to meet up with the top cap and domed nuts.. the two circular holes (one covered in grease) are where the cogs in the lower gearing seat.
top section of the main body showing the motor and the water damage (only slight).. still very much a servicable unit.. note the red dot, this is the connector that the black wire needs to connect to
and finally, a plan view of the lower section showing the gearing clearly and also a central screw.. I've not undone this as I don't need to but presume it allows access to or frees the actuator ram should it or the seal to the ram need replacing
Hope this is helpful and this saves someone a few quid... it did me!
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