Locking the steering

[Kelpie]

New bearing installed in the 90⁰ gearbox. Everything back together. But it's very stiff. I'll try a few strategic disconnections to isolate the problem.

First thing I've done is disconnect the autopilot ram. This improved things quite a lot.

Question: how much resistance should the autopilot ram put up whilst in standby? And how much noise? I feel that there may be too much of both. It's a Raymarine linear drive.

 

[LadyInBed]

With the LD disconnected, how stiff does the rudder feel when you push / pull the stub tiler, maybe with an 18" extension on it?
My wheel has always felt stiff but the LD type1 has handled it ok for 22 years , I feel it to be a benefit, as when I put the wheel over, say 10°, it stays there.
(Quadrant to wheel is on wire cable).

 

[Kelpie]

There's a definite difference with the drive disconnected.
I'm going to have a look inside it as these noises don't sound healthy to me. It's almost impossible to push the ram back in, not so hard to pull it out.

Oh and turns out that despite the rest of the system being new, this is an old Autohelm 5000 drive unit.

 

[LadyInBed]

My AH is an ST5000+ which uses the LD Type 1.
Two years ago I thought I might have a problem with the LD, I took it to bits and found that the brushes were still good but half worn down, and LOTS of carbon dust in the motor.

 

[Kelpie]

My AH is an ST5000+ which uses the LD Type 1.
Two years ago I thought I might have a problem with the LD, I took it to bits and found that the brushes were still good but half worn down, and LOTS of carbon dust in the motor.

I've got the unit partially disassembled now, I think the motor, gears, and belt are all ok. The actual ram is extremely hard to move in and out by hand. It moves ok if you turn the drive end of it.
Off to borrow some circlip pliers, mine are insufficienctly tiny to get any further.