Simrad Tiller-pilot TP10 - On the blink. Repairable?

[Robert Wilson]

Started to "clank and grind", even in light airs, and switches itself off.
I've opened it up hoping to see a broken cog/gear wheel but nothing obvious.
No idea how old it is as it "came with boat".

Are they repairable? If so who, where, how much?
I'd rather not have to spend £400+ on a replacement.

Thanks in anticipation.

 

[NorthUp]

Sounds like the rubber drive belt on its way out. I am still trying to find one for my own, at a sensible price.

 

[Robert Wilson]

That sounds about the right sort of "slipping". Thanks.
But I'm not over-joyed at your own plight! Does not bode well for either of us.......

 

[colhel]

Wouldn't be a bad electrical connection would it?

 

[pvb]

That sounds about the right sort of "slipping". Thanks.
But I'm not over-joyed at your own plight! Does not bode well for either of us.......

You can get a new drive belt for £29 from JG Tech (part number TPPK10). You can download the service manual, which tells you everything, from http://www.bluemoment.com/manuals/01 TP10-20.pdf

If you want someone else to fix it, try The Service Centre - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Simrad-TP...Tillerpilot-Tiller-Pilot-Repair-/231081511770

 

[NickRobinson]

Mine clicks.. glad I've got a spare dead unit-

I'd not considered the belt.

The belts are the same pitch as RC cars; take your belt to the local model shop?

Random googling eg http://driftmission.com/guides/belts-guide/

Nick

 

[Robert Wilson]

You can get a new drive belt for £29 from JG Tech (part number TPPK10). You can download the service manual, which tells you everything, from http://www.bluemoment.com/manuals/01 TP10-20.pdf

If you want someone else to fix it, try The Service Centre - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Simrad-TP...Tillerpilot-Tiller-Pilot-Repair-/231081511770

Sounds encouraging. And hadn't thought of a poor electrical connection.
Wonder if it could be something to do with the watery environment!!

Time to take the thing to pieces, nothing to lose, after all.

Thanks one and all

R

 

[Robert Wilson]

Sounds encouraging. And hadn't thought of a poor electrical connection.
Wonder if it could be something to do with the watery environment!!

Time to take the thing to pieces, nothing to lose, after all.

R

Hmm, foolish thing to say.......................... Lots of wee screws and fings.

Anyway, good news. JG Tech supplied a new belt (within 24hrs). Very helpful chap, advised that the cutting-out most likely poor connection due to wet watery stuff getting into the cockpit plug thingy. Sure enough, on inspection thingy is somewhat non-shiny.

Only trouble now is that the boat won't be back in the water til March/April so I won't know til then if it's fixed!
Patience required.

RW

 

[NickRobinson]

Hmm, foolish thing to say.......................... Lots of wee screws and fings.

Anyway, good news. JG Tech supplied a new belt (within 24hrs). Very helpful chap, advised that the cutting-out most likely poor connection due to wet watery stuff getting into the cockpit plug thingy. Sure enough, on inspection thingy is somewhat non-shiny.

Only trouble now is that the boat won't be back in the water til March/April so I won't know til then if it's fixed!
Patience required.

RW

Don't wait- TP10 has two wires and is polarity protected (but black or blue is neg anyway)- hook it up to your car battery press auto and gently rotate...

N

 

[Robert Wilson]

Don't wait- TP10 has two wires and is polarity protected (but black or blue is neg anyway)- hook it up to your car battery press auto and gently rotate...

N

Hey, that's a great idea. Thank you. I was musing last night if something like that would work.

"Plug" has three pins in triangular format. I presume the top one is the earth (I don't want to dis-assemble the plug to find out, as I usually break something doing that sort of thing!)
Does it matter which of the other two are connected to +ve and -ve terminals? I assume it does, so I then have to work out which is the "blue one" and which is the "brown one". I can probably do that with a torch and short length of wire to check for a circuit.
Fingers crossed.

 

[iaincockburn]

Hi

My TP10 made a loud clunking noise when moving the rod in or out. Turned out that the main drive bearing had failed. It is relatively easy removing the drive assembly, but removing the bearing was a bu**er, it is pressed into position on the basis this is not a repairable unit. I had to cut it off with a Dremel, the replacement bearing was easy to find on the internet (6 x 19 x 6mm, sealed) and cost £1.

A quick whinge - there are no thrust washer/ bearings in the device, the single bearing is meant to take both circumferential as well as thrust loads, something they are not designed to do, important considering that the thrust load can exceed 60kg!