ST2000 bearing housing failure

AngusMcDoon

AngusMcDoon

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 Oct 2004
Messages
9,209
Location
Up some Hebridean loch
Visit site
The cheap nasty block of plastic that holds one of the bearings in my ST2000 autopilot has turned to dust. Do Raymarauder sell individual bits like this, or will they expect me to send it away for repair and charge me half the price of a new one for a 5 minute job to fit a 10p piece of plastic?

sdc11624m.jpg


Or has anyone got an electronically dead ST2000 that I can whip this bit out of? I can pay in YAPPs.
 
I recognise that bit of plastic. Mine broke too - a conical stress fracture. Yours looks not too different: are you sure the missing bit is dust or are there fragments hiding somewhere? I tried to glue mine back together with araldite, but the repair didn't last long. I then cut a bit of 2mm aluminium sheet to shape and sandwiched the re-glued plastic between that and the metal gearbox plate using some longer bolts through the existing fixing holes and a couple of additional bolts. No problems for the 2 or 3 years since, and I think it's significantly stronger than the original design. The aluminium did have to be carefully shaped to avoid fouling the case and wiring.

Your rubber O ring isn't visible in the photo: if it has disappeared it is worth finding. Mine also went when the plastic broke and eventually found its way into the compass bowl where every now and again it stopped the compass moving...
 
Last edited:
I've got an ST2000 that no longer works due to water ingress (the motor's ok, but the "brain" is dead).

I think the bit you need is ok. If you'd like to PM me with your phone number, I'll give you a call to discuss. It's a bit hard to see exactly what's broken in your picture.

I'm not looking for anything for it.
 
Well, if these things were made with something to limit the travel of the screwjack ( ie two 99p microswitches) this could never happen. Poor form on such an expensive unit - or is there an ulterior motive?

The solution is never to allow them to reach the limits of travel; easier said than done.

A shameful omission by Raymarine imho, and one which spoils an otherwise excellent product.
 
Houleaux said:
I've got an ST2000 that no longer works due to water ingress (the motor's ok, but the "brain" is dead).

I think the bit you need is ok. If you'd like to PM me with your phone number, I'll give you a call to discuss. It's a bit hard to see exactly what's broken in your picture.

I'm not looking for anything for it.
Click to expand...

Thank you for your offer. I will be in touch.
 
An update, and public thanks to Houleaux who sent me his electrically dead but mechanically perfect ST2000 to canibalize. His was the older model with the extra leaky buttons, but the mechanics were all fine. I couldn't replace just the broken bit as that needed getting the pinion off the end of the lead screw and it's held on with a tiny spiral pin that would need a press to get out. Instead, I just swapped over the entire lead screw and pushrod assembly, and it all fitted back together fine.

sdc11700t.jpg


Houleaux would take no payment, not even for postage, so I've made a contribution to the Fisherman's Mission as they've been very helpful to me in the past despite not being a fisherman.

http://www.fishermensmission.org.uk/
 
When my 2nd 2000 broke within 6 months I spoke to the techies in Farlington Drive, they laughed like hyaenas and confirmed to me that it was really a toy - to give Raymarine their due they flew out to me @ St Mary's a brand-new and just launched 4000ST tiller pilot for £450.
That has since done 22 years' service and apart from some brushes, bearings, a new display and caps is still doing about 3000nm a year.
Glad the problem has been effectively addressed.
 
It's a bit of a worrying problem as I have an st2000+ . Anyone else had the same failure? How old we're the failed units?
 
The "little spiral pin" - actually a simple roll pin - should come out easily with a few light taps using a suitable sized drill shank as a drift.
 
Spyro said:
It's a bit of a worrying problem as I have an st2000+ . Anyone else had the same failure? How old we're the failed units?
Click to expand...

Mine broke after 11 years and 9,000 miles. Since repairing it it's still working having done another 4 years and 2,000 miles.

It has also been taken apart a couple of times to dry out the electronics. The next time I have it apart I'll take a picture of my reinforcing bracket and post it.
 
Last edited:
DaveS said:
Mine broke after 11 years and 9,000 miles. Since repairing it it's still working having done another 4 years and 2,000 miles.

It has also been taken apart a couple of times to dry out the electronics. The next time I have it apart I'll take a picture of my reinforcing bracket and post it.
Click to expand...
.
Thanks for that, hopefully later models might have been improved. Mine is 4 years old.
 
AngusMcDoon said:
Mine was 12 years old and had done > 30k miles, which is not too bad for a toy.
Click to expand...

Like everything, it's good if you know it's limit and keep within that. My ST2000+ has been fine (finds wood to touch) even when soaked in rain and spray. I'm right on the edge of it's rated use and when finances allow I will get the bigger SPX5 but until then its fine for motoring and sailing when it's not too windy. It's not too keen on reaching with the spinaker up in 20+ kts.

Nice to see the forum working so well to help fix problem, I think Houleaux is due some good karma :-)
 
Yes same failure - i dont know if its worth mentioning mine is a CAT so twin rudder but only boat is about 2500Kg and 25ft lenght 17ft beam, 2nd ST2000+ ( although i just sold the first one for parts so dont know what failed but same symptoms - gives up on holding course to easily a simple single wave can upset it and it just gives up
Really not impressed and the lack of parts information drives me crazy
Easy to diagnose without taking it apart - if you can push and pull the shaft in and out about 3-4mm
now repair ideas?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top