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From: (no name) (no email)
Date: Thu Jul 26 2001 - 17:00:21 EDT
For those of you with the Autohelm autopilot that uses a linear actuator
attached to the tiller...
A neighbor came aboard in Nantucket and upon discovering the wealth of tools
aboard Bandersnatch asked if I could help him fix his autopilot. Seems this
device has a plastic threaded fitting that screws into the actuator and then
fits down onto a stud on the tiller. This piece is made of black plastic
with a hollow space inside the threaded part and is fragile. We discovered
that a brass pipe fitting with 1/2" copper compression fitting on one end and
1/2" pipe thread on the other works perfectly. The compression fitting end
threads fit the Autohelm actuator, and we drilled a 1/4" hole through the
pipe threaded end to suit the stud on the tiller.
The other end of the actuator has a short stainless pin that fits into a
bracket attached to the cockpit. The pin is attached to the actuator with a
small roll pin. The original roll pin had been replaced when it broke down
island with a plain steel one which rusted and broke. This pin cannot be
drilled out because it is spring steel and just dulls the drill. I did
happen to have the proper size pin punch and after some effort managed to
punch out the remnants of the old pin. I drilled the hole out with a number
30 drill (if I recall correctly) and replaced the roll pin with a short,
L-shaped length of 1/8" 316L stainless TIG rod lashed to the side of the
actuator.
This TIG rod is available in 316 and bronze in diameters from 1/16" to 1/4"
in three foot lengths at welding supply shops and is very useful aboard.
Norm
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