I had that issue with mine and made the same repair. It worked until other parts started to fail, which were not commercially available either and I had to build. I ended up replacing the ST4000 with under-deck model. It took a bit of work, but is a 1000x better.
From: cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com [mailto:cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com] On Behalf Of Tortuga Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2012 9:53 AM To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com Subject: Stus-List ST4000 wheel drive problem During our last sail, the wheel drive for the Autohelm ST4000 on our 1979 30 mk1 stopped engaging. When I moved the drive lever into the engage position it seemed to not catch, although it stayed in position. The unit was clicking away but the wheel was not engaged. I put a note on the Raymarine tech forum, asking whether I should take the wheel drive apart. I received a reply, asking "What color is the wheel drive, Black or Gray?" I replied that I thought it was black faded to dark gray. I received another reply, "There is no adjustment on black wheel drives, and unfortunately no parts available any longer as well. Sometimes with those symptoms, changing the belt might help, again there are no parts available but there is a company." I took the wheel drive apart and found that the cam mechanism was rotating on the shaft connecting it to the drive lever Once there were 2 pins which passed through the cam and the shaft to prevent the cam from free-rotating. They had been worn down or snapped off. The remains were still lodged in the shaft. As a temporary fix, I cut 2 thin brads to length and shoved them through the cam and shaft, then placed them both back into the drive wheel assembly, jammed the wheel drive back together and put the drive lever back on. I haven't had a chance yet to try it out because of the winds and rain from Leslie. I have contacted CMC Electronics to ask about a replacement drive eccentric assembly. I was told someone there will call me back. My apologies if this has been discussed too many times before. Is it a common problem? What are my chances of finding a replacement assembly? Thanks Derek Kennedy C&C 30 mk 1 Ballantyne's Cove, NS _____ No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2012.0.2221 / Virus Database: 2437/5264 - Release Date: 09/12/12
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