Stock outdrive design flaw! Fix it easily before you crash like mine!

[MT-Tank]

CRUNCH! I just found out what splintering fiberglass sounds like....

The stock outdrive has a design flaw that is easily fixed. The control horn on the top of the outdrive is attached by a single screw. Remove this and you should find two small plastic pins that take the torque of the steering.

I was running the BJ in open water, no collision, when I suddenly found that the boat would not straighten out after a turn. I killed the power but could not avoid a collision with the dock. Found that the control horn had twisted on the outdrive. Removed the horn and found two plastic pins had been sheared off. I repaired by running a screw through the horn, into one of the embedded pins. Learned how to repair fiberglass... Looks lousy...

Recommended fix should take five minutes:
Remove control horn. Remove one or both plastic pins. Drill through horn where pin was. Screw through horn into the hole that the pin previously fit into. I used a servo mounting screw.

I can't believe that ProBoat skimped and used just one screw where two would have been obvious...

Paul

[rockwerks]

Those pins are there to protect the system from damage its not an over site

[MT-Tank]

So the pins protect the servo gears. Great.
But the twisted control horn, due to plastic pin failure, causes a crash that smashes the hull. Not great.

I would have rather replaced the servo than do fiberglass repair.

Anyway, those who still run the stock outdrive can decide for themselves which risk they would rather take.

Respectfully,

Paul

[Eggy]

I did about the same when i where using the outdrive. Quite often the outdrive broke free of the mounting point. At slow speeds this was no problem but when doing close the 50Mph it was not a pretty sight. Also cost me a prop.