# TURBO FINS ON THE HOBIE



## chilliburn (Nov 12, 2007)

Hi every one, just purchased and installed a set of turbo fins on my outback, the sales person told me to make sure that the locating pins that allow you to adjust the pedals are seated properly in their whole or I will shear the holes in which they sit in, sweet no worries .  
So I took the yak out for a test run with the tension adjustment on soft to see the difference in the settings and all was sweet until I decided to give it a bit of stick and see what speed I could produce, whack the pin on the right pedal sheared through the plastic dividers of the pin holes, :shock: :shock: not happy, yak is only 9 days old and 2minutes with the new fins, a closer inspection reveals that there is a few millimetres in outward flex in the pedals which means that the pins do not sit all the way in their holes under load, maybe Hobie should recess a stainless plate on the face of the pin wholes to relieve the stress placed on the plastic or recomend replaceing the pins with nut and bolts to prevent this from happing. :idea: :idea: :idea:

I returned the pedals to the place of purchase and they need to send them to who ever to see if they will cover them for warranty, if they don't the s--t is really going to hit the fan. :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

All i know is this weeks fishing is going to be post poned 

Has any one experienced such a problem?
:?:


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## beefs (Jan 30, 2006)

chilliburn said:


> ...
> 
> All i know is this weeks fishing is going to be post poned
> 
> ...


What - you don't have a paddle? :wink:

Jokes - sorry I couldn't be more helpful!


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## xerubus (May 17, 2007)

When we went fishing up caloundra way a couple of weeks ago, Nodds was showing us this exact problem which occurred to him. Hopefully he'll see this post and reply.


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## fishnfreak (Jun 22, 2007)

c'mon dont be a peddle snob, get out there


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## ScottLovig (Aug 7, 2006)

Hi Chiliburn

"A bit of stick" and turbo fins dont mix. They give you good cruising power and speed but a sprint will overcook them sooner or later (sooner in your case). If you want to throw your legs as hard as possible then the ST fins are a better option as the forces created arent as large.

When installing turbo fins it pays to check the bolts on the bottom of the leg for tightness. For turbo fins I now remove the selector pin and replace it with a s/s bolt and nylock nut. This stops you from being able to adjust the legs as easy but firms up the legs against the cranks stopping the flex. This is something I was shown by another dealer and it works great.

In my experience these issures are always covered by warranty. As a suggestion, ask your dealer if they will give you a new drive to get you on the water quickly and put your set back into a demo yak when repaired. All the Hobie dealers I know are good blokes and will look after you where possible.

Cheers

Scott


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## Guest (Nov 20, 2007)

> Has any one experienced such a problem?


Nope!


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## Guest (Nov 20, 2007)

I agree with Scott that the ST fins are actually a better option if you want to go hard - especially in the outback, which is a fair beast for the turbos to be trying to push through the water with a fast rate of cadence. I think it's less likely to happen with an adventure or revo though, simply because they glide through the water a bit easier. That said, the turbos cruising speed is better than the STs, for sure. But I do reckon that I can go faster for longer with STs. Not that I've really put it to the test - as Gatesey said, there's usually not much need to go all that fast.

This potential issue is exactly why I started using ST fins instead of turbos. I have used turbos for about 6 months (probably did about 500km with them) and didn't have that problem, but I always thought it was a possibility, which is why I switched. I am still using the same miragedrive that came with my first yak and they've done at least 2000km so far, and I still haven't had that problem. Its probably fair to say that I've abused them, but I'm actually genuinely surprised how well they have held up.

In any case, I do prefer ST fins over turbos. But its all horses for courses I guess.


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## Astro (Nov 27, 2006)

as for me i love my turbos but 95% of what i do is at trolling speed, but if require to hoof it then i find i have power to really get moving. the only issue i have had is the front mast coming out (1 minute fix on the water) due to a grub screw that slowly comes loose....will get some locktite it......

my style of peddling also lends itself to a slower pace with more torque anyway......


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## grant ashwell (Apr 24, 2007)

Probably been said elsewhere but I use a zip tie through one of the spare adjustment holes and around the peddle bizo that pulls it all tight and prevents any apparent movement. No trouble with my fins in this dept.


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## SirFishalot (Sep 3, 2007)

Hi ya chilli and the gang!

Mark's spot on. I few weeks ago we went for a paddle with a couple of guys who had just purchased the turbo's. At the end of the day they had the same result as you. The thing to remember with them is that it's a stainless pin going into a plastic drum. That may sound bad (I thought the same when I saw it) but in reality it's a reasonably smart design as it was pointed out that the drums are relatively cheap to replace if you go a bit too hard. If you reinforce them you effectively transfer the weak point potentially to something more expensive. Think of it like a crumple zone in a car, if you shear them you're going too hard!!! I can't be sure as I don't own a Hobie, but I'd suggest the turbo's are designed for less effort in peddling ie. they're a cruising fin not a power one!

Best of luck with it, don't give up because the mirage drive thingy is a great idea especially for estury work!


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## justcrusin (Oct 1, 2006)

I think the problem is more making sure they are locked in properly, i give mine a bit of stick ever now and then and they seem to handle it quite well.
One think to remember you go faster when your not trying, by that i mean you are after the peddles to move back and fowards faster, not try to push them through the hull. By relaxing your muscles (let them feel light) you will not only move more swiftly but you will save energy that tense muscles burn too. Body in harmony is the way to go.

One more thing, i have noticed that a long medium paced peddle propells you through the water as fast as a short powerfully peddle.

Cheers Dave


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## sbd (Aug 18, 2006)

I've pushed my turbos pretty hard and can see some elongation of the hole, but it's not looking like failing. I might take up Grant's suggestion though and see if I can remove any of the movement (approx 1mm). Still 100% happy with my drive.

On the other hand, if Hobie came out with a bulletproof version (metal parts where important to enable a serious thrashing) I'd pay the money for one. With an Outback, a bit more weight in the drive wouldn't make much difference. Maybe Hobie could come up with superturbo fins so power users can bust the uber-drive.


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## Astro (Nov 27, 2006)

gra said:


> Y'know,
> I can almost feel the "dedicated many" rooting me as I say this, BUT, is it not just crap that if I lean too hard on my drive that it breaks??? Because I've paddled REALLY HARD three times this week and my paddle hasn't snapped yet!!! I've spoken to BillyBob about a PADDLE upgrade but now I'm not so sure.. I mean, If I get a longer blade am I at risk of being stuck at sea should I " power on" to catch up with that bait boil?? I don't want to get stuck up shet creek without the necessary.


we hobiers have a back up plan, if the drive does fail we can paddle our way back from shet creek



> Sorry for poking the sleeping lion, after all I'm really quite keen on the peddlers, but every time I read one of these stories I get confused. How is it that you guys can be sooo dedicated to your yaks that you accept this stuff as ordinary? If Holden told you the new Commodore HSV is great -but don't rev too it hard because you'll spit 2nd gear- would you all sit back and say " it's a high performance engine, they shouldn't be flogged"??? for christ's sake, reach between your legs and see if you've still got nuts. These things shouldn't fail and to believe that it's OK for them to do so (after you pay your extra $160) is soft. There's even a Hobie dealer on here giving bodgy mod tips, that can't be right surely? Even with my moderate understanding of engineering I can see that a few cheap-arse stainless plates with teflon bushes would solve this, why is it not standard? Would you not all rather pay another $50 for a better engineered (i.e. failure-proof) set of fins? And if this put too much stress on the rest of the drive then maybe they should'nt be an option? Or at least come with a caution -" Warning - Don't give these any stick because they'll break"
> 
> Too harsh?
> 
> Gra


i think we are talking about the exception and not the rule here....quite a few of us have outbacks with turbos that DON'T have problems. however since we do have a higher level of technology it only stands to reason that there will be more issues, but hey...thats fine with me....you can't beat hands free fishing....and the extra 1 minute it takes me to wash, lube and check the drive is worth it.


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## sbd (Aug 18, 2006)

I rate gear that is built for performance by different criteria than you gra. If I had $300K worth of Maserati, I probably wouldn't use it to pull stumps (though at that price, surely it would wouldn't it?). It's simply not realistic to demand performance beyond the limits of any machinery, then get cranky pants when it fails. Unlike my Silstar powertip, my very expensive carbon fibre Loomis toothpick will break if I high stick it, or whack it into a rock, but if I did trash it like that, I don't see how that would be the fault of Loomis, or the importer - either way the poor old Silstar doesn't get to see much action these days. The Mirage drive is an amazing bit of kit, but has limits, like any other piece of machinery. If users choose to further push these limits by adding turbo fins (and go fast stripes and a whale tail) then they should expect more maintenance. I'm yet to hear of a set of standard fins trashing a drive. The drive limits are way beyond my expectations so far, but it's like your car, if you don't service it/look after it, it will fail (based on this I'm expecting my car to fail any day now). There's no way I'm going back to standard fins, and I'm happy to accept the compromise.


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## chilliburn (Nov 12, 2007)

If Holden told you the new Commodore HSV is great -but don't rev too it hard because you'll spit 2nd gear- would you all sit back and say " it's a high performance engine, they shouldn't be flogged"??? for christ's sake, reach between your legs and see if you've still got nuts. These things shouldn't fail and to believe that it's OK for them to do so (after you pay your extra $160) is soft. There's even a Hobie dealer on here giving bodgy mod tips, that can't be right surely? Even with my moderate understanding of engineering I can see that a few cheap-arse stainless plates with teflon bushes would solve this, why is it not standard? Would you not all rather pay another $50 for a better engineered (i.e. failure-proof) set of fins? And if this put too much stress on the rest of the drive then maybe they should'nt be an option? Or at least come with a caution -" Warning - Don't give these any stick because they'll break"

Too harsh?

Gra[/quote]
I totally agree, the sales person sells me [flash=]TURBO[/flash] (very fast, very powerful, speed, exhilarating, wow) fins not putt along fins. There in the instructions it is not stated that these are not designed to pedal hard.
Having said that I am no athlete so when I say I gave it a bit of stick it was for what maybe 1 minute tops, if this is a recurring problem Hobie should sell the appropriate upgrade drive system that can handle the fins or tell you that there is flex in the unit and that maybe a simple fix like cable ties or replacing the pins with nuts and bolts is necessary or get rid of the fins all up.
I bought a yak for its simplicity for its ease of use and so my 10 and 11 year old daughters can enjoy the diversity of pedal or paddle, instead I'm spending more time writing about it on this forum rather than enjoying the innovative drive system.
But all is good when I'm back on the water its all worth it.


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## ScottLovig (Aug 7, 2006)

Hi Gra

You need to understand the ST Turbo fins are a performance enhancer, not the original standard kit. If you put a turbo on a new car and drop the clutch at the lights sooner or later you will be in the service centre.

I cant understand how you could get upset with me helping someone with a little advice about how to manage the gear for the best result. You'd throw rocks at me if I told a guy to take his broken gear and piss off.....what gives??? :shock: The advice I gave was sound I hope Mirage Drive owners found it helpfull.

Anyone wanting to check out the latest Mirage Drive developments should look at this link http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=8285

Cheers

Scott


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## ScottLovig (Aug 7, 2006)

Hi Chiliburn

A failure is dissapointing and you are right about the turbo fins failing to have a warning on the packet. I make a point of installing Turbo fins myself for customers and explaining the pros and cons. I and most other dealers do this so that the problem you have experienced less likely to occur. The salesman could have done more.

Cheers

Scott


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## Davey G (Jan 15, 2006)

My $0.02.. If I buy something that breaks after the first use then I too would be pissed.... This would be compounded if I hadn't been warned about the 'potential' problem beforehand. I'd say that if Chilliburn (or any other member) has a new yak that suffers a problem then he has a right to be annoyed. The fact that he now needs to stuff around, take it back to the shop, explain the problems, wait for it to be fixed etc etc etc just spoils the 'thrill' he should be getting from his new toy.

Now I have absolutely no mechanical understanding of the Hobie drive system, and from all reports its a great technological advancement that has lured many more people to kayaking than would have been the case if the sport was paddle only.

I also know and understand that Hobie research and development teams are constantly trying to 'reinvent the wheel' to make their system better and more reliable. It is also my understanding that their after-sales service is second to none and problems are rectified quickly, professionally and with minimum fuss to the customer. Bravo to the Hobie company for that.

However, this doesn't stop/solve the problem of continued breakages and failures with Hobie (mirage drive) products. Yes, it does seem that Hobie Mirage Drive kayaks have a much larger amount of 'issues' than any other brand of kayak, but this is obviously due to the much higher amount of 'gadgets and gizmos' required to run the mirage drive system.

As others have mentioned, this is not an isolated case. A very high percentage of Hobie owners that I know (including several long term members and moderators) have had various issues with their drives. I also know that most of these guys treat their gear extremely well and it is not a case of 'user abuse'. However from my experience, where a plastic part is subject to excess stress, it will usually fail. Logic dictates that a more resilient material should be used in this area.

However I also understand that no matter what a retailer/yak company does theres always going to be some issues with the customer 'doing the wrong thing'...... (I'm sure all retailers have heard some classic lines from customers who have problems..... 'I wasn't doing anything, it just broke in half while I was looking at it......) :shock:

So, what's the solution???

From a safety point of view, I would hope that all Hobie retailers would at least explain the possible problems that can occur with the Mirage drives (all variants), and give some advice prior to the customer leaving their shops (eg 'Don't give it heaps with turbo fins as you'll probably stuff the plastic drum). This should be a basic safety issue. I know that most of the Hobie guys do a run-through on Mirage Drive maintenance issues pre-delivery so that's great, but perhaps it can be improved.???

Again, just my 2 cents and i'm sure that the Hobie guys will sort it out but if it happened to me with a week old kayak I'd be fairly annoyed too...


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## Astro (Nov 27, 2006)

davey: i can't see how the mirage drive failing is a safety issue...yes it is PITA but us hobiers have a back up plan...we carry measuring sticks....oops i mean paddles......


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## sbd (Aug 18, 2006)

chilliburn said:


> for christ's sake, reach between your legs and *[mod edit: removed as a result of a reported post]*.


Gee chilliburn, you really know how to keep people interested in your cause. Have a nice life.


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## chilliburn (Nov 12, 2007)

What do you mean or what you are referring to by when you say quote "have a nice life" un quote.
Just remember it is yours and every one else's decision to voice they're opinion, I do not force any one to make a reply,
I just put forward an issue and watched all the controversy arise, by saying have a good life insinuates that I have no life and that I need other peoples opinion to make up my mind as to what I need to do about this matter, my actions have already taken place and they are returning the product to the sales people and have warranty repair the faulty product. One of the reason I brought forward this matter is if there is any one out there going to buy a set of turbo fins that may be they should be aware and that there is an issue with this product and that they need to consider this before they part with their hard earned cash.I'm not the only one this has happened to.
Buy the way the sale people rang and said they will warrant the part but in doing so they need to replace the pins with nuts and bolts, great if I'm the only user but as stated before my daughters are also users of the outback and are considerabley shorter than I so the flexibility is lost, I believe this is a small price to pay for a performance upgrade. where there is a will there is a way.

If only all this was brought to my attention from the start Just like it is to you all now that you have read this article.

No hard feelings sbd but in making such comments without any smiley face to sense your mood I take that comment as an insult.
My life is great if only there were others who could honestly say the same
HAVE A NICE LIFE  :lol:


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## Guest (Nov 21, 2007)

I don't know of one single mechanical device in the world that uses a drive chain that is infallible. Push bikes, motorbikes, you name it - all can and will have some issue to contend with at some point and this can usually be delayed significantly with proper maintenece. Because I've known since I was 10 years old that things like bike chains, sprockets, etc can and will eventually need to be looked and or even (gasp) repaired, I knew when I bought a Hobie that the very same thing may occur. Fortunately, I've been lucky I guess.

Gatesy was spot on - for those of us who understand and appreciate the perceived advantages of hands free fishing, accepting that one day the miragedrive might need to be repaired for whatever reason is a sacrifice that most of us are more than willing to make. A while ago I wrote about what I thought some of the advantages of the miragedrive were and did have a few people try and tell me how wrong I was. Contrary to their efforts, since then I've actually added more advantages to the list. Good luck using poppers while you're paddling, for example. And without the ability to move hands free, forget about trolling a line on one rod while casting plastics with another rod at the same time. If I wasn't able to do these types of things, I simply wouldn't enjoy kayak fishing as much as I do. I started yak fishing with a paddle (in an inflatable even) but would have a hard time going back to using a paddle alone now.

So for that reason, I will make sure grubs screws are all in place once every week or two. I'll lubricate the drive chain every few trips and rinse it in fresh water every trip. And I've also learned to take the drive out when landing in surf - especially around reef, rocks and rough concrete boat ramps. Fortunately for me, I've never had to resort to using the paddle to get me out of trouble. But Astro is right - if I ever need it, its there.

All that said, if a problem occurs on first use, then yes, you probably are going to be miffed and perhaps rightly so. Unless, of course, you made the upgrade yourself (such as turbo fins) and failed to do it correctly. Scott installed my turbos for me and I never once had a problem with them. I simply retired them for ST fins because I figured that they would be a little more reliable in tough conditions (such as pushing though an incoming tide and wind) and less likely to hit the bottom in shallow water (due to being shorter).


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## sbd (Aug 18, 2006)

Hey Chilli, glad you've got a nice life mate. I misread that line to have come from you, when in fact it came from that irredeemable reprobate gra :wink: . Frankly I steer clear of emoticons, but just for you... have a nice life 

Come for a fish mate, and afterwards we can fight to the death :shock: (or drink beer if you'd prefer).


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## sbd (Aug 18, 2006)

kraley said:


> Don't do it. He'll ram you.


You're on the list Ken.


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## Nodds (Feb 28, 2007)

As xerubus mentioned I had a drum failure a few weeks ago after fitting turbo fins to my revo.

The drum failed for one reason and one reason only, I was a TOOL.

When I went to Mal at Sunstate hobie to buy my turbo fins he told me I should consider getting the ST's instead due to the added strain the turbos put on the drive system when used INCORRECTLY.
I assured Mal that I would behave and never do the "boy racer thing"
Mal was still wasn't convinced and tried a little harder to sway me in my quest for less effort peddling but I would not be swayed.
As Mal bolted the new fins to my drive he was telling me all about the things to check and to make sure that the locking pins are all the way in at all times and how to keep the fins adjusted evenly and so on and so forth and then told me again DO NOT USE THESE FINS TO RACE OR TO SEE HOW FAST YOU CAN GET YOUR REVO GOING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A long story short, the first time I took my new fins out on the water was the day xerubus mentioned and after about an hour of keeping my word to mal (and being amazed at how fewer pushes on the peddles were required to keep up with Lee who has standard fins) IT happened.
A bloody huge trawler went passed and I saw the bow wave coming and thought wow I reckon I could ride that wave with my new TURBO fins   and off I went RACING a trawler (and for those of you interested, I was smoking that trawler :lol: ) till the drum broke.
At this point of the story I would like to point out to those who neglect to mention and those who don't know that when you "break a drum" the drum is still usable. There are 7 settings on the drum as you may have seen in a photo in a recent post about this very subject. When a drum breaks it tears out the plastic between two or more of these settings, this still leaves you with at least 4 good settings to get around with as I did for the rest of the day after breaking mine. So to those who go on about drive failure leaving you stranded and helpless in the the big blue, try another setting only this time don't race things. If you do race things and keep breaking bits till you have no settings left then you deserve to paddle back, yes thats rite they DO HAVE PADDLES TOO. At least if I break my mirage drive I can paddle home, as apposed to breaking or losing a paddle on a paddle only yak and swimming home.

So as I mentioned I broke my drum being a TOOL by doing what I was told NOT TO DO and what I told myself I wouldn't do.
I can tell you it should be the last drum I break now I have a better understanding of what it takes to damage parts and just how far I can push with turbo fins.

And now for the happy ending.
I ran into Mal at the boat show the following weekend and his first words were how did the turbos go? To which I very sheepishly answered, I broke them. The next words were, you were bloody racing wern't you ? To which I also sheepishly answered, yes but it was only a trawler :? At this point Mal just looked me shaking his head then smiled and said well you better bring it up during the week and I'll fix it for you. 
So the following Tuesday Lee and I went to Mals at Sunstate Hobie were Mal replaced my busted drum, the whole time laughing and saying "I told you so" and "you couldn't help your self could you" :lol: 
I wanted to pay for the drum because I stuffed it doing what I was told countless times not to do however Mal would not take the money, he just said " no but if you do it again racing you will pay for the next one" :lol: :lol:

So in closing it would seem that,

mirage drives are NOT FOOL proof.
If you race it you will wreck it (with turbos fitted)
Hobie dealers just might know what they are on about and their advice may need to be heeded.
And unlike HSV's, hobies warranty IS FOOL proof.
Trawlers should not be raced  
And lastly but not leastly, Mal is a good bloke with a great sense of humor. :lol:

Do I regret getting turbos?, hell no  
Will I take more care and use them as intended? sh#t yeah 

If you get a brand new HSV and hold it flat in second gear I can tell you something will break before you run out of fuel, and I doubt HSV would warranty that if they knew how it happened. :shock: 

Have fun on the water :lol: :lol:


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## Astro (Nov 27, 2006)

nodds you are not alone mate.....i'm not with ya....but there are plenty others.... :lol:

thanks for the clarification and background details......funny how they make a difference.....


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## JT (May 25, 2006)

sbd said:


> Hey Chilli, glad you've got a nice life mate. I misread that line to have come from you, when in fact it came from that irredeemable reprobate gra :wink: . Frankly I steer clear of emoticons, but just for you... have a nice life
> 
> Come for a fish mate, and afterwards we can fight to the death :shock: (or drink beer if you'd prefer).


Why can't you blokes fight to the death while the rest of us drink the beer and watch? It could be the highlight one evening after dinner at South West Rocks perhaps? :shock:

JT


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## ScottLovig (Aug 7, 2006)

Thankyou Gra

You are a gentleman.

Cheers

Scott


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## Tim (Nov 11, 2005)

Just when we're settling in for a bloodbath you all go lovey dovey. :mrgreen:

I shall have to fulfill my edrama quota elsewhere.


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## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

You bloody beauty - a hobie thread that didn't have to get locked/killed as a result of wandering down into personal attacks. A few wobbles, but we're on target. Appreciate it guys.

HVic: Some great positive responses. I reckon I'll be first in line for that upgraded drive.

Probably a good time to highlight some great work that Hoit has done in the Wiki, replicating (with permission) RoadRunner's Hobie maintenance recommendations.

Pop into "Maintenance, Safety and Technique", from the main wiki page, and click on "Hobie Maintenance".
If anyone is interested in adding maintenance for other types of yaks (rudder cables, plastic welding, etc), create a new category, and feel free to zap some details in there also.

Here's a link: 
http://www.akff.net/wiki/index.php?titl ... aintenance
Red.


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## Squidder (Sep 2, 2005)

Nice work Red, and Hoit  I'm also happy to see that this thread hasn't degenerated!  

As HobieVic stated, the problem seems to be not that the mirage drive is prone to failure, but that not all Hobie dealers are making new owners aware of the dos and don'ts regarding Turbo fins. IMO this needs to be addressed by the Hobie company. Scott, do you know what training/instruction is given to Hobie dealers regarding this issue?


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## ScottLovig (Aug 7, 2006)

Hi Jase

Admittedly some of these do's and donts have been learnt by us the hard way. I belive all new dealers are put through a training session, however the factory can do so much. Having owned traditional retail stores in the past I truly understand how it would be harder for some dealers to keep consistant Hobie experienced staff on the floor at all times. Its easier for guys like Mal and I as we only sell Hobies and prefer to do it on our own.

Cheers

Scott


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## xxxkayak (Sep 15, 2007)

Turbo finns or the peddle systme on a Hobie kayak is the best fishing tool in my hole rig. i strumed away at my standard finns for about 6 months and found that they gave me every thing bargined for. 
I paddle to my destanition and if im fishing a bank i put my whole mirage drive unit in backwards this means when i get on something that wants to dive back into what eva hole i found it in give a couple of blows and rapidly move back into deeper water ( works great when fishin cliffs :lol: but when i have my turbos on it wants to burry my bow and lift my stern and becomes very washy in the front end and have to give a big lean back to over come this.

my advice as have done is made a ally sheiff that goes through the hole in the drum and wich is then through bolted. but make sure to ask your dealer for a maintenance guide to keek every thing else happy. cos your cables will stretch and make more isseus if your givin em hell!! it takes little work but keeps ya fishing!!!!


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## justcrusin (Oct 1, 2006)

Great Story Nodds, mate that trawler would have been toast, he'll think twice before taking on a yak again :lol: :lol:

I too was told to no end that the ST would be better on my outback and Kev fitted the turbos himself giving me tips on how to peddle them properly, I have been a lucky FOOL like the day across googong dam trying to keep up with red at full pace in the adventurer 8) :lol: if Red didn't have the paddle out too trying to take the mirage 580's i would have had him :lol: :lol: :lol: not.

Cheers Dave


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## gunner44 (Nov 13, 2007)

What kind of plastic do they use to make the drive components on the hobie's?


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## ScottLovig (Aug 7, 2006)

I think it is Delrin.

Cheers

Scott


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## Guest (Nov 22, 2007)

According to wikipedia (on delrin):

Polyoxymethylene (POM), also commonly known under DuPont's brand name Delrin, is an engineering plastic, a polymer with the chemical formula is -(-O-CH2-)n-. Often marketed and used as a metal substitute, Delrin is a lightweight, low-friction, and wear-resistant thermoplastic with good physical and processing properties and capable of operating in temperatures in excess of 90 degrees celsius (approx 200 degrees Fahrenheit). According to the material safety data sheet from DuPont, the material has a slight odor of formaldehyde.[1]


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## Astro (Nov 27, 2006)

just took my outback out...err....

anyway got the call about 7.50 am....mackerel at eimeo......everywhere....in close .....out wide........

in water by......8.48 am.....mackerel ....GONE......bar stewards (got one just legal will here at 5.00 am tomorrow)

anyway mucked around going into the local creek then trolling a out a bit wider in about 15 - 20 knots winds and a far chop....
now with all this turbo fin and outback talk i tried a few things to test the drive (which is over a year old and has 100s of ks) and confirmed that the best peddling method is a steady even stroke (pushing 1 foot forward) about 1/sec

now in the situation i was in...no bloody fish for 2.5 hours i was kenn for a hook up...in the distance...surface action....

now i wanted to get there quicky (no doubt) but confirmed that a faster rate of peddling adds only marginal speed......it was far more efficient to peddle at a slightly faster rather than really pump them....

anyway i love my turbos and for MY style and type of fishing are the best......


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## Bart70 (Jan 28, 2007)

Hi All,

I have suffered the 'stripped drive holes' as described above (full Turbo's fitted). No biggie - I know I am very strong in my legs and give the Mirage Drive a pounding regularly - and I know that at time I drive it harder than I should (and was doing so when it 'broke'). I didnt bother with a warranty claim as the replacement part was relatively cheap - but replacing it would have only transferred the problem to a new day......

Instead I have fitted bolts (as suggested by HobieVic) - cant flex or fail again and bugger all loss of functionality (I dont have a need to adjust pedals). One day when time permits I am going to take the SS pins to a machine shop and get a set machined up that are 5mm longer than the factory ones. This should prevent the 'slip' under flex although due to the length may not mean the pedal will adjust as as easily as normal. This small loss of function does not concern me the slightest given the advantages of the Mirage Drive and the full Turbo Fins.

HobieVic - The Mirage Drive developments look great.....From the comments in the link you provided it infers that an 'upgrade' kit may be produced to convert the previous Mirage Drives to the newer ones. Do you know if this is going to be the case or is it still early days? I would be 2nd in line after Red to get the upgrade kit if it were available.

Thanks,
Bart70


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## kpenergy (Oct 3, 2007)

I stripped mine when they were 2 weeks old while trying to see how fast I could go. The Hoby Dealer suggested that I may have had some sand in the "Latch" on the pedal and maybe it didnt lock in properly, he gave me a discount but said the warranty probably wouldn't cover it, I like the ideas with the bolts and zip ties, but with the amount of people it has happened to would suggest its something Hobie should should look at. Although I hosed it down after each use, now I am very thorough and WD40 it every 2nd or third outing so they can't use that excuse again.


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## bazzoo (Oct 17, 2006)

You might do well to change from WD40 to INNOX or LANOX, they have more lubricant in them , and i have found them much better on all mechanical devices as they leave a slight covering of oil , and dont dry out the surfaces like WD40.


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## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

Bugger. Thought we were going to make it through a whole hobie thread this time.
Some posts removed as a result of reported posts.. and locked again.


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