Reinforcing a Mega 360 Shaft?

[J.W.]

I don't know if it's from vibrations or what, but my Mega 360 shaft is breaking right at the mounting clamp. I was wondering if anyone knows if it's possible to sleeve the shaft, either on the inside or outside with schedule 80 PVC or aluminum tubing or something. I just need it to get through this season then I can send it to Humminbird.

[BassmanRudy]

Not sure. A sleeve and cover it all in 3M epoxy??

[FD]

It's probably from bouncing in rough water or when you're trailering the boat.

I shortened mine so it would fit between my live transducer and the Ultrex control head.

If you can find something large enough for the cable ends to get through and small enough to fit inside the tube, sleeving on the inside might work...

I would talk to HB before I did anything to be sure not to void the warranty.

I'll ask my buddy who is an HB tech and see what he thinks.



Sent from the very edge of civilization...where I belong

[Princeton_Man]

It's probably from bouncing in rough water or when you're trailering the boat.

I shortened mine so it would fit between my live transducer and the Ultrex control head.

If you can find something large enough for the cable ends to get through and small enough to fit inside the tube, sleeving on the inside might work...

I would talk to HB before I did anything to be sure not to void the warranty.

I'll ask my buddy who is an HB tech and see what he thinks.



Sent from the very edge of civilization...where I belong

X2
HB will probably replace it.

[J.W.]

Yeah, I guess I'll call HB when I get home.

[J.W.]

So I got off the horn with HB, and they said normally this would be considered physical damage and would require $$ to fix it, but that they would cut me a break and let me get it fixed under warranty. I asked if there was a way to reinforce the shaft to keep it from happening again, and she suggested a part #, but it is the little leg on the Ultrex that rests on the deck when the TM is stowed. I already have that 

[Princeton_Man]

So I got off the horn with HB, and they said normally this would be considered physical damage and would require $$ to fix it, but that they would cut me a break and let me get it fixed under warranty. I asked if there was a way to reinforce the shaft to keep it from happening again, and she suggested a part #, but it is the little leg on the Ultrex that rests on the deck when the TM is stowed. I already have that 

Humminbird's customer support has received lot's of praise here, so it's not too surprising that they are covering it. You can't be the first to have this problem. It might be worth documenting, taking a few explanatory pictures, and posting it here. We have a member (WayneP) who seems to have a pretty special relationship with the HB. Maybe he could relay the issue to someone who might be interested.

[BassmanRudy]

Glad they are fixing it for ya under warranty! When these things cost Thousands and seem to be so fragile lol.

Might leave them a positive google/yelp review if you've got time.

[J.W.]

Yep. Now I have to figure out where to get a box long enough to ship it. 
Sounds like a stupid problem, but I cannot seem to find one that will fit.
They say do not use the original box. Has to be a plain brown box.

[FD]

Yep. Now I have to figure out where to get a box long enough to ship it. 
Sounds like a stupid problem, but I cannot seem to find one that will fit.
They say do not use the original box. Has to be a plain brown box.

When i shipped mine back a few years ago I had to make one out of 2 boxes and a lot of shipping tape..

Sent from the very edge of civilization...where I belong

[J.W.]

Yep. Now I have to figure out where to get a box long enough to ship it. 
Sounds like a stupid problem, but I cannot seem to find one that will fit.
They say do not use the original box. Has to be a plain brown box.

When i shipped mine back a few years ago I had to make one out of 2 boxes and a lot of shipping tape..

Sent from the very edge of civilization...where I belong

I just took it to the UPS store and had them pack it. They did what you did.

[J.W.]

Just an update, received the 360 today. Super fast turnaround on HB's part. Looks like a whole new transducer, so maybe that's why it was so fast.
Unfortunately, I still do not know how to prevent this from happening again. From looking around, it looks like HB does not like any of those aftermarket braces to be put on the shaft, but if I just let it bounce I think I'll be right back in the same situation in a year or so. 

[Wayne P.]

Just an update, received the 360 today. Super fast turnaround on HB's part. Looks like a whole new transducer, so maybe that's why it was so fast.
Unfortunately, I still do not know how to prevent this from happening again. From looking around, it looks like HB does not like any of those aftermarket braces to be put on the shaft, but if I just let it bounce I think I'll be right back in the same situation in a year or so. 

Humminbird does not make a support brace for the MEGA 360 since the flexing shaft absorbs the shock loads from waves/wakes. More damage is done to the transducer if a brace is used to prevent the flex. The shaft is the same as used on Minnkota trolling motors. There are aftermarket braces available if you want to take the chance of damaging the pod. It used to void the warranty if a brace is used, but don't know if that is still the case.

[J.W.]

Just an update, received the 360 today. Super fast turnaround on HB's part. Looks like a whole new transducer, so maybe that's why it was so fast.
Unfortunately, I still do not know how to prevent this from happening again. From looking around, it looks like HB does not like any of those aftermarket braces to be put on the shaft, but if I just let it bounce I think I'll be right back in the same situation in a year or so. 

Humminbird does not make a support brace for the MEGA 360 since the flexing shaft absorbs the shock loads from waves/wakes. More damage is done to the transducer if a brace is used to prevent the flex. The shaft is the same as used on Minnkota trolling motors. There are aftermarket braces available if you want to take the chance of damaging the pod. It used to void the warranty if a brace is used, but don't know if that is still the case.

Yeah, I talked to someone else at HB and they said it's better to just let it wobble/bounce than to put a brace on it. I guess we'll see. I don't know what else to do with it.

[BassmanRudy]

JW can you post a pic of what exactly you have bouncing? I think I know what you part mean but maybe seeing it will help us that don't have 360 figure something out.

[Wayne P.]

JW can you post a pic of what exactly you have bouncing? I think I know what you part mean but maybe seeing it will help us that don't have 360 figure something out.

This is two 360's--original and MEGA. The pod is not supported like the foot on a stowed trolling motor so the shaft flexes in waves/wakes.

[J.W.]

Ok, so this is not my boat, but I have the exact same mount. It was all installed by the dealer, original equipment on the boat. What's happening is that when you are running across a choppy lake or crossing wakes or trailering the boat, the heavy transducer ball is causing the shaft to flex under the weight of the transducer every time you hit a bump. Over time, it cracked the fiberglass shaft right at the lower edge of the clamp. The shaft broke where I highlighted with red on the picture, just below the clamp. I'm wondering, maybe if I padded the shaft inside that clamp with a piece of bicycle inner tube , it might help. 

[BassmanRudy]

Thanks for the pics y'all. It is what I thought. What a bad idea for them to use fiberglass knowing the amount of abuse that shaft was going to endure. As much as they charge for that stuff could have made it from kevlar!!

Not voiding the warranty  will be tough but I'd say (like you thought before) get a small piece of pvc to slide over the shaft at the clamp area reinforcing it. Also maybe try a couple large rubber bands that aren't tight tight but could keep extreme bouncing from occurring?

Someone like TH Marine will invent a foam /rubber block to go up there in between that shaft and the t motor one  and make a killing!

[BassmanRudy]

Stopped driving so I could edit the pic! So yeah maybe a 1" diameter pvc slipped over the shaft at the clamp overlapping at least 3" lower helps that stress point. And the blue line is where this block/rubber bands would go to help prevent bouncing.

It's like a bell that design. That big transducer head is going to bounce and 3' waves wellp yeah fiberglass is going to crazy. Aluminum would have been way better.

[BassmanRudy]

Pic added*

[Wayne P.]

Stopped driving so I could edit the pic! So yeah maybe a 1" diameter pvc slipped over the shaft at the clamp overlapping at least 3" lower helps that stress point. And the blue line is where this block/rubber bands would go to help prevent bouncing.

It's like a bell that design. That big transducer head is going to bounce and 3' waves wellp yeah fiberglass is going to crazy. Aluminum would have been way better.

One of the lakes I fish looks like this. A flexible shaft for the 360 and trolling motor is the best option-----

[J.W.]

Stopped driving so I could edit the pic! So yeah maybe a 1" diameter pvc slipped over the shaft at the clamp overlapping at least 3" lower helps that stress point. And the blue line is where this block/rubber bands would go to help prevent bouncing.

It's like a bell that design. That big transducer head is going to bounce and 3' waves wellp yeah fiberglass is going to crazy. Aluminum would have been way better.

One of the lakes I fish looks like this. A flexible shaft for the 360 and trolling motor is the best option-----

Yes. Same here. I need it to flex when it's in the water, but not so much when stowed. I think I can probably come up with something, but I was hoping there was a decent COTS solution. All the braces I see will make it too rigid while deployed. If the transducer whacks a stump with no flex in the system, it would not be good. I guess I'll have to fabri-cobble something.

[caddyjoe77]

are you sure you are not tightening the clamp down too hard?  you said it broke at the clamp.  Just wondering

[J.W.]

are you sure you are not tightening the clamp down too hard?  you said it broke at the clamp.  Just wondering

No, I'm not sure. I tried to be careful not to overtighten, and the transducer spun around on me, so I tightened it down some more before it broke. Was it too much, I don't know. I definitely tightened it down more gingerly this time, just in case. 

[Wayne P.]

are you sure you are not tightening the clamp down too hard?  you said it broke at the clamp.  Just wondering

No, I'm not sure. I tried to be careful not to overtighten, and the transducer spun around on me, so I tightened it down some more before it broke. Was it too much, I don't know. I definitely tightened it down more gingerly this time, just in case.

"transducer spun around on me", that is probably the defect that a thread locker was not put on the shaft threads when assembled. It doesn't take much tension on the mount to hold the shaft in place.