Stainless Steel Mirage Drive Pedal Cranks

[Deefa]

Great mod.

I'll be interested to see if the extra length helps. I'm planning on owning a hobie within a year, and would likely do this mod.

Generally (at least with steel, stainless & aluminum) the same weight of material will give approx. the same strength, so if your weights are ball-park you should be ok.
When drilling stainless it should always be slow RPM compared to Au / steel, more pressure and lubricate (stainless work hardens with the heat of machining operations). A drill press would make it easier.

[cheaterparts]

When drilling stainless it should always be slow RPM compared to Au / steel, more pressure and lubricate (stainless work hardens with the heat of machining operations). A drill press would make it easier.

and keep your drills sharp so they cut and not rub

[shane]

I went out from Williamstown this morning to give the new pedal cranks their first run. No fish but I did about 4.5k's out past Gellibrand Shoal and back. It was mostly steady pedalling but I did manage a sustained push back into a 15kt head wind including pedalling flat out in sections. The cranks held up very well with no flex or any signes of distoration under load. They seem to be totally adequate for the task at this stage.

The other thing I noticed is that the 25mm extra height on the cranks suits me very well and makes for more comfortable pedalling. I found with the original cranks that my thighs would hit against the front of the seat on full extension. Not a major issue but it was annoying and could lead to a sore spot after a lot of predalling. The higher pedals seem to lift the angle of my legs enough that this isn't an issue anymore.

[Deefa]

Sounds like a win, well done.

[tightlines]

Very tidy

[Nhibbo]

Thanks Shane,

I've had a few similar problems with my older mirage drive over the years, but not with the pedal shafts. After reading your article, I just went out to check them for cracks. They look quite good but although I wash them after each use, I was surprised to see beads of moisture over them. Obviously still holding salt which is absorbing moisture from the cold night air.
Incidentally, I had hoped to be able to use the second drive from the newer yak as a back up, but it has smaller diameter main locking pins. Sadly, the drives are therefore not interchangeable.

[shane]

My stainless cranks are still going strong. When I got my new PA hull it came with a new pin to put into the drive as the locking mechanism seemed to have changed between 2011 and 2013.

[sog]

Shane
Well done on the repair
You continue to impress, even without fish photos
Very educational

[mingle]

Hi Shane,

Are you still using the s/steel cranks on your A.I. mirage drive?

Cheers,

Mike.

[bunyip]

I am not a metallurgist and this is not a criticism but I thought that SS and aluminum would minimize electrolosys, it is for this reason we use aluminum swages on SS rigging.
Absence of airflow accellerates corrosion so we never seal a swage, not as pretty but lasts a lot longer.
It appears that an easier way to flush the coupling could be your next project if salt is evident after a wash.