Arcticspud
Veteran Member
Just spent a great Memorial Weekend on the water and noticed my port Hobbs meter on the lower helm is not working. It works on the flybridge. Simple fix?
Hobbs meter stuck
- Thread starter Arcticspud
- Start date
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C lectric
Guru
Replace it. Make a note in the log when and the hours and use a new one.
I've gone through two when they quit at ~ 1,500 hr ea.
The third I'm still running after ~3,000 hr. and 20 yr.
The first two were mechanical and they gummed up. I beat them, I drilled tiny holes in them to spray lube them but they died.
The current one and showing no death signs is the quartz electronic version. Looks the same. And yes all were Hobbs.
I still keep the first two at home just in case I sell the boat although I suspect when I do it won't matter at all.
I've gone through two when they quit at ~ 1,500 hr ea.
The third I'm still running after ~3,000 hr. and 20 yr.
The first two were mechanical and they gummed up. I beat them, I drilled tiny holes in them to spray lube them but they died.
The current one and showing no death signs is the quartz electronic version. Looks the same. And yes all were Hobbs.
I still keep the first two at home just in case I sell the boat although I suspect when I do it won't matter at all.
OP
OP
Arcticspud
Veteran Member
That what I was afraid of. It's a cummins tach so it is probably a small fortune.
C lectric
Guru
You might contact Cummins for a repair.. Or try Lauderdale Speedometer. Maybe they can repair it. They have been the go to place for many for many years.
But if it truly is a Hobbs best just replace it and keep the old one.
On my pevious boat I installed two Hobbs since it didn;t have any hourmeters. I put them close by but not on the dash. They certainly are not anything that needs to be front and centre.
But if it truly is a Hobbs best just replace it and keep the old one.
On my pevious boat I installed two Hobbs since it didn;t have any hourmeters. I put them close by but not on the dash. They certainly are not anything that needs to be front and centre.
psneeld
Guru
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- Apr 15, 2008
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- 13,731
- Location
- California Delta
- Vessel Name
- FlyWright
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- 1977 Marshall Californian 34 LRC
Are we talking about a free-standing Hobbs hour meter or Cummins hour meter integrated into a tachometer?
OP
OP
Arcticspud
Veteran Member
The hour meter is integrated into the tach.
Ski in NC
Technical Guru
VDO tachs with hourmeters: the hm's suck. Many failed and replaced. Some new replacements failed too. Digital lcd's fail. Mechanical ones too. On my personal boat, the hm is started to freak out at 1800hrs, but now seems to be working.
Hobbs name brand HM's: They fail too. Got a box of stuck meters. Digital and mechanical. I wonder if some cheap counterfeits have made it into the supply chain, as Hobbs is supposedly reputable and used on aircraft, etc.
The Hobbs (name brand) on my genny recently logged about 16hrs on a 10hr overnight run. No wonder my oil seems clean when changed at 200hr!! On a run a couple years ago, I noticed no clocking. Whacked it and it started working. Or so I thought.
Digital lcd's: They suck for a unique reason. When they die you have no clue what the last reading was.
No Name brand: They suck. Lots of them in the pooped hm box.
Can't anyone make a stupid hourmeter that works???? Kinda peeved over these stupid things.
Hobbs name brand HM's: They fail too. Got a box of stuck meters. Digital and mechanical. I wonder if some cheap counterfeits have made it into the supply chain, as Hobbs is supposedly reputable and used on aircraft, etc.
The Hobbs (name brand) on my genny recently logged about 16hrs on a 10hr overnight run. No wonder my oil seems clean when changed at 200hr!! On a run a couple years ago, I noticed no clocking. Whacked it and it started working. Or so I thought.
Digital lcd's: They suck for a unique reason. When they die you have no clue what the last reading was.
No Name brand: They suck. Lots of them in the pooped hm box.
Can't anyone make a stupid hourmeter that works???? Kinda peeved over these stupid things.
Last edited:
psneeld
Guru
Not sure if age is the issue or the hrs recorded....or the environment they live in.
The one's I linked have survived for 1700 run hrs for my diesel heater (2 years)....hopefully they last at least 5000 hrs or 3-5 years. I paid $12 bucks at the time and even at $15 I can live with replacing every 5 years. I just plug mine in to advance them to where they should be.
OP
OP
Arcticspud
Veteran Member
Here is more to the story...I was down taking some photos to help ID which tach/hour meter I have and noticed the starboard hour meter only ran for about 1 out 10 hours.
Yesterday the second engine did not turn over. It only clicked like a dead battery. It did start after I tied both banks together. I did the same thing today.
Could a flat battery do this?
Yesterday the second engine did not turn over. It only clicked like a dead battery. It did start after I tied both banks together. I did the same thing today.
Could a flat battery do this?
FF
Guru
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2007
- Messages
- 22,552
Could a flat battery do this?
Perhaps , some of the old hour meters simply wound a clock like device that would run for a min or two, . No batt juice , no power to wind the meter.
Perhaps , some of the old hour meters simply wound a clock like device that would run for a min or two, . No batt juice , no power to wind the meter.
OP
OP
Arcticspud
Veteran Member
I am going to install a separate hobbs meter for each engine. Fixing or replacing the individual techs/hour meters is next to impossible. I have two holes in the panel that will fit the meters nicely.
Don't give up on the hour meter in your VDO tach. Check out Odometer Gears. www.odometergears.com
We bought new gears from these guys and were very easy to repair thanks to Trawler Forum member Dave on m/v Fryedaze. He does a step by step gear replacement tutorial.
http://www.odometergears.com/howto/Hour_Meter_How_To_Repair.pdf
We bought new gears from these guys and were very easy to repair thanks to Trawler Forum member Dave on m/v Fryedaze. He does a step by step gear replacement tutorial.
http://www.odometergears.com/howto/Hour_Meter_How_To_Repair.pdf
