Acculift Linear Actuators

[Skip]

I just purchased and installed two new Acculift 24" inch lift, 500 Lb capacity actuators. These are the factory actuators for the engine room hatch on the 420DA. Not cheap. $360 each plus tax and shipping.

Does anyone know of a vendor who rebuilds these things? Given what I suspect is a significant failure rate (some due to failure to grease the things properly, as I am guilty of) there ought to be some shop somewhere that will rebuild these suckers. If the price is reasonable I want to have my old ones rebuilt to keep as spares.

regards
Skip

 

[RiverRat]

Find someone in your area that works on wheelchair lifts for vans... If they don't do it they will know who can. (there's not really that much to them though)

 

[RiverRat]

Skip, what actually happened to your actuators? Most of the time you can unscrew the main tube (outer) and inspect the bottom end. There is a nut at the bottom if it came off the actuator will not collaps once extended. But as I said earlier, there isn't to much to the innards on those. It's just a electric motor connected to a wormgear type of drive.

 

[Skip]

I honestly do not know, but I am guessing the gears are either excessively worn or some teeth are chipped off. The first owner of the boat never lubed them, and by the time I got around to greasing them it was too little, too late.
Given the cost of new ones, I intend to baby these.
Now, If I could only talk my wife in to a 52DB, my linear actuator days would be over--but replaced by a host of bridge boat specific maintenance I am sure.

regards
Skip

 

[Stray Cat]

Skip - I did a Google search with the following result

http://www.qmigroup.com/acculift/linear_actuators.cfm

I'm not certain, if the factory will do repair or not....or they could refer you to a service center. This is a ball screw actuator and it is a good idea to keep the same ball nut matched to the screw and its pitch. I work with servo and stepper motor driven linear actuators in an industrial environment, and when these things wear out, they typically are trash and cost almost the price of new to repair...the labor to tear it down and inspect it eats up the majority of the cost.

 

[Skip]

Jeff,
Thanks for the post-I actually contacted the acculift sales rep to see if I could order direct and save a few bucks compared to the Sea Ray parts counter on the new ones--and it was a negligible difference-and acculift only ships via FedEX with Certified check or money order payment. It was easier to order from Sea Ray.
I hate to throw the old ones away-I have to believe somebody rebuilds these things-my motors are fine, (I think) but they were grinding something fierce going up and down-whcih makes me think gears. You have a lot more experience with this than I do, and I appreciate yoru insights

regards
Skip

 

[Stray Cat]

Skip - Just a thought, do they make a grinding noise under no load? If the ball nut and the screw are fubar, save the motor(s) and trash it. It would be nice to know from S/R's R&D Dept. what the cycle life expectation is....especially in a salt environment.

You really got a good price from S/R, I had them figured to cost much more....hope they don't read that!

 

[Bottom Line]

Skip....where are the grease fittings on the the actuator? I do not recall seeing any on mine unlesst they are on the bottom. Are you going to use lithium grease? I only have 1 actuator on my 300DA...and figured they would be expensive to replace.

 

[SEEG]

Mine were starting to get noisy. A shot of Boeshield on the heim joint quieted it right down. The heim joint is the articulating ball joint, which I assume you have, that connects the actuator to the hatch.

 

[Skip]

Wow-another Tiara Guy-now SBW-1 won't feel so lonely! Cool, and welcome.
On the 24" extension 500 Lb actuator the grease fitting is between the motor and the lifting ram-or abotu where the gears sit, I think. I've got an exploded view from Acculift that I will try to upload to the site.
I used Lithium grease. I pinged acculift for a maintenance recommendation but have not heard back. It took them three weeks to respond to my request to purchase-so I am not holding my breath on maintenance guidelines.

regards
Skip

 

[SearayPaul]

Thanks Skip for helping a small boat owner. I had my hatch up today and saw the grease fitting just as you said.. Quick squirt with the grease gone to make everyone happy and down went the cover.