FYI -- Torqeedo owners - Motor brackets re-designed

[baz]

FYI...

Subject: Torqeedo motors brackets
Torqeedo has apparently changed design on the mounting brackets on the 1003 motor. The brackets are made longer so they no longer grip the transom so close to the top.

Part #
031-00004 - right
031-00005 - left

It's unclear to me if these new brackets can be used to upgrade existing Torqeedo 1003 brackets.

I will be writing to Torqeedo to enquire more about this design change as I have the 1003L motor.

If anyone else can shed more light on this please do post back here. Thanks... 🙂

 

[craigf]

Barry

Craig and Mary here.. we just purchased the r 27 at the miami show and will pick up in Washington this July. We ordered the 1003 torqueedo motor but I am a little questionalbe on its true value. I know most time we travel short distance but with present motor of 15 hp on 10 dink this is really goin to be a slow down. How do you find the motor.. Does it live up to its adv. hipe. Do you have a extra battery to carry or do you find one is enough. The idea of no gas for it sure it nice. No noise which means sneaking up creeks to see wildlife. And what size boat do you have it on.

thanks for you help in advance.. You can respond to email if you want rumtiger@gmail.com

 

[winkje]

Hi Baz....

I only registered to be able to reply to your post. Last year I already contacted Torqeedo on the size of the 1003 brackets; the answers I got made me think I was stupid.... I was highly surprised to learn that they changed the design as I noticed it in the boat shop last week. But, it's good news! I'm not stupid 😉 I just send another message to Torqeedo and will await their answer; I would love to replace my bracket by the new one as It would secure the motor better to our boat.

I'm really interested to learn if Torqeedo has responded to you; If you already replaced the brackets and what was needed and how the new design works (or not) for you.....

Regards, vincent (Netherlands)

 

[baz]

Yes... I called Torqeedo Service at

Torqeedo North Amerika
Torqeedo Inc.
171 Erick Street, Unit A - 1
Crystal Lake, IL 60014
USA
T +1 815 444 8806
F +1 815 444 8807
usa@torqeedo.com
www.torqeedo.com

...and spoke with Sven today actually since after reading your post I recall having not heard back from my Email enquiry made last February. It's now June and Sven indicated the motor had a 2 year warranty but that they aren't ultra precise with the warranty period. I purchased my 1003 L in Apr 2010 from Defender Industries, but at the time it was out of stock and I did not receive my motor until June 2010... so I'm just about at the end of the 2 years... 😀 :roll:

Having posted all that, this is what Sven told me.

1. They will cover me under warranty for the new brackets along with a new and stronger metal tab used for lowering and raising the motor from the water.

2. I'm to Email my Defender Industries Torqeedo 1003L invoice to Sven along with my mailing address and phone number and he will ship out the new brackets and metal lever tab on Monday (all under warranty).

3. The Torqeedo Email address for this is service_usa@torqeedo.com

Sven was extremely helpful and gave me the impression he wants to make my Torqeedo ownership a good one. He was very understanding and it was also easy to discuss the issue of the old brackets not being substantial enough etc. with him.

I will post back here when I receive the new brackets and metal lever tab along with pictures and my experience in replacing the old brackets with the new ones.

FYI... I use the Torqeedo 1003L (28" long shaft) motor with my Portland Pudgy dinghy. It has been a wonderful investment and would recommend it to other boaters without hesitation. I have the one battery which should last me from 8-10 years with the way I use it. The battery will hold a decent 85% charge over the winter period of around 6 months. I'm not sure if there's sense in having a second battery as I'm not sure what the shelf life is... just hope when/if I need a new battery one will be available for my 1003L Torqeedo. I will ask Sven about this aspect.

I hope the above is helpful to others. 🙂

 

[HRowland]

Hi Baz,

I bought my 1003 in September last year. I have not had any issues clamping it to the transom on my Bombard inflatable but still want to know if I have the improved bracket. Is there something that I can measure to see which bracket I have?

Thanks,
Howard

 

[baz]

Hi Baz,

I bought my 1003 in September last year. I have not had any issues clamping it to the transom on my Bombard inflatable but still want to know if I have the improved bracket. Is there something that I can measure to see which bracket I have?

Thanks,
Howard

Suggest you call Sven at 1 815 444 8806 (central time) for a definitive answer to this. I hope you have the new brackets... PLEASE post back what you understand from Sven after you've chatted with him.

 

[baz]

I spoke with Sven today in response to my voice mail I left him earlier this week and my new deeper C-brackets and stronger engine Tilt lever tab are shipping out today (under full warranty). Sven said installation instructions are included and it should be easy to replace the brackets and the tilt lever. I will be posting pictures showing the old and new items and any useful installation tips and photos.

P.S. My Email to him last week went into his Junk folder and had I not called him twice earlier than today he quite likely would not have found my Email. My advice is that if you Email him, follow up with a phone call to ensure he has received it and to look in his Junk folder. 😉

Sven's Email is service_usa@torqeedo.com

 

[Wolf Pack]

We bought our Torqeedo 1003S (short shaft) in May 2010 (a full 2 months before we took delivery of Wolf Pack). Once we finally got our dinghy in October that year we used our Toqeedo extensively. I will swear by this motor as it has served all of Wolf Pack's dinghy needs to date without effort (motor/battery-wise). However, there were some design flaws, specifically with the transom mounts and with the tilt lever mechanism.

As Baz has discovered above, Sven at Torqeedo America is terrific to work with. Another example of the fact that Ranger Tugs not only provides great service, but they strive to get vendors that also do the same.

Short story, after some use our tilt lever bent several times and once got stuck in the mounting bracket, also bending it ever so slightly outward too. Sven sent me a new kit over this past winter which included the new transom mounts (yes they are a small bit longer as noted above) and a new tilt mechanism (which the lever is made at least 50 percent thicker than the original wimpy one that kept bending). Upgrades were VERY easy to install and appear to be MUCH sturdier. Connection to the transom is better with the new design as well.

Our dinghy that this Torqeedo is motoring around is the 9 1/2 foot hard-bottom dinghy sold by Ranger Tugs.

Hopefully this answers some of the questions above about the new transom mounts and tilt mechanism.

Also just for the record, our boat has been sitting idle for 9+ months. I left the Torqeedo battery in the mid cabin of our R-29 in October with a full charge. This past Sunday my son and I cleaned Wolf Pack getting ready for our first outing. When I plugged the Torqeedo battery into the charger, it was at 99 percent full charge. I was shocked, but also VERY happy, to see the battery had held nearly its full charge for the entire 9-month down time. Our boat is moored year round in the Des Moines, WA marina. Those on the fence about buying a Torqeedo may find this battery info helpful.

Have a great summer.

Gene R
Wolf Pack

 

[baz]

I received my new transom brackets and new tilt lever in the mail yesterday. It was a small box measuring some 8"x8"x8". Both the brackets and the tilt lever plus a spare tilt lever spring shaft pin were in the box, along with instructions for replacing both. The instructions were clear for the most part except for an explanation of refitting the tilt lever spring's looped end back onto the shaft pin. Because of this I would advise anyone doing this replacement remember just how the spring's looped end is positioned on the pin before removing it. If you fail to do this you will have to figure out just how to place the spring's looped end over the pin so the lever operates correctly.

The removal and replacement of the transom brackets and the tilt lever took me around 1.5 hours. I was careful and took my time to ensure no lock nuts and washers were lost during the work and took careful note just how things came apart with an eye on how to reassemble things correctly. The instructions are good and if followed will keep you out of trouble.

I used a 10mm and 7mm socket and an open 10mm wrench. I also used pliers for removing and reinstalling the tilt lever shaft pin. A short screwdriver was used to coax the tilt lever shaft spring's end loop back onto the shaft pin.

The new brackets provide an extra 5/8" from the top of the bracket to the center line of the clamp's bolt. Hopefully this will be sufficient for attaching the motor to the transom more securely.

There's one extra difference between the old and new brackets. I post two pictures showing what this difference is. The difference is that the new bracket has a U shaped lug on the face that aligns with the outboard surface of the transom. I haven't yet figured out how these lugs are to be used or what exactly they are designed for. Maybe others can chime in on this.

The new and old brackets can be seen here http://www.tugnuts.com/gallery2.php?g2_itemId=32282

 

[winkje]

Hi Baz,

Wow, some time ago and you made way more progress than I did.... Torqeedo Germany was not the most responsive and once they were, they more or less pointed my to the spare parts diagram to sort it out myself..... But, I still love the 1003 and would like to make the move to the new clamps soon. But, can you confirm the distance these new clamps bring the fasteners below? Not sure if i use the correct words but the fasteners are move down and I would like to know how much lower they get....

Thanks, regards, vincent

 

[baz]

Vincent: they move 5/8 inch (16 mm) further down. The new bracket design is very much superior in looks and robustness IMO. See my photos I posted and referenced above. Good luck.