Hammering an Old Town PDL Drive Apart

[@mattjs0]

I had a leak at the drive shaft seal and had to replace my lower pinon gear assembly. This video saved my ass when I couldn't get it apart due to corrosion.

[@NavarreKayakFishing]

I’m glad it helped.

[@inshoreassassin]

Old town has a kit for that lower assembly gasket it also comes with loctite, screws with gaskets, screw and Alan keys if anyone ever needs them.

[@DetroitFishigan]

Thanks for the video Nick 🍻. Never know when someone has to search this up. Until the next one ✌🏼🙂

[@NavarreKayakFishing]

I get asked questions about this a ton.

[@Danxiong]

The best torture test I’ve ever seen! 😂

[@rogersmith8593]

As a long time mechanic, I suggest you attack this issue by applying penetrating oil the day before and letting it penetrate, Then when you begin to break seal via hammer and screwdriver, rotate your attack points around the shaft in several points. This will keep it from binding and/or cocking.

[@NavarreKayakFishing]

In a perfect world those would be great ideas. Penetrating oil is great but the chances of it penetrating in this situation is minimal. You can’t rotate your attack points - you only have access to that side. One easy to repair hole is the best option.

[@kentthorsten6933]

Nick, I have been back and forth with OT for the past 2 months trying to work out a solution to what this video has now solved. Thank you!

[@NavarreKayakFishing]

Thanks for watching, Kent. Old Town wasn’t much help?

[@Adventure_With_Mike]

Thanks for the video, i gotta hulk mine apart. I have play in mine, i think the shaft bolt came loose. Mine is seizrd together by corrosion, been soaking it the last 12 hrs.

[@NavarreKayakFishing]

Sometimes it’s a complete pain in the rear end. The hammer helps haha

[@gtchalie5038]

Just wanted to let you know I love your approach to no nonsense repair. You obviously know your sh**. First time owner of the new grey ghost old town PDL. So I'm trying to learn the product. I have a warranty so I will not be doing any of this soon. So its good info for future issues. Just subbed and plan on purchasing a few items from your website for my sportsman.

[@NavarreKayakFishing]

Thanks for taking the time to watch. The grey ghost is a great looking color!

[@jeffbro999fishing6]

Thanks for the great videos Nick, very helpful. In this position now with a locked up drive, but my screws won’t come out to get inside. Seems like it’s a common problem that Old Town will have to deal with sooner than later if they want to keep customers. Know of 2 local friends that can’t get screws to back out either, so it’s not exactly a rare occurrence. Biggest issue is lack of parts. Who makes something that’s mechanical and then doesn’t sell parts?

[@NavarreKayakFishing]

I agree, it’s one thing to not offer parts initially but the drive has been around for several years now. I like the pedal drive but if it’s not repairable it’s not worth owning. I hope you’re doing well, buddy.

[@CrazyCranker]

Penetrating oil and a heatgun may solve your problem on those screws.

[@BobBohner4851]

Very interesting. Thanks

[@rornpheng3686]

Great vid Nick!!

[@NavarreKayakFishing]

Thanks for watching!

[@jgonell]

I'm guilty of reaching out to you, I had some play in my unit. I used the same method to pry apart, unfortunately, I cut thru my o-ring and had to nag Old Town to get one. Fastenal has them, if they don't, they are available on amazon or any other online retailer. The paint was pretty much falling off the exterior, so I sanded the exterior and oil painted the whole lower unit. the greased the hell of it and put back together. I was the second owner of my kayak, so Old Town wouldn't warranty it. Great video.

[@NavarreKayakFishing]

Thanks for watching the video. It isn’t a pretty process but if you take your time you can really cleanup the system. In this video we just got it open and back together. Now that it’s not stuck together it will be easier to tear apart in the future.

[@oscarlugoflores7244]

It happens to my kayak PDL unfortunately was the same bolt , it was pain in the ass to get it out with the same tools my friend Nick

[@NavarreKayakFishing]

I hope you were able to get yours back together without any issues.

[@oscarlugoflores7244]

Hahahahahaha at least it got working again Nick.

[@NavarreKayakFishing]

Old was a typo. It should have said “able” lol

[@eddielikesfishing]

What about spraying crc marine Corrosion inhibitor on the lower end BEFORE the Corrosion starts? It should make splitting the lower end easier when you need to. Thanks for the tutorial.

[@NavarreKayakFishing]

Anything would help. Ideally this doesn’t happen and you’re not forced to go this route.

[@backontheyak]

So Nick as a preventative measure would it be recommended to put some corrosion spray around where the propeller is and let that soak in?

[@NavarreKayakFishing]

I’ll make a video and talk about the options I would do/consider.

[@backontheyak]

Appreciate that brotha.

[@3000KTM]

ffs !!! i thought the whole thing was plastic & couldn’t rust . i just demod a hobbie compass which was shit … so now im out of options if this happens with old town is there any propeller drive that is rust resistant for salt water use ? thanks for making these videos , no one else shows the problems

[@NavarreKayakFishing]

I would purchase the kayak new so that there is a warranty. If anything happens like this they will replace it. The drive systems hold on very well though. This was a worst case scenario video.

[@herbveitenhans3285]

What could be done as preventative maintenance to help alleviate this? I’m looking at a Hobie Outback, or the Old Town Big Water. I had a Hobie PA14, but sold it a few years ago due to its weight and handling (it was a barge in the intercoastal waters here in NE Fl). For the PDL drive, do you have an alternative parts list for when the drive fails and the warranty runs out or Okd Town is being difficult?

[@NavarreKayakFishing]

Old Town doesn’t sell replacement parts for the drive internals. You could take it apart and apply grease to stop water penetration.

[@adamlowe6213]

So what you're saying is... don't use Old Town's Warranty and go right to hammering that open, for faster speeds. GOT IT! 🤣😂

[@NavarreKayakFishing]

Something like that!!!

[@lpz6564]

How old was that drive?

[@NavarreKayakFishing]

I imagine that drive was close to four years old. Maybe three years.

[@pvreelz]

So no way to prevent this issue? 😒

[@NavarreKayakFishing]

It’s advertised as a maintenance free drive. You can spray it down after each use but that won’t make a huge difference in my opinion. This isn’t the most common of issue but it does happen from time to time.

[@Repsol000]

👏👌🍻

[@livenhfree]

Good grief.

[@NavarreKayakFishing]

Extreme measures were required.

[@benruthlessburger8905]

Had a 10.6 Pdl sold it went back with the hobie what a difference. Hobie drives> PDL

[@NavarreKayakFishing]

I wouldn’t take it that far. In the major of serious fishing situations I would take the PDL. Every manufacture is going to have a percent of items that fail overtime.

[@benruthlessburger8905]

@@NavarreKayakFishing it’s easier on my feet that’s what I meant

[@NavarreKayakFishing]

Completely understandable. The Hobie drive makes my sciatica act up if I spend to much time in it! Everyone’s a bit different.

[@Mars-77]

Hobie doesn't make a pdl, do they? I thought they just had the stair step fin drive.

[@NavarreKayakFishing]

They do not.