squeaky fins

I've had a squeaking noise in my mirage drive a few times. When it happens, it starts shortly after launching, and it usually only lasts for a couple of minutes. Then it's gone and doesn't come back. But last week, it kept squeaking for nearly 30 minutes before it finally stopped. It was driving me nuts and I was about to give up before it stopped.

It sounds to me like plastic rubbing on plastic, not anything metallic. I suspect it's got something to do with the silicone lubricant I use, like maybe some residue that eventually washes off.

The video was taken with my GoPro with the waterproof case on, so, in reality, it was a lot louder than it sounds in the video. Note that the noise stops near the end of the video.

Anyways, if you've got any ideas, let me know. Thanks.

That squeak will drive you nuts on a calm day.  Check to see if the idler wheel (little pulley on top in front) is dragging on the main frame of the drive unit. The pulley shaft wore out on mine and squeaked like crazy. Let us know.

That squeak will drive you nuts on a calm day.  Check to see if the idler wheel (little pulley on top in front) is dragging on the main frame of the drive unit. The pulley shaft wore out on mine and squeaked like crazy. Let us know.

It doesn't look like that's the case, since I don't see any unusual wear in that area. But, it only makes the noise when I'm pedaling it under load, so it's hard to say for sure. And the strange part is that once the noise stops, it never seems to come back.

Okay, try white lithium spray grease (napa auto parts I think) works for me.

I ran quads in the desert for awhile and the question always came up...lubed chains or not? Lube attracts sand...a dry chain didn't...there was no distinct advantage either way. Seems the same with mirage drives. I still use that lube on my drive unit...no squeaks since. 

Okay, try white lithium spray grease (napa auto parts I think) works for me.

I ran quads in the desert for awhile and the question always came up...lubed chains or not? Lube attracts sand...a dry chain didn't...there was no distinct advantage either way. Seems the same with mirage drives. I still use that lube on my drive unit...no squeaks since.

I'll give that a try.

Have you done the tubing mod?  right where the drive touches the hull can rock back & forth possibly causing noise. a small piece of tubing wedged on to the end of the drive helps.  I tried white lithium but its too messy for me. liberally applied spray silicone seems to work good. too loose or too tight cables can also cause a noise

Have you done the tubing mod?  right where the drive touches the hull can rock back & forth possibly causing noise. a small piece of tubing wedged on to the end of the drive helps. 

+1  I suspect the drive was not seating tight when you first put it in,  after it settled into place then the noise stopped.  Try the modification like Jim said, I bet the noise will stop.

I had the same problem with an OB, I would take the drive out and dip it in the water to make it go away for a while.  Tried WD40 and other penetrating oil which did not help, I finally sold that OB. 

Sounds like your calling Dolphins. Graphite is a dry lube and it might work . It is made in a spray as well.

Have you done the tubing mod?  right where the drive touches the hull can rock back & forth possibly causing noise. a small piece of tubing wedged on to the end of the drive helps.  I tried white lithium but its too messy for me. liberally applied spray silicone seems to work good. too loose or too tight cables can also cause a noise

Sorry for the late response---somehow I missed this one and I haven't had the kayak out since October.

So, a small piece of tubing over the "end of the drive"? I'm not sure what you mean by the "end of the drive"...

The 'ends' of the drive are what rest down & touch the hull within the drive well towards the front & back of the well. If you put your kayak up on some sawhorses or the like & then insert your drive you may see that it can rock back & forth a little from front to back. This play between the drive & the hull can be eliminated by forcing some clear plastic tubing, like about a 3/4" length piece, over these 'ends'. I'm not sure of the necessary diameter of the tubing but maybe a search will find you that info. Of course cleaning, lubricating, & making sure the two chains & one cable are properly tensioned are also necessary. Cleaning the two drive locks that are attached to the hull is also important. I spray the hell out of mine with the garden hose every time out. It only takes a tiny piece of weed or a speck of sand to cause some noise.

Just in case anybody ever has a similar problem in the future, here's what solved the squeaking issue for me.

After much tedious experimentation, I was finally able to localize the noise to the idler pulley. By loosening the idler pulley cable to the point where it almost falls off the pulley, I eliminated the noise, with one rare exception...

The noise will still occur if any silicone spray lube gets on the pulley axle (regardless of the looseness of the cable). Interestingly, this is how the problem first presented itself---after applying the spray lube, the pedals would squeak incessantly. Now, if I happen to get some silicone in there, I remove the pulley, clean it and the pulley axle, grease the axle, and re-assemble. That solves the problem, provided the cable remains loose. Due to the looseness of the the cable, this is easy---it only takes about 2 minutes.

The bottom line: If a squeaky mirage drive is driving you crazy, try loosening the idler pulley cable (a lot) and avoid getting silicone lubricant anywhere near the pulley axle.