Jabsco Searchlight on 28TE

[whaler]

My 1998 28TE has a factory-installed, white Jabsco Searchlight. I believe it's a model 600080-0012 aka Model "600080 Series 146 SL".
The light beam moves vertically just fine, but will not rotate under power. Still have to check whether I hear any motor whirring when I use the control to try to rotate it. Just a guess, but I probably stripped the internal gears when cleaning the boat.

Jabsco used to sell a rebuild kit: "Drive & Arm Kit 18753-0457" which is unobtainable AFAIK.

The cost of a new searchlight doesn't slow me down, but the mounting will surely be incompatible.

If I could get into the unit, I could inspect the gears and check for power to the motor, but I can't figure out how to get into the unit. There are 4 screw holes in the bottom of head, but any stubby screw driver that I can get in there is too short to reach a screw head. I'll try an allen wrench next.

Any thoughts are appreciated....Thanks

[Jkraft]

If you’re open to a new spotlight and the mounting pattern is what’s stopping you you could always take a piece of starboard and cut it and use that as a new mounting plate after sealing the old holes and I don’t think anybody would ever notice and it would look pretty clean. Sorry I can’t be more of a help as far as servicing your current unit

[whaler]

I used a mirror today to look up inside the long holes on the bottom of the head.
There are phillips screw heads up in there, and a smaller phillips pattern than I would have guessed.
But of course there's not enough distance between the bottom of the head and the surface it's mounted on to get a long enough screw driver up in there. Maybe Jabsco thought you'd remove the whole assembly from the boat in order to work on it.

Thanks for the input, Jkraft....Lyle