Nettie's Aquabot Turbo Repair Tips

by Nettie Gamble
(Monroe, NC, USA)

I probably am on the last leg of repairing my Aquabot Turbo. It is getting old and brittle. I have replaced a lot of parts on this critter. I am a 73 year old woman that is the "fixit person" at my house. Last season I was going to replace the rollers but couldn't unscrew one little screw from one side of the side plate. The screw rusted and broke off and I couldn't get it out of the blue peg. Finally a backyard mechanic cut it off smoothly just below the end of the rusted screw, saved the cut piece after getting the screw out. Was able to put a new longer screw in and the piece that was cut actually was now a spacer on this peg. Fixed.
But the part of repairing the Aquabot that they say is the easiest was not so. Putting new blue tracks on. They would not give enough to slip them on. After a day and half of frustration I put them in a hot water bath. TaDa! Problem solved!!! That was so funny when I finished this chore. I felt like a conquer. I first pot it in oven on low temp but was afraid the dry heat could do damage so i thought of a pot of hot water.
My old "Scooter" is now up and running. The rubber brushes are next but I have them tied on the roller with fishing line.
After putting in a new pool liner and seeing how it was done--had to wait on the sun to warm up the vinyl liner in order to stretch it--I had an idea that this principle of using heat would work on the tracks and it did. Someone needs to tell us non professionals that think they can fix things a few hints to help us.