Volvo Saildrive Propeller Problem ...

[corinthmistral]

Grateful for the forums advice. I have a Volvo Penta 2003 engine on a 120S saildrive. 35’ fin keel yacht. I am a reasonably competent engineer. When I took the boat out last week the saildrive engages and disengages perfectly. The engine and drive operates perfectly ahead and astern up to around 4 knots / 1800rpm. Thereafter if I open her up the engine quickly revs but the prop appears not to be spinning. All I can think is that the prop bush has gone. The propeller is 2 blue fixed and is only 2 years old and I am not aware of having caught the propeller on a top or having hit any other object with it. It was a genuine Volvo prop purchased from a reputable main dealer. Hence it’s surprising if the bush has gone but I cannot think, mechanically, of anything else that could result in this symptom. Before I order a new prop and put her on thenposts, am I missing anything/anything mechanical that could be at fault?
Thanks for the advice.

 

[corinthmistral]

Typos: blue=blade, top=rope! The virtues of typing on an iPhone! Thanks

 

[MGsailor]

Have you checked this out. It was not all 2000 series engines that were affected and most of those that were have been fixed by now (mine was).

Volvo 2003 gearbox - article on spline issue

 

[corinthmistral]

Have you checked this out. It was not all 2000 series engines that were affected and most of those that were have been fixed by now (mine was).

Volvo 2003 gearbox - article on spline issue

Thank you. That is very helpful and would seem to fit the symptoms. I’ll check the engine number with Volspec to see if likely needed the spline job or not.

On the basis it may need this done, could I ask (feel free to PM me if you prefer) who did the job for you, which area of the country it w as in and approximately what it cost?
I would prefer to avoid a main dealer if possible but equally would want to ensure whoever did it knows what they are doing.
My boat has a saildrive - presumably the boat would need to be hauled out to do this?

Many thanks.

 

[scottie]

The spline issue may be distracting fro from your own initial diagnosis as whilst is a valid cause for concern a major symptom of the spline problem was a sudden and total loss of drive
your symptoms are consistent with a prop hub slipping

 

[corinthmistral]

The spline issue may be distracting fro from your own initial diagnosis as whilst is a valid cause for concern a major symptom of the spline problem was a sudden and total loss of drive
your symptoms are consistent with a prop hub slipping

Thank you for the replies. Very helpful.

 

[corinthmistral]

Thank you all. Put the boat on the post today and the problem was ... propeller hub. I could just about turn the propeller by hand with the engine locked in gear, put a mark across the prop and come and it was slipping. Trust assists anyone else who reads this in the future.

(And I should mention fantastic service by Volspec / main dealer in Tollesbury - they went out of their way to assist, gave good advice, and even (their suggestion) retrieved an old saildrive shaft and put a new propeller on it to check if it could be turned by hand - at 4.45pm on a Friday. No expectation of a job from it (although I will now definitely buy the new propeller from them, and some other service parts). No connection - just very impressed with their service and worthy of a mention.)

 

[RichardS]

I suspect that you may well be able to have the propeller re-bushed which should save a lot of dosh.

Richard

 

[corinthmistral]

Thanks - yes, I could, had it not suffered significant pitting due to the anode burning away over the winter. Sadly, I need a new propeller anyway.