Burnt Gear Box Oil

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StugeronSteve

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I've just received the engineer's service report on my Volvo 2020 (shaft drive). In the notes it states that there is evidence of burnt gear box oil and a recommendation that the gear box be taken off and sent away for inspection. The gear box function has been normal, is this overkill or a sensible precaution?
 
I assume this is on the basis that the oil is coloured/darkened on draining? I have yet to drain anything other than near-clear oil from mine so there could be a problem. What oil was filled and is this to the manual? Were the oil pump and receptacle completely clean before draining?
 
StugeronSteve said:
I've just received the engineer's service report on my Volvo 2020 (shaft drive). In the notes it states that there is evidence of burnt gear box oil and a recommendation that the gear box be taken off and sent away for inspection. The gear box function has been normal, is this overkill or a sensible precaution?
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On my MD22, it has an MS2 box, my old MD2030 had the same, so I presume yours is the same. http://www.marinepartseurope.com/en/volvo-penta-explodedview-7746710-44-340.aspx
On my survey the man said burned oil, smell this! So I did, it was dark smelly stuff, BUT I recognised the smell. It was hypoid oil, the stuff you stuff in a back axle, with a very distinct smell. On the box it said use synthetic volvo 75-90 gear oil. On my previous MD2030 with the SAME box, it said use 15 - 40 engine oil. Apparently they have changed spec. I drained the smelly (as it turned out bog std hypoid oil) and replaced with semi synthetic motor factor 75 -90 oil (non smelly) It has performed faultlessly since then.
The reference to burned oil knocked £400 off the price, BUT there was nothing wrong with it! Just the normal smell and colour for the oil someone had put in (wrongly)
If you study the above drawing you can see the bits inside the box, there is only one set of clutches, and that is not a clutch as such so no lining to burn and smell.
Plus my "surveyor" refered to my engine as a 3 cylinder one, the MD22 is a 4 cylinder engine. It gave me lots of confidence in the rest of his witterings! Luckily the seller didnt see it and I ended up getting nearly £800 knocked off for the rest of his "faults"
Bottom line, check the oil again before starting to panic and incur expense!
Stu
 
StugeronSteve said:
I've just received the engineer's service report on my Volvo 2020 (shaft drive). In the notes it states that there is evidence of burnt gear box oil and a recommendation that the gear box be taken off and sent away for inspection. The gear box function has been normal, is this overkill or a sensible precaution?
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Overkill / bum covering. Much more likely that the blackish colouring is the stain that you get as seals and bearings wear. The box on the 2020 is water cooled anyway

Are you getting any problems? Any unusual noise? Does it feel hot in use?

P.S. Just had my box to bits to replace seals. The oil was tinged with black. All inside was OK.
 
Bosun Higgs said:
Overkill / bum covering. Much more likely that the blackish colouring is the stain that you get as seals and bearings wear. The box on the 2020 is water cooled anyway

Are you getting any problems? Any unusual noise? Does it feel hot in use?

P.S. Just had my box to bits to replace seals. The oil was tinged with black. All inside was OK.
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Its a bit like elf and safety, aholes cover their aholes, if they were that good as surveyors they could do what me and you do, look at it, apply their professional knowledge and come to a conclusion. Instead they take the easy way out, no skin off their nose!
 
I had a slight astern whine in a PRM 500 box, and took it to the engineer. He looked inside and squeezed a handful of the oil in his fist, declared it OK and not burnt. Don't know if this is any help really.

The whine was slightly chippped cogs, probably from a prop/rope/gearbox ripped off incident 9 years earlier. Replaced the box anyway, and a mate used the old one for many years.... Good boxes, PRM.
 
It might be a slipping clutch, it would produce a very distinctive burning smell, which can be absorbed by the oil.
 
CJU said:
It might be a slipping clutch, it would produce a very distinctive burning smell, which can be absorbed by the oil.
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On the MS2 they dont have clutches with lining materials on, so nothing to burn and smell.
Stu
 
Bilgediver said:
The oil is there and it gets a burnt smell when overheated. Slipping cone clutches can overheat the gear oil if you persist in hammering them!
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You said absorbed by the oil and now you say its the oil thats overheating, hmm.
Bit of fred drift, is it burnt or burned? Something in the Mail this week about how languages are changing nad burnt or burned was one of the examples.
Stu
 
You said absorbed by the oil and now you say its the oil thats overheating, hmm.
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Actually it was CJU who said one thing and Bilgediver the other.

Something in the Mail this week about how languages are changing nad burnt or burned was one of the examples.
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I dont have the benefit of the access to the superior knowledge of the English language that the Daily Wail does ... only the Oxford English dictionary.

According to The OED burned and burnt are equally correct, and equally common, as the past participle. Although both are correct, burned is more common as the past tense.
When the pp is used as an adjective burnt is more commonly used.

So what would it mean to you by the engineers report, mentioned in the initial post, stating that "there is evidence of burnt gear box oil"?

If it had stated that "that there is evidence of burned gear box oil " what different conclusion would you come to?
 
VicS said:
Actually it was CJU who said one thing and Bilgediver the other.

I dont have the benefit of the access to the superior knowledge of the English language that the Daily Wail does ... only the Oxford English dictionary.

According to The OED burned and burnt are equally correct, and equally common, as the past participle. Although both are correct, burned is more common as the past tense.
When the pp is used as an adjective burnt is more commonly used.

So what would it mean to you by the engineers report, mentioned in the initial post, stating that "there is evidence of burnt gear box oil"?

If it had stated that "that there is evidence of burned gear box oil " what different conclusion would you come to?
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There you go then
Stu
 
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