Flush through Raw Water SailDrive

fireball said:
Looks like we need a new anode on the saildrive too .... pity as there is plenty of material left - just can see (what I assume to be) the fixing bolts .... bum!
Click to expand...

Fireball, this looks exactly like my leg. I'm afraid the cone and the prop have to come off to get to the anode fixing bolts. I think one of them is just visible in front of your rope cutter. It's not a big deal though.

The good news is when you come to order a new anode, you should be offered a stainless bracket to convert the fitting and a pair of semi-circular anodes so that in the future they bolt from the sides rather from behind the prop. No more removing the prop each year. If you want I can take a picture in the next couple of days to show you want I mean.

I know my leg is a branded Lombardini and not a Volvo like yours but I'd wager they are made in exactly the same factory!!

Good luck.

Tim
 
Thanks. That could be handy to see. Are you haulled out at emsworth anywhere? Answer by pm if you like

cheers
 
fireball said:
Thanks. That could be handy to see. Are you haulled out at emsworth anywhere? Answer by pm if you like

cheers
Click to expand...


Sorry, the information is incorrect. The Lombardini leg is not the same as the Volvo and a bracket is not available. Don't get confused if you do see a Volvo leg with a two piece anode - that is a later model 2004 or so on - and they are not interchangeable. You will need to get your anode from Amassador Marine as it is modified to take the rope cutter pin which passes through it. Worth checking the rope cutter for bearing wear while you have it off. www.ropestripper.com for information.
 
Typical - volvo being volvo .... :(

In your opinion is it something where I could make up a bracket (I have access to an engineering workshop)

I'll check the bearings ...

At least the prop does look in good nick - which is a partial shame cos if we had to replace it I'd've got a folder or feathering ....

Thanks for the advice so far - so much easier than re-inventing the wheel!
 
Looks like we need a new anode on the saildrive too .... pity as there is plenty of material left - just can see (what I assume to be) the fixing bolts .... bum!

Easy job but you might need a longish bar to get the cone off ...

Put the prop in a horizontal position

Put a length of timber under the left hand blade to stop the prop turning ... locking the gearbox in gear won't work

Take out the SS bolt

Put the bar through the two holes in the cone and unscrew ... you may be lucky and it will come off easily, I had to borrow our yards 'special' tool. The prop has a rubber bonding so 'itting a screwdriver with an 'amma didn't work ... the rubber absorbed the shock

The prop sits on splines and may be crudded to them but a few GENTLE taps with a wooden drift got mine off.

The anode is held on with two machine screws and as Tran says you'll need the replacement with a cutout for the Stripper.

Obviously give all the bits a good clean ... duh!

Now the important bits!!

Loctite the machine screws in place.

Consider buying a replacement SS bolt!

Why?

They have a small blob of sealant in a tiny hole, which is what keeps them on.

I know because after repeated running astern I lost the whole lot ... bolt, cone, prop, plastic spacer, Stripper ... in The Morbihan:eek::eek:

I guess you could apply lots of Loctite to the bolt but that 'could' be a bugga when you're trying to take it off next time.

Did you know that the French for diver is plongeur, a prop is an helice and a bolt is an herrou ... or something like that:cool:


I do:(
 
Cheers - I'd forogtten about your exploits in finding your prop from a little deeper than intended!
Look like excellent instructions (I'll clarify when I've nursed a bruised/bleeding hand having hit the damm thing with a sledge hammer because it won't come off! - the prop - not my hand!) ;)
 
Mine has a different design of nut to hold the prop on. It has a locking screw that goes in the side. It was fitted by the dealer in Greece, but I have not been able to find out who makes it. According to my engineer out there it stops it from undoing and is used extensively by charter boats (as mine was).

Afraid you are stuck with the standard design Volvo anode. There is nothing else that fits and you need every bit of its weight. The new design is twice the weight and brought in partly because when a broze prop is fitted the anode disappears at an even faster rate!. So if you do fit a bronze prop be prepared for more frequent anode changes.

BTW yours does not look too bad - probably because (I think) you are on a swinging mooring. Combination of bronze prop, in a marina with lots of steel piles, plugged into shorepower without a galvanic isloator and the anode can disappear in a few months!
 
Ta - shame really ... I'll have a look anyway - maybe a project for a couple of years time as I think we have enough to do this winter!
Yes - we're on a swinging mooring - so no shorepower to worry about!!

Whilst we're on the subject of legs - as you can see, ours is antifouled with the same stuff as the rest of the boat - there are no visible signs of corrosion - should I worry about this or just tidy it up and antifoul over the top?
 
fireball said:
Whilst we're on the subject of legs - as you can see, ours is antifouled with the same stuff as the rest of the boat - there are no visible signs of corrosion - should I worry about this or just tidy it up and antifoul over the top?
Click to expand...

This month's PBO has an 'Ask the experts' question posed by an owner of a Seawolf 26. (Brilliant boat by the way. ;)) His Volvo leg had also been painted with a copper based antifoul. The advice was to remove the paint with a specialist antifoul stripper such as International Interstrip AF, apply a coat of primer then two coats of copper free antifouling.

If this is your first Volvo, then Keypart are good for spares. http://www.keypart.com

I have sometimes found the anode screws very difficult to remove. I use an impact driver if they are stuck. Before anyone says 'No! No! You will damage the leg.' my impact driver has a spring inside so when I whack it I am hitting against a spring. I have used mine in all sorts of situations and never damaged anything yet. I've caused more damage not using one.
 
I'll have to have a read - not opened mine yet .... :)

Yes - it is our first volvo - actually, not quite - we did have an MD5a for a season, but then went Yanmar ... and now onto the Volvo 2030 ... it is our first saildrive - hence all the questions!
 
Fireball,

Not doubting Tranona at all, I'm sure he's right in saying the Volvo and Lombardini legs are different. They certainly look very similar though.

If you did fancy your hand at producing a bracket to accept a split anode I have attached an exploded drawing showing how it is done on mine. The bracket is no.37.

Bav - Please can you give a bit more of your experience in securing props. I am not keen to repeat your experience and I'm sure Fireball isn't either! At present all I've done with mine is tighten the cone down with a bar through the holes and then tighten the SS bolt as best I can with my longest alan key. I have assembled it all with zinc chromate paste but I'm now thinking I should plaster the whole lot in Loctite and worry about dissassembly later!! Any views.:confused:

One thing that has been puzzling me. As Bav states the prop is attached to the female spline by way of a compresed rubber bush (mine is too) how can the anode protect the prop if it's effectively isolated in this way? My only thought is that the rubber has a high graphite content and is therefore conductive.

Bit of Fred Drift here (sorry):o

Cheers.

Tim
 
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emsworthy said:
Bav - Please can you give a bit more of your experience in securing props. I am not keen to repeat your experience and I'm sure Fireball isn't either! At present all I've done with mine is tighten the cone down with a bar through the holes and then tighten the SS bolt as best I can with my longest alan key. I have assembled it all with zinc chromate paste but I'm now thinking I should plaster the whole lot in Loctite and worry about dissassembly later!! Any views.:confused:

One thing that has been puzzling me. As Bav states the prop is attached to the female spline by way of a compresed rubber bush (mine is too) how can the anode protect the prop if it's effectively isolated in this way? My only thought is that the rubber has a high graphite content and is therefore conductive.

Bit of Fred Drift here (sorry):o

Cheers.

Tim
Click to expand...

The original Volvo two bladed fixed propeller on my 120S had a large splined washer behind the propeller. The edge of the washer was castellated such that you could bend up any two opposing tabs to match into two indentations on the propeller hub. Presumably this helps to prevent the propeller working loose.

My current propeller (a bronze Radice folding propeller) is held on differently so the castellated washer is of no use. This propeller has a rubber shock-absorbing internal bush which isolates the blades from the shaft so I was also wondering how the anode protects it. It's been on many years now with no signs of electrolytic attack and the anode lasts several seasons so I don't worry about it any more.
 
Bav - Please can you give a bit more of your experience in securing props. I am not keen to repeat your experience and I'm sure Fireball isn't either! At present all I've done with mine is tighten the cone down with a bar through the holes and then tighten the SS bolt as best I can with my longest alan key. I have assembled it all with zinc chromate paste but I'm now thinking I should plaster the whole lot in Loctite and worry about dissassembly later!!

I've had my prop off three times.

I've only needed tools twice :eek::eek:

Back in 2007 we were planning a 5 month trip away around South Brittany so I wanted all the mechanical bits A1. As an example even though the oil in the saildrive looked fine (on the dipstick) I drained and replaced it. Not sure that this is supposed to be an annual job.

The anode looked 'ok' but as the boat was out of the water I thought I'd change it too. Cautious approach to 'long-term' cruising.

Everything came apart as described above ... and then I made the mistake. I looked at the bolt and as it was fine i.e. the threads looked good, I used it again. The threads were absolutely clean so I didn't think to put Loctite on them ... from brief experience with Loctite I've usually seen residual signs.

I imagined that as the prop spends > 99% of the time rotating clockwise that the bolt and cone would not just work together but be in a continual state of being tightened and not need further locking.

Then my fridge needed re-gassing.

:confused:

We had filled it for an anticipated 5 day stay in The Morbihan but it was quickly evident that it was running for longer and longer despite being full.

So the batteries suffered.

So I ran the engine for a couple of hours a day.

In gear.

In reverse!!

So the prop fell off.

This is already a long story so to cut it short we got to Crouesty where the local Volvo agent gave me a friendly b*llocking for not replacing the bolt. As I said above a new one has a blob of 'loctite' that squeezes out as you tighten the bolt.

Mine didn't.:mad:

At the end of 2008 I noted that the anode was a bit loose so off came the prop again ... using tools this time:) ... mega loctited the bolts and trundled off to get a new bolt. The local dealer didn't have one in stock ... boat due in the water in a few days time !!! S*d it .... do what you suggested should plaster the whole lot in Loctite and worry about dissassembly later!! .

Which I did for 2009.

I checked the bolt when the boat came out this year and still MEGA tight ... it may never come off :rolleyes:.

A few anxious moments this year ... i.e. went aground in Pontrieux (everybody does!) and spent 5 mins blipping in reverse/forward absolutely convinced that the prop was going to fall off again but am pleased to see that the bolt is still holding.

In summary then, the Volvo design is rubbish ... you should be able to run in reverse indefinitely ... but I didn't help by not following the (unknown to me) recommendation re fitting the new bolt.

By way of balance I would still chose a (better designed) saildrive over a conventional gearbox if I had the choice.
 
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emsworthy said:
Fireball,

Not doubting Tranona at all, I'm sure he's right in saying the Volvo and Lombardini legs are different. They certainly look very similar though.

If you did fancy your hand at producing a bracket to accept a split anode I have attached an exploded drawing showing how it is done on mine. The bracket is no.37.

Tim
Click to expand...

That bracket looks neat. However, although they look superficially the same the detail design in the Volvo is very different. Don't think there would be room for the bracket and it would need a custom anode which would have less volume than standard. The later Volvos have a much bigger housing that is machined to take the split anode which is clamped around the housing by two cross screws.

Although it is a bit of a pain taking the prop off to change it for most boats this is at worst a once a year job. Mine last 3 or 4 years in the Med - ali prop and moored well away from steel works and never left connected for any time to shorepower.
 
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yup - it looks a bit of a pain - and this one is after just 5 months in the water .... I'd like to stay in next year so it would be handy if I don't have to dry out for an extended period just to change an anode!!
 
On the subject of anodes, here's one tip I've picked up over the years for Volvo saildrives and can confirm that it's worth doing.

Put a circle of paint around the bolt holes on the anode. Why? Because the anode has a tendency to erode around the bolt holes first (best electrical contact!) and come loose. The paint insulates the bolt head and slows the process considerably. However, you do need to ensure a good electrical contact between the rest of the anode and the shaft/prop!

The problem is worst on the Volvo folding prop where there are 3 small anodes attached around the prop boss by a single bolt each. The anodes erode around the bolt and the rest of the anode then flies off. This happens routinely in less than 6 months. With the paint treatment, the anodes last just over 12 months. However, it is also worth doing on the 'big' saildrive anode as it loses electrical contact (and rattles) when it comes loose from the bolts.
 
Just a quick check. It is a standard threaded bolt the holds the cone on and not a lh thread ? Just I can't get the first bolt off ATM
 
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