How often should I check gearbox oil?

[Nick2]

I tend to be a great checker of all green metal bits in boat but just don't know about gearboxes. They are I think Volvo MS3s (?) connected to shaft TAMD41s.

Any ideas of how and how often please - sort of gearboxes for dummiies?

Thanks

Nick

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[longjohnsilver]

About once every 10 minutes is the accepted norm, could probably safely stretch that to every 15 minutes.

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[Nick2]

What do you really mean I can check gearboxes less often than I check the anodes?????

Nick

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[Moose]

If the oil isn't sitting in the bilges under the gearbox then I generally assume it is in the gearbox. They don't burn oil. Still, I would check them every 20mins or so/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

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[Medskipper]

Dont listen to any of them!

As long as there is no obvious leak in the bilges then once a season for gearbox oil is quite sufficient! but if it makes you feel happy check the dip stick as often as you like!

Barry

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[Kawasaki]

The dip stick is on top of the box on an MS3 flat screwy will wiss it off stick it back in to check the level don,t screw it back in. Usually have 15/40 in them, if it looks clean it,s normally ok.Don,t try and top up through the same hole there is a larger hole for that comes of with a 12 or 13 spanner.MAJOR check is the seal on the output side. if that pops all the oil heads for the bilge,lots of money to the green people for a new shaft and stuff.If youve ever had any briney around the shaft check there is no "pitting" where the seal fits round the shaft cos that will bugger the seal also. Only know cos I,ve just saved mine.Oh screw the dipstick in afterwards! Who,s adipstick then?

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[Nick2]

Do you mean that the dipstick thing just prises off rather than unscrews and then pushes back in ?

Thanks

Nick

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[Kawasaki]

The dipstick unscrews. But to check the level just push it back in wipe it and check the MARK ie line thats the full sign then if all is ok screw it back in. Don,t scew it back in to check the level that,s a false reading. So unscrew wipe dip check reading add oil if it needs and scew back in. Like Barrie says check it as often as you like. Gearbox oil in that situation doesn,t get as "dirty" as engine oil it isn,t in the same enviroment as engine oil which is,dealing with combustion and pistons and all sorts of other thingy,s going up and down and round and round.

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[Nick2]

Thank you

Nick

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[jfm]

Lazy git solution (but effective)

Nick you can get electric sensors so it flashes a light on the dash if the level gets low. Same as you have on the engine sump.

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[tcm]

Re:hm

this is a poor lazy git solution imho. Cos of sourse if the electronic thing busts, it doesn't do anyhting, same as normal . So it would need testing, praps by taking all the oil out, hence not very lazy gittish at all. Better wd be an oil level indicator which always "shows something" rather than a "too low"indicator which generally does sod all, esp if bust. Also cd check/compare levels on the two engines like what yerdo with engine oil temps.

But neither level indicator would be much good when the engine/gearbox is running if a prob developed until there really wasn't any gear oil in there at all, at which point it's all a bit late cos the levels will have to be really very low as the last dribblings might still register a good level - until all gone. A gearbox oil temp gauge might be best.

Either way, it should be something that reads something all the time, esp when running. imho





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[jfm]

Re:hm

Yes all agreed, I meant something electrical generically.

The best kit is temp gauges as you say. Irritatingly the major UK manufacturers fit oil temp gauges as standard for the US market but not for the same boats sold in Europe. At least this means thay are an easy retrofit (or would be, for non-lazy gits). I think in recent boats you can retrofit without even running wires to gauges on the dash, you can just piggyback the canbus wiring

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[tcm]

other gearbox checks

i already have the gearbox temp gugaes, but other things mite need to be checked.

On our ZF gearboxes, there is a lickle thing that needs turning every so often - a knife filter thing. Not sure what exaccerly it does, BUT it's quite important to do it, i hear. So. er every so often i turn the thing a bit. Sometime i may read the manual to see what it does. I bet Nick2 has a manual as well. Mind you, i've gotta a/pilot manual....

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[jfm]

Re: other gearbox checks

Ours are ZF too. I skimmed the manual, but it all looked a bit long for a gearbox, so did not scrutinise. Will now check for inbuilt knife filter thing, thanks. Ours incidentally do have oil filters, whereas previous gearboxes didn't. I think they're cartridge jobs on the outside, but dont recall. Planning to check next week as they need changing last week in August (180day warranty service for engines and boxes)

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