oGaryo
Well-Known Member
sorry for the long post, trying to get as much out the grey matter and on electronic paper before I forget what occured.
Saving grace is that it happened on the very last trip of a fab week on the water so had good use of the boat this season already... Came back over from IOW yesterday with P4Paul for a meal in the King and Queen Port Hamble and noted a noise from the engine bay on berthing up but on turning the wheel it went completely so put it down to steering arm cables vibrating against the transom.
Left PH to head for Ocean Village but under load the dreaded grumbling from the transom was heard quite clearly.. limped back to hime berth with no noise when stationary at idle and no noise on the trip over to IOW nor at full lock when we turned for home in the Medina so the symptoms have exhibited themselve at some point between leaving Cowes and setting off from Port Hamble.
Am now also getting the grumble at full lock (both ways) with no load at idle in the home berth. This wasn't the case at Port Hamble when I turned the steering wheel to get rid of the initial noise so things seem to be deteriorating rapidly rather than the progressive nature of Gimbal failure.
Gimbal Bearing and all bellows were replaced Sept 2010 by Craven Marine so they've not been in there long.. cannot see water in the reservoir but there are salt deposits at the back of the engine bay around the sterndrive mounting bolts but had put that down to water coming in over the swim platforn rather than a leak from the sterndrive mountings. I had put in half a tube of UJoint and Gimbal Bearing lube before launching.. Drive resoervoir is slightly above the full mark level with the top shoulder of the reservoir, I'd topped it up two days ago and it's stayed there so I don't think I've water coming in to the sterndrive gearing area. I had changed the impellor before launching too changing the lube as I do each year (with the greeny blue High Performance stuff).
What I didn't do before launching was drop the entire drive and check the Gimbal Bearing and internals of the bellows so last time they saw light was when Craven Marine changed them. I did check the condition of the bellows externally and all looked ok.
A few things spring to mind:
1: dry bearing i.e. the grease hasn't got to the bearing for some reason.
2: alignment's been knocked out for some reason.
3: I've messed something up this time on putting the lower drive back together
4: something to do with no speedo on relaunching... was ok prior to me changing the impellor.
5. Water's got in to the drive and I've not noticed it due to point 3, 4 or my assumption salt deposits at the back of the engine bay are actually the symptom of a long standing leak.
6. my assumption it's the Gimbal Bearing is incorrect and it's something else.
Only one thing for it.. get the boat out the water, drop the drive and give Volvo Paul a call on finding out what's occuring for sure.. Will also give me chance to sort out the speedo (blocked hole of tube's come orf I expect) and I need to sort out the duff trim tab.
Would like to get this sorted before end of April so any advice on next steps would be greatly appreciated.
Boat's still in the water and I am 120 miles away at home typing this... will not take her out again until sorted apart from limping her round to the slipway under Itechen Bridge to get the boat on the trailer.
cheers Gary, slightly pee'd off but again, glad this has happened now and not a week ago.. silver lining for sure.
Saving grace is that it happened on the very last trip of a fab week on the water so had good use of the boat this season already... Came back over from IOW yesterday with P4Paul for a meal in the King and Queen Port Hamble and noted a noise from the engine bay on berthing up but on turning the wheel it went completely so put it down to steering arm cables vibrating against the transom.
Left PH to head for Ocean Village but under load the dreaded grumbling from the transom was heard quite clearly.. limped back to hime berth with no noise when stationary at idle and no noise on the trip over to IOW nor at full lock when we turned for home in the Medina so the symptoms have exhibited themselve at some point between leaving Cowes and setting off from Port Hamble.
Am now also getting the grumble at full lock (both ways) with no load at idle in the home berth. This wasn't the case at Port Hamble when I turned the steering wheel to get rid of the initial noise so things seem to be deteriorating rapidly rather than the progressive nature of Gimbal failure.
Gimbal Bearing and all bellows were replaced Sept 2010 by Craven Marine so they've not been in there long.. cannot see water in the reservoir but there are salt deposits at the back of the engine bay around the sterndrive mounting bolts but had put that down to water coming in over the swim platforn rather than a leak from the sterndrive mountings. I had put in half a tube of UJoint and Gimbal Bearing lube before launching.. Drive resoervoir is slightly above the full mark level with the top shoulder of the reservoir, I'd topped it up two days ago and it's stayed there so I don't think I've water coming in to the sterndrive gearing area. I had changed the impellor before launching too changing the lube as I do each year (with the greeny blue High Performance stuff).
What I didn't do before launching was drop the entire drive and check the Gimbal Bearing and internals of the bellows so last time they saw light was when Craven Marine changed them. I did check the condition of the bellows externally and all looked ok.
A few things spring to mind:
1: dry bearing i.e. the grease hasn't got to the bearing for some reason.
2: alignment's been knocked out for some reason.
3: I've messed something up this time on putting the lower drive back together
4: something to do with no speedo on relaunching... was ok prior to me changing the impellor.
5. Water's got in to the drive and I've not noticed it due to point 3, 4 or my assumption salt deposits at the back of the engine bay are actually the symptom of a long standing leak.
6. my assumption it's the Gimbal Bearing is incorrect and it's something else.
Only one thing for it.. get the boat out the water, drop the drive and give Volvo Paul a call on finding out what's occuring for sure.. Will also give me chance to sort out the speedo (blocked hole of tube's come orf I expect) and I need to sort out the duff trim tab.
Would like to get this sorted before end of April so any advice on next steps would be greatly appreciated.
Boat's still in the water and I am 120 miles away at home typing this... will not take her out again until sorted apart from limping her round to the slipway under Itechen Bridge to get the boat on the trailer.
cheers Gary, slightly pee'd off but again, glad this has happened now and not a week ago.. silver lining for sure.
Last edited:
