Saildrive jams in reverse when been running for some time.

[Sanderling_]

Dear all,

I have a VP 120SD and I recently started to have a problem in that I find I am unable to get out of reverse without diifficulty when the engine has been running for some time. When cold there is no problem in moving from reverse to neutral however when it is warm, I get stuck in reverse. The best solution being to stop the engine and then put in neutral beofore restarting, however, this takes time which is not always available.

The Morse control mechanism has been changed (broke the lever first time it happened!) so I think I can exclude this, the correct grade of oil is fitted and is at the correct level. I have tried to adjust the cables without joy.

Apart from the obvious 'sail more, motor less', does anyone have any idea as to what the problem is and what the resolution may be?

Thanks,
Tony

 

[TiggerToo]

we had exactly the same. We were about to go through a full gearbox strip down (this winter) when the problem just went away. The only thing noted by the engineer was evidence of a serious propeller wrap incident which must have been dealt with by the Ambassdor stripper. The current diagnosis is that the forces generated might have tightened things up (cone in the gearbox). I know it does not sound convicing, and does not help you, but gearbox has behaved in the last 8 moths...

 

[Saddletramp]

Sounds like its getting hot. I cooked mine, low on oil, symptoms were the same though. Stuck in gear.

 

[PeterGibbs]

The selector mechanism on the 120 leg can be a source of irregular performance. It has peculiarities - when sailing, motor off, I engage reverse on mine to get rid of the prop wine, and there is a clunk before the prop stops. When I later want to reengage neutral to start the engine, there is no movement. No way can I push the lever back to neutral in this position - the engine has to be fired with the prop in reverse, then the selector/cone frees and neutral is achieved!

In your (somewhat different case) I can only think the symptoms, which I have not encountered yet, are related.

I would not say your gear or mine is about to collapse - I have had to live with this limitation for 11 seasons now!

PWG

 

[Playtime]

[ QUOTE ]
. . . . when sailing, motor off, I engage reverse on mine to get rid of the prop wine, and there is a clunk before the prop stops. When I later want to reengage neutral to start the engine, there is no movement. No way can I push the lever back to neutral in this position - the engine has to be fired with the prop in reverse, then the selector/cone frees and neutral is achieved!

I think this is common with this drive. I had the same problem on mine before I fitted a folding prop.

 

[Cantata]

I'm no gearbox expert but I will say that there are very few components inside the 120S gearbox - I know because I have just changed the gaiter and had the back off the gearbox itself. There doesn't seem be much to go wrong!

 

[Dipper]

This is just a long shot but easy to check. I had trouble selecting neutral and getting out of reverse on my 120S. Adjusting the cables didn't seem to solve the problem.

Eventually, I discovered that the nut securing the gear selector mechanism on the side of the gearbox had worked loose. It seems that the last person to change the saildrive seal hadn't tightened it up properly. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Tightening the nut up solved the problem.

 

[Sanderling_]

Thanks for your ideas guys, I shall have a look at the selector nut and see of it is just that.

As we are now back swinging again for the summer, I shall try to avoid locks and marinas until the autumn and then get it looked at in the winter. These sort of intermittent problems can be a real sod to get fixed.

Tigg2, you are Plymouth based, which engineer were you talking to?

Tony