Birdseye
Well-known member
looking at a boat with a saildrive leg. never had one before. I believe they have some sort of rubber seal to prevent water entry - how long do they last? how easy to replace DIY?
saildrive leg seals
- Thread starter Birdseye
- Start date
Daydream believer
Well-known member
If you are lonely, you could always go & read an anchor thread 
Daedelus
Well-known member
Judging by the language of a friend as he replaced the seal they could be easier.
Tranona
Well-known member
Nothing to worry about. Makers recommendation is 7 years replacement, but they just about never fail and those who have replaced them report nothing wrong with old one. Volvo are single skin, Yanmar double with a sensor between - which never gets activated. Your surveyor will probably remark on it if there is no evidence of replacement meaning the insurer will probably insist on having it done. Typical cost £1000-1500 depending on access.
Remember saildrives have now been in use for getting on for 40 years with virtually no change in basic design and now dominate the new boat market.
Remember saildrives have now been in use for getting on for 40 years with virtually no change in basic design and now dominate the new boat market.
CrossedThreads
Member
Volvo is seven years. Other makes may vary. The parts are about £250 and it definitely doable from a DIY perspective.
I did mine having never worked on a boat before however I do have decent mechanical knowledge.
Access and the ability to move the engine forward to create the space to lift the leg out will determine how many expletives you use and how many knuckles you bruise!
Quotes for the work were well over £1000 so in seven years time I’ll be doing it again myself despite how much of a pain it was.
I did mine having never worked on a boat before however I do have decent mechanical knowledge.
Access and the ability to move the engine forward to create the space to lift the leg out will determine how many expletives you use and how many knuckles you bruise!
Quotes for the work were well over £1000 so in seven years time I’ll be doing it again myself despite how much of a pain it was.
Martin_J
Well-known member
Depends what you are like in mechanical DIY terms.
Nothing usually to difficult apart from you tend to need to move the engine forwards by three or four inches so that the leg/gearbox spline will clear the engine and allow you to lift it up and into the boat.
Before I first did mine, I had gradually over the preceding years replaced all the hoses with ones a few inches longer. This meant that when it came to the time to do the saildrive diaphragm, the engine could be moved with very little to disconnect.
I don't like hurrying so tend to remove the leg one weekend, spend an evening mid week splitting the leg and replacing the seal, then the following weekend putting the leg back into place.
Doing it that way gives you time to touch up any rusty spots on the clamping ring.
I'm assuming you're doing a Volvo one where there is just one big seal. I have no experience of the other type that have double seal with water detector in between.
As to supporting the engine ( since the saildrive gearbox provides the rear mount), I use a pile of the slippery cheap white chopping boards with a couple of the marina wooden cradle wedges between them, placed underneath the engine.
That gives adjustable height but also the slippery nature of the boards allows the engine to be easily slid back and forth.
Nothing usually to difficult apart from you tend to need to move the engine forwards by three or four inches so that the leg/gearbox spline will clear the engine and allow you to lift it up and into the boat.
Before I first did mine, I had gradually over the preceding years replaced all the hoses with ones a few inches longer. This meant that when it came to the time to do the saildrive diaphragm, the engine could be moved with very little to disconnect.
I don't like hurrying so tend to remove the leg one weekend, spend an evening mid week splitting the leg and replacing the seal, then the following weekend putting the leg back into place.
Doing it that way gives you time to touch up any rusty spots on the clamping ring.
I'm assuming you're doing a Volvo one where there is just one big seal. I have no experience of the other type that have double seal with water detector in between.
As to supporting the engine ( since the saildrive gearbox provides the rear mount), I use a pile of the slippery cheap white chopping boards with a couple of the marina wooden cradle wedges between them, placed underneath the engine.
That gives adjustable height but also the slippery nature of the boards allows the engine to be easily slid back and forth.
Daydream believer
Well-known member
It takes me 10 hours on my own, except for assistance lifting the unit into the boat cockpit. I can lower it down on my own though.
I also change the lower shaft seals whilst I am at it because I have had water in the oil ( actually it was not due to the seal but the wrong washer on the drain screw) I noticed a very slight scoring on the shaft. To prevent further damage to the shaft & possible later seal failure I decided to do whilst the drive was in my workshop. It makes things much easier.
I also change the lower shaft seals whilst I am at it because I have had water in the oil ( actually it was not due to the seal but the wrong washer on the drain screw) I noticed a very slight scoring on the shaft. To prevent further damage to the shaft & possible later seal failure I decided to do whilst the drive was in my workshop. It makes things much easier.
SaltyC
Well-known member
With Reasonable mechanical knowledge it is not difficult. Me and son did a Volvo saildrive on an MD2020 in 6 hrs having not done one before - from memory parts costs Circa £400. Should we do one again (now sold boat) it would be a very comfortable 4 hours.
I now have a Yanmar Saildrive, parts more expensive, engine larger and harder to move - that May be a different answer!!
I now have a Yanmar Saildrive, parts more expensive, engine larger and harder to move - that May be a different answer!!
Daydream believer
Well-known member
Does that include removing & refitting all the engine panelling, propeller, draining, refilling with oil disconnecting & re connecting controls, refitting the lower hull fairing etc? Putting all the tools away & clearing up. If not then one might revise the figures for the benefit of those reading this thread. I did mine in 10 hours but there are parts that only one can do, so having 2 is helpful ie bolting it all back to the engine & the engine mounts etc, but overall would not halve the time.
SaltyC
Well-known member
Yes. Includes all, start to finish. The additional time, first time was head scratching and due to son night clubbing the night before causing delays for 'stomach evacuation '.
It is definately far quicker with 2, one outside, one in. I would not have attempted on my own.
Dilemma
Member
If you check out Sailing Britaly on You Tube he has a good Vid on replacing a sail drive seal on a Volvo engine.
TinkD
New member
The date of manufacture is supposed to be on the diaphragm (Volvo in this case)
The first pic us a close up of the installed one but I can't see a date. Are the numbered discs useful?
The second pic is my new diaphragm which clearly shows the date.
How do I work out date of installed diaphragm? And hence whether to replace?
The first pic us a close up of the installed one but I can't see a date. Are the numbered discs useful?
The second pic is my new diaphragm which clearly shows the date.
How do I work out date of installed diaphragm? And hence whether to replace?
TinkD
New member
DJE
Well-known member
Mine was about 15 years old when I bought the boat. Surveyor said it must be replaced as a matter of urgency so I asked if it was OK to do the delivery trip from Medway to Portsmouth on the old seal. He said yes just get it done within the first year.
A friend who is a full time boat mechanic said a day and a half for a fitter and a labourer. I was the labourer and his timing was spot on. (But we did another job for a couple of hours waiting for the touch- up paint to dry on the clamping ring.) Volvo 2040 and everything had to be disconnected to move it and give plenty of room. Price was mates rates so a bit less than quoted above.
A friend who is a full time boat mechanic said a day and a half for a fitter and a labourer. I was the labourer and his timing was spot on. (But we did another job for a couple of hours waiting for the touch- up paint to dry on the clamping ring.) Volvo 2040 and everything had to be disconnected to move it and give plenty of room. Price was mates rates so a bit less than quoted above.
RJJ
Well-known member
I had ours done with professional help, cost was £1200 incl parts plus VAT on the south coast. I thought this was reasonable. Volvo D2 55.
Like many things, it wasn't rocket science but I could easily have taken three times as long to do it myself and made mistakes in the process.
Shifting the engine back into place turned out to be a 3-man job. If you were DIY, you would probably expect to invest in some means of taking the weight of the engine under control to help it back onto the splines.
On the plus side, don't forget saildrive owners never have to deal with cutlass bearings or stern glands or other such relics.
Like many things, it wasn't rocket science but I could easily have taken three times as long to do it myself and made mistakes in the process.
Shifting the engine back into place turned out to be a 3-man job. If you were DIY, you would probably expect to invest in some means of taking the weight of the engine under control to help it back onto the splines.
On the plus side, don't forget saildrive owners never have to deal with cutlass bearings or stern glands or other such relics.
Dipper
Well-known member
I'm currently changing mine for the third time on my own. It would be relatively easy if I had good access to the back and sides of the engine (Volvo 2001) but I have to crawl down a quarter berth, turn 180° in front of the rudder stock, crawl back behind the engine then work at arms length whilst lying on my stomach. I also have to move the engine into the cabin in order to extricate the saildrive. This year the clamping ring needed repainting and two cockpit drains with seacocks either side of the engine had to be replaced. Even with the engine out there was limited room to work in. When the weather warms up, I'll put it all back but I'll need help to line up the gearbox with the engine.
Even though I've done this several times before, the Sailing Britaly video was a good reminder of what I needed to do. His access was much better than mine. So, it's a relatively easy project for a competent DIYer but access makes all the difference.
Even though I've done this several times before, the Sailing Britaly video was a good reminder of what I needed to do. His access was much better than mine. So, it's a relatively easy project for a competent DIYer but access makes all the difference.
Moodysailor
Well-known member
As others have said above, whether it is difficult or not will depend primarily on access. It's not tricky, but you do need to have some mechanical aptitude, and if it's your first time a workshop manual or someone within distance who has done one before is helpful.
Make sure you get something to support the rear of the engine when you slide it forward as without that it can drop - the rear mount is on the saildrive and I've seen more than one person forget that in the past and then it's a 'sweary' job to get the engine back into position.
Make sure you get something to support the rear of the engine when you slide it forward as without that it can drop - the rear mount is on the saildrive and I've seen more than one person forget that in the past and then it's a 'sweary' job to get the engine back into position.
