Saildrive membrane change interval

I posted this last year:

"Yesterday I removed the saildrive from Galadriel and brought it home. Not a particularly difficult job, disconnecting the bits and pieces from the engine, but then Galadriel has very good access to the engine. It was a bit physical moving the engine forward, but an old mainsail block and sheet fastened to the mast support helped there!

This morning (Sunday) I have stripped down the saildrive to remove the gaiter. The date on the gaiter is 91 (1991), the boat was launched in 1993. There is absolutely no sign of any cracking or deterioration of any kind to the gaiter, there is no sign of any water having leaked between the gaiter and the joint between the saildrive and the gearbox.

So, that is 17 years and it was still perfectly serviceable. I have only changed it now because of 'in the unlikely event etc......' the insurance company would not pay out.

I suspect the gaiter, like others will sit in a landfill for several thousand years, nice one Volvo!"
 
Mine is 11/12 years old now so while the boat is out for some maintenance to the leg its time to do the seal as well.

Mine looks fine as others have said but i guess they cant last forever. Keypart seems good on the price for a new one from what i've found.
 
If you have an early Volvo 2000 series engine check the splines on your gearbox input shaft. Mine were badly worn and could have failed anytime. See here.
 
Changed mine at 10 years, it looked fine to me.
Mine (Moody S31) took a day and a half, I suppose - took it out, took it home and installed the new seal on Day 1, put it back in a few hours next day.
With the benefit of experience, I and the same buddy then changed the seal on his Bav 34 and did the whole job in about 5 hours. Ease of access is probably the one big factor in varying the time taken between different boats.
Nonetheless it is a straightforward job for anyone with reasonable DIY skills and a modicum of common sense, and DIY obviously saves a packet - 2 Volvo engineers for a day don't come cheap.
I cannot imagine how anyone could do it singlehanded.
 
Changed mine last year with the original (1976) still in place. The old one looked fine but the holding ring on the inside was almost rusted through.

Not a recommendation mind you, just my experience.
 
I was told by a surveyor that Volvo had, at one time, planned to move the recommended replacement time from 7 years to 10, based on the growing practical experience of many boats. However (so the story went) many Volvo dealers objected, since changing them at 7 years provided a good revenue stream for them, and so Volvo were persuaded not to change the 7 year recommendation.

This story is at least third hand so may not be true, but does have a hint of credibility to it!
 
Last edited:
I have a Yanmar saildrive on my x-yacht, had both seals and engine mounts changed by local Yanmar agent (cost £2k), it was 13 / 14 years old, boat out of water for 3 mths every year.

I was told it was just started to harden.

Main reason for replacement was that the inner seal had come detatched and let in water from the inside when a water pipe burst, the alarm went off and frighten the C*** out of me. Hopefully the replacement will last as long.

Next major job is to replace the rod rigging est £4½k

Well why else do we work, if not to spend money on our loved ones.
 
Windhover said:
I was told by a surveyor that Volvo had, at one time, planned to move the recommended replacement time from 7 years to 10, based on the growing practical experience of many boats. However (so the story went) many Volvo dealers objected, since changing them at 7 years provided a good revenue stream for them, and so Volvo were persuaded not to change the 7 year recommendation.

This story is at least third hand so may not be true, but does have a hint of credibility to it!
Click to expand...

From long experience in the trade I suspect that most Volvo dealers if fact would support longer intervals as they are aware that few diaphragms require changing when they are replaced. Far from being a cash cow I would suspect they would rather have the durability emphasised.
The saildrive concept was not well received when introduced by the experts and thus the safeguards were more than adequate.
There are cases of boats being slung by the sail drive shearing the engine mounts and being suspended by the diaphragm without tearing them .
In fact over many years one of the few failures I have heard of involved a boat in the gulf where the outer flap had come off and allowed reflected sunlight to damage it.
 
Clive said:
I have a Yanmar saildrive on my x-yacht, had both seals and engine mounts changed by local Yanmar agent (cost £2k), it was 13 / 14 years old, boat out of water for 3 mths every year.

I was told it was just started to harden.

Main reason for replacement was that the inner seal had come detatched and let in water from the inside when a water pipe burst, the alarm went off and frighten the C*** out of me. Hopefully the replacement will last as long.

Next major job is to replace the rod rigging est £4½k

Well why else do we work, if not to spend money on our loved ones.
Click to expand...

Getting rod rigging done properly won't be particularly easy in my experience...

Only people I could get interested were HYS, I'm still trying to get the excess silicone/sikaflex off the deck, mast still up though!

To be fair the original guy on the phone was knowledgeable and filled with me confidence. He was unfortunately on holiday when I dropped the boat off.
 
Saildrive

Today I replaced my Volvo 120 saildrive membrain. Very easy to do! The old unit about ten year old appeared perfect, infact when the latter unit replaced the earlier unit of uncertain age that old one appeared perfect.

I think its an insurance/safety issue, but if it fail you have certainly had it!
 
firstascent2002 said:
Hi Guys,

My saildrive membrane looks pristine. It is 8 years old. I really don;t want to change it this year due to the two weekend and £300 comittment which will co inside rather uncomfortably with the arrival of my first child...can I leave it?

OK, so I know the insurance implications and that aside, I doubt the boat will leave plymouth sound this year she is hardly going to be stretched.

Are there any souls out there who have older saildrive membranes?

Jamie
Click to expand...

I haven't been through all the replies, so my apologies if I'm repeating anything....

Saildrive seals are incredibly robust, & speaking to a well known marine engineer, who said they have changed them at over 20 years old & were fine. When I bought a jaguar 27, I changed the seals at the insurance cos request, & that was around 20 years old & apparently perfect. Later insurance didn't require adherence to Volvos recommendations that it be changed every 7 years. These seals are date stamped...
Neither have I heaard of one failing, although I have heard of many catastrophic/near catastrophic leaks with shaft drives!
However...should?? one fail, it WILL be catastrophic, & I suppose that is why all these companies & manufacturers put such a caveat on replacement?
 
Mine is being done as I type! 7 1/2 years old from new and probably as good as the day it went in.

20HP Beta currently sat on the cabin sole, probably could have done it myself over 3 days using a block off the boom to slide the engine out, but I feel happier someone who knows what they are doing will put it all back together!!
 
My boat is 7 yo this year with VP Saildrive. Last year I had to replace the outer seal because it became detached. When I did it I found plenty of marine growth inside the cavity, most were oyster shells with quite sharp edges. I cleaned them as best as I could and the main saildrive seal looked still in excellent condition, but it was very difficult to clean the inside with the saildrive leg there.

My concern now is that any remaining sharp shells could actually detach and work with time against the main seal.

If I had not had to replace the outer seal I would not have noticed the growth inside.

Later passing near boats with saildrives in the boat yard I could notice rotting smells near their saildrives.

This is kind of a recommendation to check yours.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top