Serious problem with outdrive

[GrahamHR]

Hello everyone,

I hope someone can help me. I have a Volvo Penta outdrive, but something is clearly wrong with it. It changes gear fine, it is quiet, it doesn't exhibit any sign of corrosion despite 5+ seasons use in saltwater and it also has not caused my boat to sink or any unexpected drain on my bank account. What am I doing wrong? Should I consider something less reliable or as a last resort to make it conform to the stereotype, not service it each year?

Graham

PS The engine in the boat is a petrol one, should I be concerned that it hasn't exploded and set fire to all the boats in the marina yet either?

 

[mil1194]

Chuckle chuckle chuckle.......I am still laughing to myself 5mins after this......gf thinks I have finally lost the plot.......HA HA HA!!!!

 

[yankeebloke]

LMAO

seems my outdrive has similar problems to yours

 

[mil1194]

Am hoping mine is going to exhibit EXACTLY these faults when it lands back in the drink!

 

[MapisM]

What am I doing wrong?

Elementary, my dear Watson. You're not pushing it hard enough.
Just put a blower on top of your engine, and then go for some wave jumping at 50+ kts, without releasing the throttle while on air.
Then you'll tell us about its reliability...!

 

[[2068]]

There are several ways you can make it behave more like a typical outdrive:

1.) Get some fishing line around the shafts. This will let the water in, and you can sing the following song:

"My milkshake brings all the mechs to the yard,
And they're like:
It's better than yours,
Damn right it's better than yours,
I can teach you,
But I have to charge"

2.) Change gear repeatedly or under-fill with oil. The cones will wear. Break out into song again:

"Slip slidin' away
Slip slidin' away
You know the nearer your destination
The more you're slip slidin' away"

3.) Fail to change the anodes. You know the routine by now. Deep breath:

"Water dissolving and water removing
There is water at the bottom of the ocean
Under the water, carry the water
Remove the water from the bottom of the ocean
Water dissolving and water removing

Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down
Leting the days go by, water flowing underground
Into the blue again, after the money's gone..."

 

[lovezoo]

2.) Change gear repeatedly or under-fill with oil. The cones will wear.

I've got an Alpha 1 Gen 2, so no cones to wear and the remote gear lube monitor in the engine bay lets me see exactly how much oil is in the drive just by lifting the engine bay hatch.

3.) Fail to change the anodes.

The boat is 8 years old and I have owned it for 5 years - in my ownership I've only ever changed the anodes once - does help that the boat is kept on a trailer.

1.) Get some fishing line around the shafts.

Doh! Its an outdrive, not a boring old shaft drive boat.

 

[CX54WEK]

"Doh! Its an outdrive, not a boring old shaft drive boat. "

Yes ours is also outdrives but the amount of fishing line we pick up on the shafts is shocking.

 

[lovezoo]

Yes ours is also outdrives but the amount of fishing line we pick up on the shafts is shocking.

Best of both worlds then - outdrives and shafts.

 

[oldgit]

"I hope someone can help me."

No problem at all.
While you are waiting for the inevitable ,count these bits

To balance things up a bit,the other system has a bearing,a shaft, another bearing and a prop. Simples Innit.

 

[mil1194]

I bought an engineers manual for my VP270's last week and I think I recognise those pics. I was daunted when I 'flicked' through it and put it in the drawer where I think it's gonna live.........

 

[Fire99]

My old Shetland was on its original outdrive and V8 petrol engine (1982 ish) and with a bit of basic routine maintenance, never missed a beat in the 3 years I owned her.
Utterly reliable, quiet and dependable.

I have the workshop manual for the 'leg' and to be honest the schematics make it look far more complicated than it is.
Let's face it, the breakdown of parts of a set of kitchen taps can be made to look complicated!

OK, they need more maintenance than a shaft and stern-gland but in the same way my pen needs more maintenance than a stick of chalk!

 

[lovezoo]

"
To balance things up a bit,the other system has a bearing,a shaft, another bearing and a prop. Simples Innit.

I realise you are trying to make a point, but surely you know that a shaft drive boat also has a gearbox and a clutch as well? I would imagine that a schematic of the gearbox would look quite complicated, innit?

Edit: I was wrong. Just found a schematic of OldGits mechanicals, simples indeed:

 

[PaulGooch]

Best of both worlds then - outdrives and shafts.

So, what's yer prop bolted onto then ?

 

[lovezoo]

So, what's yer prop bolted onto then ?

A Flo-Torq II Drive Hub as it happens.

 

[PaulGooch]

A Flo-Torq II Drive Hub as it happens.

Someone remind me where the smiley with the sticky out tongue is please.

 

[GrahamHR]

"I hope someone can help me."

No problem at all.
While you are waiting for the inevitable ,count these bits

To balance things up a bit,the other system has a bearing,a shaft, another bearing and a prop. Simples Innit.

I don't think my outdrive uses any of those parts; if I fit them to mine and neglect the regular maintenance, will it solve the problem ?

I bet any shaft driven boats as you describe them get through a lot of props though if they don't have any prop retaining nuts and no anodes. Still, if a prop drops off or goes a nice pink colour it's simple enough to slip another one onto the shaft if you get the boat lifted I suppose.

 

[CHI]

I think Graham is forgetting his GEARBOX. ( Many parts in there!)

 

[oldgit]

a shaft drive boat also has a gearbox and............ a clutch ??????

But but its dry n warm an snuggly INSIDE the boat not dangling outside marinating in a cold wet salty highly corrosive horrid substance................Innit.

I count 1267 bits so far in those diagrams and not forgetting the pumps and relays inside along with no less than 5 seals and o rings keeping the water out

 

[GrahamHR]

I think Graham is forgetting his GEARBOX. ( Many parts in there!)

My outdrive (part of which is a gearbox if you like) does not use the same internal or external parts as one made say 40 years ago. Have they left out the good important bits that keep marine mechanics in work? Or, horror of horrors, has there been progress in terms of design, tolerances and materials used since the 1960's ? None of that progress is evident when comparing cars and other mechanical devices of this century to those of the 1960s, is there?

Nothing new; An early bicycle equipped with a fixed gearing and bushes is a lot simpler than a later one fitted with a 3 speed gearhub which has lots of ball bearings, (a very reliable unit, but a horribly complicated thing to disassemble/ put back together). I'm sure there were many debates along the lines of "you don't want to have one of those new fangled things, they're bound to go wrong, simple is best, don't trust ball bearings". I'm sure the exploded diagram of that hub is very impressive but I wouldn't waste time counting the number of parts displayed. I know which bicycle I'd prefer to ride on a daily basis though and it's not the fixed gear type).