The season can start now.

[[2068]]

Somewhat unfortunately, the maiden voyage to Brighton also resulted in a "separation" of the outdrive tie bar.
I looked on the Volvo site ... £954 for a new one
It turns out Nick Seabridge (Seabridge Marine) has one in a cupboard for a far more sensible price, so Thunderbirds are go for a lift out.
Trying to do this from the bathing platform is not an option, even from a tender.

Although it's fairly straightforward to remove the old bar and fit a replacement, the process isn't helped by the time pressure of knowing that everyone is waiting for you to finish, so the focus is on doing things efficiently. This would not include arriving at the lift out point with zero mooring lines attached to that side of the boat. Using new split pins is always a good idea.

Also, it's worth taking the time to get the "toe in" on the drives set correctly. For a smaller faster boat, this can be small, but needs to be more substantial for a slower, heavier boat . The idea is that the props are in line with the water flow off the back of the "V", to minimise cavitation.

 

[henryf]

You've fitted it upside down !

I can imagine your annoyance, a lot of money for a length of tube. Colhel of this parish could machine one of those in his sleep and he's on 3 Cornish pasties & a Mars bar a week

Henry

 

[[2068]]

There is no correct way up to fit it ... it's just that the anode happened to end up on the other side on the new one, honest

The bar isn't just a bar ... if you loosen the collars and rotate the middle section, the whole thing expands or shrinks, so there is some sort of "threaded magic" going on inside there. I will dissect the old one to have a look. The Volvo instructions warn you that once a tie bar has been disassembled, it "may not be re-used" !

 

[colhel]

Is the tie bar to hold the legs in balance, or some other function? I'd be interested in seeing the old one as something that costs 6 months machinist's salary must be a little bit special.
The anode's on back to front by the way

 

[[2068]]

With the tie bar off, I can push each outdrive in a different direction (the steering is hydraulic, unlike the old KAD32 / DP-E ... there is no mechanical connection between the drives, apart from hydraulic fluid and the tie bar).
Rather like a car which had the front wheels pointing in different directions, this would ultimately have ended in a "pan pan", but it never unwound itself that far.

 

[julians]

How and why did it fail?

Would have thought this should be the most reliable component on a boat

 

[colhel]

A tough material then, possibly the reason for the price. Maybe Duplex which can be quite a challenge to machine or Super Duplex which is a pig. Is it magnetic?

 

[[2068]]

How and why did it fail?
Would have thought this should be the most reliable component on a boat

I'm not 100% sure, but the previous berth was very shallow on low springs. The boat settled into the mud, and I think that's why one prop got pushed "off-axis" on it's hub. This meant that at the end of last season, I was getting a fair amount of vibration from the stern ... it's possible the vibration killed the tie bar.

Prop is now fixed ... no vibration at all at speed.

 

[[2068]]

A tough material then, possibly the reason for the price. Maybe Duplex which can be quite a challenge to machine or Super Duplex which is a pig. Is it magnetic?

Parts 4 and 6 (the collars) are magnetic.
The middle bar and the end sections are not not.

 

[colhel]

It looks the 316 failed then. Would another anode help? I'm thinking looking at the original the break was on the other side to the anode and if the threads haven't got good conductivity it could contribute?

 

[henryf]

Ultimately it's not unlike the tie rod ends on a car steering rack only without the complication of a rack. You ready Tate the middle tube to make the whole lot longer or shorter. Uncouple the fitting onto the leg and rotate the end section to adjust the one side.

I always think something you could have machined as a one off for the same price is r less money s over priced. To be fair I imagined me very few fail said not worth setting up a business around them.

The main thing is you're sorted now and the sun is shining.

Henry

 

[colhel]

If you asked me to make that unit as a one off, you wouldn't save a lot of money. However, if you were to measure the crucial hole centre dimensions you could get a non adjustable one made for a lot less, the caveat being a non adjustable straight bar would do the job

 

[superheat6k]

...

Would have thought this should be the most reliable component on a boat

That must be a good topic for a separate thread - surely though that is the pen that signs the Bill of Sale (when selling of course !).