vic008
Well-Known Member
Has anybody tried welding a 9/16 impact socket into the female half, and machined the spline down to suit? ( idea on the internet, see Rapture Design, sounding good, it has been done) Wondering about longevity etc.
VP gearbox spline (again)
- Thread starter vic008
- Start date
RichardS
N/A
Not a job to be attempted by a PBO mechanic/welder, I would say.
Richard
Richard
MoodySabre
Well-Known Member
Why try a dubious cheap fix for a safety critical item?
pvb
Well-Known Member
Getting the socket perfectly centred would be a problem to start with.
Volvo Penta have a modification which has a cushioned drive plate. I fitted this to my previous boat in the early 2000s. Around 20 years later, it's still fine.
[70521]
Well-Known Member
Perhaps the OP is unaware of the Darwin Awards?
pandos
Well-Known Member
Perhaps the OP was asking about something in advance of doing it in the hope of constructive advice which is one of the attributes of this forum...
penfold
Well-Known Member
Given there's a wellknown fix available for this wellknown problem why reinvent the wheel? Welding heat treated tool steel is never going to be a reliable way of getting a consistent product, DIY you have no control over the HAZ; it might work and last until the engine wears out or it might crack and fracture when you really need power. More specifically a hex socket on a hex head would fret and probably wear a lot faster than the OE spline problem, which took years to manifest even on intensively used boats.
[70521]
Well-Known Member
Had the OP been an experienced welder then he would not have needed to ask the question. Having worked my life in engineering and the last five years specifically in Safety Engineering I spent some time investigating when things go wrong, hence the Darwin Award comment.
pandos
Well-Known Member
Your Darwin award comment was uncalled for...had he been so arrogant that he did not ask or try his arm at welding and subsequently cause injury then things may be different,
but no matter how stupid or dangerous something may seem to others, when asking in advance for advice no one should be subjected to such a snide comment.
but no matter how stupid or dangerous something may seem to others, when asking in advance for advice no one should be subjected to such a snide comment.
[70521]
Well-Known Member
We all have different way of looking at the world, or perhaps it is because I'm a cynical Scottish engineer and am
In my opinion what the OP was proposing was dangerous on a safety critical component and could have cost one or more lives on a lee shore, or as he is in NZ crossing one of their notorious bars; hence the Darwin comment. I would have said the same to him had he been in the room with me.
If you have a problem with my post then report it to the Moderation team.
pandos
Well-Known Member
Then his proposed course of action was not intrinsically dangerous.
There is simply a remote possibility that lives could be lost if several other things were to happen.
There is simply a remote possibility that lives could be lost if several other things were to happen.
Bilgediver
Well-Known Member
Many might agree that a weld of unknown quality in an area where it is exposed to known excessive torsionals and it is known that dampening is required would most certainly not be a sensible option. Especially where alternatives involving a system of damping were readily available from the manufacturer.
vic008
Well-Known Member
As a retired welder I am fully aware of the effect of heat. We can heat treat! Was not thinking of doing it myself, we do have workshops here. This has been done, was hoping to hear how it went. Is that so bad? Just trying to save a dollar.
cherod
N/A
i suppose that that is what you have to put up with when you get armchair or diy welders and members of the saftey industry . Lee shore,, omg , there are a multitude of things that can go wrong on every lee shore, that does not stop people sailing ,,, good luck with your project .
Rappey
Well-Known Member
Where's the harm in bouncing an idea for discussion ?
People with these sort of ideas are often the ones that can fix something in an emergency.
People with these sort of ideas are often the ones that can fix something in an emergency.
[70521]
Well-Known Member
Ahhh, finally some context. Vic is a welder, then a skilled man. But I do wonder if your fix is cheaper that the Volvo Penta one given that a fabrication shop would need to do a one off and what standard that fabrication shop would weld to.
pandos
Well-Known Member
agree, damping should have been fitted originally
If I understand his suggestion, if executed successfully would replicate the original non damped situation.
I would wonder about having splines cut on the outside of the socket, then fitting it in tightly rather than welding in place.. it would depend on the quality of the remaining female splines...
pvb
Well-Known Member
It isn't. The Volvo Penta modification is a simple DIY installation - even I could do it. There's no need to machine the splines, which requires stripping the gearbox down. There's no welding involved. Quite why VP didn't cushion the drive plate in the first place is another question.
cherod
N/A
would you not expect the fab shop to have similarly" skilled " welders , if not then why ?
Beneteau381
Well-Known Member
I thought the well known mod was a hex