VP sail-drive diaphram

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cdogg

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Hi,
Has anyone had a VP sail-drive 'through the hull' diaphram replaced recently. Any recommendations from personal experience of a West Coast of Scotland company and what the cost was. The engine is a D1-20, the leg is a 130S-B, and the gearbox MS25S.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Cheers
cdogg
 
cdogg said:
Hi,
Has anyone had a VP sail-drive 'through the hull' diaphram replaced recently. Any recommendations from personal experience of a West Coast of Scotland company and what the cost was. The engine is a D1-20, the leg is a 130S-B, and the gearbox MS25S.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Cheers
cdogg
Click to expand...

Not in scotland and not the same engine.. Md2020.... Very poor access... Including removal of engine, parts labour etc..... £720. East coast..


Would not have wanted to tackle it myself... I think access is a issue in regards to costs... Ie if its easy it can be a diy gig or done quickly... Ours took nearly two days....
 
Assuming good access, max 10 hours labour plus parts at c £200. Can be done in a full day if there are workshop facilities close by for the bit that involves splitting the box from the drive, but commonly done over afternoon one day, morning next.
 
Crinan boats are the VP service agents for the West of Scotland but Ardfern, Craobh, and Kerrera could all do it. The yards look quite full and busy just now so timing might be as big an issue as cost.
Worth asking them all?
 
Thanks for your advice. I have asked a couple of companies for quotes. Price is of course important, but a personal recommendation from someone who has had the work done satisfactorily would be reassuring.
Cheers
cdogg
 
It is the sort of job I would do myself in winter, but I have had warranty and service work done on my D1 30 by Crinan Boats a few years ago when the boat was new, the same guys are still there and I have confidence in them; Ardfern is regarded as a very good workshop and I watched them commission a new boat similar to mine a while ago, I would have confidence in them too, but they are not VP specialists (not that that should matter). You might find Ardfern expensive but worth asking. I have no recent experience of work at Craobh or Kerrera,
 
Quandary said:
It is the sort of job I would do myself in winter, but I have had warranty and service work done on my D1 30 by Crinan Boats a few years ago when the boat was new, the same guys are still there and I have confidence in them; Ardfern is regarded as a very good workshop and I watched them commission a new boat similar to mine a while ago, I would have confidence in them too, but they are not VP specialists (not that that should matter). You might find Ardfern expensive but worth asking. I have no recent experience of work at Craobh or Kerrera,
Click to expand...

Cheers Quandary, I'll enquire with them.
 
I had mine done in the winter, on East Coast, new zinc ring, terrible access - engine out job.
The boat has the bottom flushed in with a fairing plate with needed cutting out and a replacement plate from X Yachts.

The sea cock was rebuilt at the same time, all in it cost a monster. I could of gone cheaper (probably) but considering the size of the hole in the bottom of the boat, my shipwright mate spent about 3 days on the whole thing including the bottom fairing.

Was 17 years old and starting to look a little tired on the underside where the corroded zinc ring had rubbed into it with the vibration.

Glad I finally did it, but not a sexy way to spend money on the boat- it looks exactly the same!
 
Unfortunately I am not now fit enough to do this kind of job.

I am surprised that I still haven't heard from anyone with personal experience of having the work done by a marine engineering company around the Clyde area given the number of VP sail-drives around, surely everyone can't be doing the job themselves or ignoring the recommendation to change it!

I have also emailed 4 engineering companies for a quote (2 of whom are VP agents/dealers) and haven't even had the courtesy of a reply.

Cheers
cdogg
 
I think that the problem is that the main and very long standing VP agents on the Clyde with workshops in Glasgow and at at Kip went bust last year, I imagine they might have been doing the majority of them. This shortly followed the owner retiring and selling to the management.

I have found that email does not seem to be the communications medium of choice for marine workshops.
 
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Quandary said:
I think that the problem is that the main and very long standing VP agents on the Clyde with workshops in Glasgow and at at Kip went bust last year, I imagine they might have been doing the majority of them. This shortly followed the owner retiring and selling to the management.

I have found that email does not seem to be the communications medium of choice for marine workshops.
Click to expand...

If it is the company I think you are referring to, I suspect they would have been way to expensive anyway. They charged me well over £600 for a routine service and oil change last year! Maybe you are right about emails, I should really give them a call.
Anyway, thanks for responding.
 
I did my own last winter, same engine, same gearbox. Just 7/8 years old turned out to be easier than I thought.
The engine is quite light and easily moved forwards out the way.
I was fortunate with good access and soaked all nuts and bolts in realesing fluid beforehand.
I did have to perform a bit of jigsaw surgury on a bulkhead to the rear of the engine ( manufacurers obviously fit after engine installation) to tip the gearbox and leg backwards.
All my nuts and bolts came out quite easily.
Original diaphram was still in excellent condition - that life though!
Subsequently spoke to two engineers? in a boatyard who gave me tales of woe about bolts seized / broken, but put that down to the hype you get to justyfy the high hours and rates they generate.
Also know someone who had easy bolts one side and stripped ones of the other, presumably due to two peaople working on installation.
Only awkward bit I found was getting in with my torque wrench to tighten the bolts. Suggest lots of knuckle joints etc or find a SMALL size and LOW settings torque wrench.
Remeber the torque wrench is not there to tell how TIGHT to do up nuts and bolts ,it's there to stop you overtightening!
So if you are remotely handy it's not as bad as you might think.
 
It is not a difficult job for a trained Volvo mechanic, or a good marine engineer who has done it before. My local Volvo dealer responded very quickly (although my job was complete drive replacement which has virtually the same labour content). From first enquiry to quote and completion was less than a week. Two fitters for a whole day. Charged 10 hours labour at £40 an hour. Very satisfied customer.
 
My Volvo is coming up to the suggested 7 year replacement date but has anybody heard or experienced failure in these diaphragms and if so at what age?

Just trying to decide whether to change it or stretch it another year.
 
NDH said:
My Volvo is coming up to the suggested 7 year replacement date but has anybody heard or experienced failure in these diaphragms and if so at what age?

Just trying to decide whether to change it or stretch it another year.
Click to expand...

I have been searching through back issues/blogs etc. and can find lots of stories about people going well beyond the 7 years - even 20years without problems and no reports about catastrophic failures or even significant leaks. However, as was mentioned earlier, it is your insurers that may take a different view should a claim arise!

Perhaps someone will tell us differently.
 
Just thought you might be interested. I have now had one quote from a West Coast VP dealer: Parts about £250 plus 10 hours labour £500 including vat. plus lift out/in and cradle hire at marina normal charges.
Unfortunately the labour time on the job is 'estimated' and although it may only take, say 8 hours and therefore be cheaper, it may well take much longer, although this dealer apparently does this job regularly (5 - 6 times a year). I am really hoping for a fixed price job.
 
NDH said:
My Volvo is coming up to the suggested 7 year replacement date but has anybody heard or experienced failure in these diaphragms and if so at what age?

Just trying to decide whether to change it or stretch it another year.
Click to expand...

Mine was 10 years old. As the boat was new to me i decided to change it last winter. Still looked in good shape compared to the new one, maybe slightly less flexible but that's about it.
 
Quandary said:
I think that the problem is that the main and very long standing VP agents on the Clyde with workshops in Glasgow and at at Kip went bust last year, I imagine they might have been doing the majority of them. This shortly followed the owner retiring and selling to the management.
.
Click to expand...
They changed ownership about 3 years ago when owners retired not a management takeover the employees were re employed by another vp dealer who also took over the kip site when the company folded.
 
Mine was 13 years old.. And it looked serviceable for another couple of years at least..

It was really just paranoia that drove me to replace it.

I intend to take this next one to at least 12 years.

7 years is just silly.
 
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