VP Saildrive

[Elissaar]

Dear All

I have recently made enquiries about whether I should replace the rubber seal around the saildrive. Having ummed and arrrrd a bit, my boat seems to have decided for herself. It seems the rubber seal is weeping (very little) and will need to be replaced. The boat comes out of the water next Monday, its being checked for leaks daily.

The cost of this largesse is 185 plus VAT for the rubber bit, 4 litres of synthetic oil (cost about 18 pounds per litre, anyone know of cheaper?) and a days labour at 41 pounds (incl VAT per hour), total bill to be about 500 pounds......ouch!

On the upsside...the seal is 7 years old and technically should be replaced (I have to rationalise this to my other half somehow and it makes me feel better!), the volvo dealer in Cookham will discount parts by 20% - still alot but could be worse.

The motto: Check your seal on your saildrive!

Not sure if this helps anyone but you never know!

Kind regards

Simon

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[tom52]

If you get away with £500 you will have done well.
Let us know what the actual bill turns out to be.
Good luck

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[norseman]

Is the seal 'weep' through the rubber diaphragm itself, or from one of the compression joints on it. Is the price of £180 less the 20% discount.
Norse

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[Dipper]

As you say, it’s due for a change anyway but you may sometimes find water on the seal as a result of condensation dripping off the saildrive gearbox. This is particularly so in winter when a warm moist morning follows a cold night.

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[Elissaar]

Thank you for your kind thoughts. The cost of the seal is 180 plus VAT on which I would get a 20% discount, I quoted the selling prince before discount (on the basis that if someone finds its less then it might soften the blow!).

I wondered about whether this was condensation but using the finger dipstick test, the water was salty and only one conclusion could be drawn. I did wonder whether the water inlet hose was leaking where its attached to the saildrive. Whilst it was clamped with two O rings, some sort of putty has been used, presumably to add value to the seal. This seems unusual but on the other hand it seems to be working since the joint is dry.

One of my other little horrors was that the throttle cable had been rubbing against an engine bearer and is more than 50% worn away - 20 pounds to replace it so not too desperate.

Since I bought Elissaar last July (a Najad 331), I have found an endless stream of irritating items which need repair including damage to the top of the mast caused by excess wash in C and N's marina (that was 1200 pounds but insurance paid). I have had to replace the bilge pump, fix a fresh water leak, reseal the joints in the hot water tank thingy, replace the fresh water pipework, replace a sender unit in the water tank and so the list goes on! Nearly all of this I have done myself, but when it comes to key items (like water seals around sail drives I hand it over to the professionals)

Previous owners did no maintenance at all (not even an engine service) although they only had her for a year, they didnt even know where the bilge pump was! I must admit, the cost is making me feel guilty but maybe I am pernickity and can afford to ease off a bit. Another side of me says that where safety is concerned, compromise is not an option! Ho hum!

Kind regards

Simon

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[tony_brighton]

That sounds like a reasonable price really considering what they have to do.

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[quaelgeist2]

...synthetic oil for the saildrive or the engine ?
Neither one needs that.
Even marine grade oil is cheaper than that.
Unless you have a very special usage pattern, basic refinery product should do.
cheers
christian

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[EdEssery]

Actually the very latest models of the Saildrive DO specify synthetic oil - see thread from approximately this time last year on same topic...

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[chrisc]

Yes , I must concurr with Ed My saildrive disintegrated (well pretty near)
because I had -at several Volvo dealers instruction and against my own
sense of smell re-filled gearbox with engine oil.
the ony clue was after removing it from boat there was a sticker on back
lower area specifing hypoid oil.sticker was of course impossible to see with
s drive assembled.

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[quaelgeist2]

Apologies for that simplified comment.
My manual (and that of some friends´saildrives)
clearly state that 15W40 engine oil provide the recommended lubrication.

(My engine/saildrive are from 1997)

chris


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[chrisc]

all volvo handbooks state use engine oil -they lie
had an apology from volvo and promise to send out
a warning ..never seen one

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[steve_cronin]

Hypoid oil..

... has a distinctive smell. You can't mistake it.

Steve Cronin



<hr width=100% size=1>The above is, like any other post here, only a personal opinion