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Volvo sail drive


ab1974

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Well I seem to be going from one ****** issue to the next at the moment!

 

Had the family packed up today for a weekend away, slipped the lines and pushed into gear. Loud clunking noise and vibration / cavitation and minimal forward thrust. No reverse. Dropped into neutral and pulled us back into the berth. Tied up and tried again, same issue.

 

Oil is full and clean.

 

Will get the mechanic on Monday, but before I do will check the following when I jump in the water:

 

1. Something caught around the prop (nothing obvious looking over the side)

2. Folding prop only opening one of two blades

 

If neither of the above, maybe the line that was floating in the marina and got wrapped around the sail drive and prop (which I cleared after last time we used the yacht) has done some damage?

 

Any thoughts (or speculation) to cheer me up or make me have another beer or rum??

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If you have not used her for awhile, I would say you have some fouling jaming one or maybe both blades and stopping them from opening fully. You may clear it by going from Fwd to Rev a few times. Certainly dive on it before you get Mechanic. Then if you need, I suggest you get it out of the water as a Lift and hold or take it to the floating lift. Then if you can't find anything, get the Mech.

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Oh sorry, I miss understood. I thought the line around the prop was a Possible senario not that you had actually found. Hmmm. I suggest you get it up and check it's free operation and grease it where it needs grease.

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Pete, it is a 120s. 99% sure the gear selection is on the side. As to where noise coming from, not too sure as I shut it off in case I was causing further damage. Sounded like top end (rather than under the water if that is what you mean't but didn't have my head in the engine at the time :? ).

 

Can't help thinking the line that wrapped around the prop as stuffed something.

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just a thought here as it's happened more than twice, is the prop still attached via the rubber(ish) coupling on the shaft? try sticking it in gear ( motor off) diving again and giving it a good push prod tug and twist underwater should be bugger all movement tween prop boss and anode/ leg

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The 120S has a dog clutch that is a right sod to work on. Could the symptoms you describe be caused through partial engagement (ie, dog clutch thumping in & out of engagement)? There is a 14mm head bolt on the gear change eccentric piston, check to see that this is tight.

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In the grand scheme of things, things aren't as bad as the could have been.

 

After a quick snorkel, determined one of the folding prop blades had come off. This obviously was the reason for the cavitation and no reverse.

 

Got the wife to grab a dive tank then went for a better look. Yep, the retaining pin and grub screw has come out - be an interesting talk to the engineer that refitted it late last year, though that may be not fair as the line caught around the prop may have caused the issue :?

 

Dove to the bottom not knowing what it would be like in Westhaven - well the answer is very very soft mud, zero visability. Felt about (up to my wrist in mud) and got nothing. Came to the surface. Guy on the boat just along had dropped his keys overboard. So swam around and dropped my mask on the way - not a good start. Wife returns to dive store and rents a mask. Back in the water, down to the bottom following a leadline to where he thought the keys were and bingo, found them first pop in about 2 inches of mud.

 

Back to my yacht and tie a leadline to the sail drive and go to look for the prop blade. Nothing the first few times down. Wife asking whether this is a fruitless search and 'how much will a new one be'. Tell her I reckon I am looking for a $200-$300 note on the bottom so worth another try. Down again and bingo, one Volvo 120s saildrive prop blade. :o :o

 

So all in all, a better result that I thought it may have been. Thought Pete may have been right and it may have been a mechanical issue that was sounding $$$.

 

Now just have to get a tow around to get the boat lifted out of the water.

 

Bit of growth on the blades, so the lanocote didn't work. May have to go the propspeed unless anyone else has any new ideas.

 

Think it is beer o'clock!

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Well done AB that sounds almost as good as when I found my screwdriver sticking out of the mud 3 months after I dropped it over the side. I saw it on a spring low in calm weather, dove over the side and grabbed it! Good stuff

 

Re your query on prop speed vs alternatives, there have been several threads over the years, but nothing has convinced me that there is anything better than propspeed for low - no maintenance for 18 - 24 months. What is important is how it is applied; preparation and such forth.

 

You should go and buy a lotto ticket tonight after such good luck.

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What do you guys use to antifoul the rubber sleeve that goes around the saildrive and glues to the hull? I guess it is the same antifoul that is used on the saildrive leg??

 

I just use the same aluminum anti foul paint that is on the sail drive and about 500 mm around the leg :thumbup:

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