V Drive Issue

[mjr119]

I just had the boat out for a little while today. I changed the vdrive oil and engine oil after the last outing last Sunday.

Today we were almost back to the dock at the boat ramp. We had surfed 1 short set. I noticed a surging feeling when I was riding just above idle. I dropped off my friend and proceeded to motor back out to test. When I throttled up the boat started slipping and I could hear a grinding sound. I went to neutral and waited for a moment. Decided to try to limp back to the dock. About 50 yards away. put it in forward and I could hear a bad grinding sound come from the v drive. I coated in and loaded up.

So when I first put in, I warmed the boat up before moving and checked fluids. The vdrive was at the low mark so I added more. Engine oil was low too. Topped it off. I didn't go above idle before topping off fluids. The vdrive fluid looked greyish. Not milky but metallic. When I checked after topping it off it looked clean.

Any ideas where I should start? The boat has 1100 hours on it. I really thought the vdrives were bullet proof. How much will a new unit cost me? Do people rebuild these?

[VA LSV]

With 1100 hours I would start with the flex damper between the motor and the transmission. Fairly common point failure and you are correct that v-drives are pretty bullet proof.

[mjr119]

Woudl the palte cause a grinding sound only when in gear? I guess I will pull the starter this evening and see what I find. Thanks!

Anymore opinions?

[sivs1]

Anymore opinions?

Craz......

[mjr119]

Haha not quite ready for a Craz. It's tempting but my fiancee would never go for that. We have a wedding to plan, kids etc, before I would ever be allowed to get a new boat! Priorities :rolleyes:

[13mobiusLSV]

Haha not quite ready for a Craz. It's tempting but my fiancee would never go for that. We have a wedding to plan, kids etc, before I would ever be allowed to get a new boat! Priorities :rolleyes:

You could register at SC for the wedding. Hey it's worth a shot

[mjr119]

Ha yeah maybe everyone could buy 1 part of the boat for us.

[mjr119]

I pulled the starter. No metal or debris to be found. I'm pretty sure something is up with the vdrive.

On the trailer, I put the boat in gear and had a friend rotate the prop by hand. I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary sound wise. It sounds like a shaft spinning. Did the same thing in reverse with the same results.

The friend did say that the prop or prop shaft felt like it had some play in it.

Any thoughts or comments? Advice? Thanks all.

[Fastest1]

She is still a fiancé. She could remain that way if she doesn't go for a new boat.
My wedding cost me 450 bucks in Vegas including the room! Best investment I ever made. Who is the wedding for? My wife and I were there.

[BamaMojo]

Haha not quite ready for a Craz. It's tempting but my fiancee would never go for that. We have a wedding to plan, kids etc, before I would ever be allowed to get a new boat! Priorities :rolleyes:

New boat and fiancé. We need women that support us!

Just sayin...
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[brain_rinse]

Vdrive fluid should not be metallic at all. It should look like brand new oil even after many many hours of use. You've found the problem IMO.

[mjr119]

I drained the vdrive oil this evening. There is a weird glittery sludge on the magnetic drain plug. What could this be?

23056
23057

[parrothd]

Metal shavings. The plug is magnetic..

[mjr119]

Yeah but it's sludge. I see the metal particles in it. Looks like glitter. Just wondering why it's like sludge stuck on there.

[mjr119]

I don't see any large metal chunks. Well anyways i think this pretty much confirms that it is the vdrive. So where to go from here. How much is a brand new unit? Do people rebuild these?

[brain_rinse]

Did you clean that plug when you first changed the vdrive oil? Basically wondering how many hours it took for that amount of metal to collect on the plug.

[mjr119]

No I didn't clean it this time. So around 100 hours since the oil change at the beginning of the season.

[brain_rinse]

That's quite a bit for 100 hrs but not as bad as I expected based on your description.