Seized V Drive

[robshookphoto]

This thing ran last year but is seized up this year (pipe wrench on the prop shaft saw no turning). Noticed when running the engine upon launch.

The oil that came out was more water than oil, so pretty clear why this is happening.

Has anyone had luck freeing these inboard? I’m thinking I just need to take it out and have it rebuilt, but I’d love to hear someone say otherwise.

Pearson 424 cutter - "Effie"

[skipmac]

My guess, if the drive sat for a long time with water in the oil it will have to be torn down.

If you do want to give it a go, drain and fill, drain and fill a couple of times and then let it sit for a while. Maybe even squirt some special rust breaking fluid into the guts. Be careful with that as some of these will eat seals, o-rings and such.

After marinating for a while try again to see if it will turn. My concern strictly as an uneducated and uniformed amateur, is what if running it with corroded parts does further damage and makes a rebuild more expensive or even impossible?

[robert-troisegmail-com]

My '81 V drive worked but had a significant oil leak.  It turns out the under surface of the unit had corroded badly – probable due to the closeness of the stuffing box.  A rebuild with a new lower casing would cost almost as much as a new unit. Solution was a new unit and shorten the stern tube hose to get the stuffing box away from the V Drive. I did it on the hard so shaft could be removed and a new cutlass bearing done!

Bob

Folly II, #151

[RichCarter]

I assume you have the RV-20 as originally built.  Cases are no longer available.  Unless you can find a good used one, perhaps from freshwater, you’re hosed.  If you haven’t already read my notes, here’s a link.

http://www.richardcarter.net/repower/Vdrive.html

Rich Carter – 493-3330

[Dennis Home]

 I Have an RV-20 that I just took out of Flying Mare, It’s always been in fresh water and was functioning fine with a tiny rear seal leak. Instead of rebuilding it I put in an RV-26. I’d be glad to sell it for a fair price.

Yours for a better world

[skipmac]

RichCarter wrote:

I assume you have the RV-20 as originally built. Cases are no longer available. Unless you can find a good used one, perhaps from freshwater, you’re hosed. If you haven’t already read my notes, here’s a link.

Hi Rich,

Had read all the posts on your website in the past but it has been a while so went back again when I saw your post here.

You didn’t seem very enamored of the Walter RV-26 when you installed it. The PO of my boat also replaced the original RV-20 with an RF-26 so interested in how it’s worked for you. Any mechanical issues?

By the way, based on comments and experiences from several other Pearson owners I’m going to try mine without the raw water cooling.

Thanks
Skip

[RichCarter]

Skip

So far, the RV-26 I installed is working well, no issues.  I have two complaints with the V-drive, the lack of fresh-water cooling and the shabby coating they use on it.  I touch-up the paint every year or so.  My Yanmar engine has a very durable paint, possibly baked-on enamel.  It stays clean and doesn’t rust.  The V-drive however turns into a bucket of rust if I don’t touch it up every year.

 

The RV-26 runs warm to the touch even with 70 deg cooling water.  I think cooling is necessary for this V-drive.  As for a freshwater cooling, they put an oil pump on the RV-26.  I don’t see why it couldn’t have a water pump and cooling jacket too, at least as an option.  I was told that you can’t run the engine freshwater cooling system through the V-drive instead of seawater.

 

The RV-26 has an oil cooler that runs through the cooling jacket.  This is just a cupernickel pipe.  It will make cleaning the cooling jacket pretty difficult in the future.  Like the RV-20, it is just a matter of time before corrosion in the cooling jacket becomes an issue with the RV-26.

 

Rich

 

 

[Revery]

Dennis,

I might be interested in your RV-20. If you want to shoot me an email offline, we can discuss. hedonisticvalues at g mail

Thanks,
Evan
Revery #219

Dennis Home wrote:

I Have an RV-20 that I just took out of Flying Mare, It’s always been in fresh water and was functioning fine with a tiny rear seal leak. Instead of rebuilding it I put in an RV-26. I’d be glad to sell it for a fair price.

Yours for a better world

• This reply was modified 8 years, 6 months ago by Revery.

[skipmac]

RichCarter wrote:

So far, the RV-26 I installed is working well, no issues. I have two complaints with the V-drive, the lack of fresh-water cooling and the shabby coating they use on it. I touch-up the paint every year or so. My Yanmar engine has a very durable paint, possibly baked-on enamel. It stays clean and doesn’t rust. The V-drive however turns into a bucket of rust if I don’t touch it up every year.

The RV-26 has an oil cooler that runs through the cooling jacket. This is just a cupernickel pipe. It will make cleaning the cooling jacket pretty difficult in the future. Like the RV-20, it is just a matter of time before corrosion in the cooling jacket becomes an issue with the RV-26.

Rich

Thanks Rich,

I can see why routing the fresh water cooling through the V-drive wouldn’t work since the water will be about 180 F. OK for a block but not much for a v-drive.

Paint on mine is also garbage. Tried to clean it to bare metal, prime and paint while I was doing an overhaul but it was rusted again before I launched.

Is anyone else making a decent v-drive? If I ever have to repower (knock on wood) it would be interesting to see if there are any better options out there.

[Dennis Home]

I’m out sailing in the north channel and Georgian bay. Think of what the old v-drive is worth. Maybe a couple hundred bucks. I won’t be able to do any thing until I get back in October. 

Regards,

Dennis Home

Yours for a better world

[Author]

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