Hit a log, catastrophic damage to starboard transom assembly (Volvo Penta), insurance denial
echandler1971
Member Posts: 244 ✭✭✭
Long story condensed:
On my season maiden voyage between my storage marina and my slip marina, I hit something underwater with my starboard outdrive. I assume this because the drive shaft was bent and the tube that the gimbal bearings installs into, was sheered off by about 1/2 of its length. In the diagram below, it's the pipe that parts 21 and 22 go into. My TAs were replaced 2 seasons ago and my outdrives last season (20 years old, it was time). There was a noticeable white mark on the sbd OD, painted matte black with antifoul the day prior.
Progressive insurance, having not even seen the damage inside the TA well (gimbal assembly was still attached), claimed "wear and tear," citing things like a couple layers of antifouling paint, barnacles, and some rust on the drive shaft installed just 8 months ago. Well, I'm back on the water and have the old TA and took it apart and found the tube sheered off and the drive shaft (also replaced) bent. Can anyone tell me if "wear and tear" would cause a bent drive shaft and a sheered off drive shaft tube? The bearings were gone, btw, but the outer containment ring was still intact and unbent and unmelted. I'm now filing an appeal with plenty of pictures of the sheered tube and bent driveshaft. Am I crazy or could this only be from hitting something underwater, given that the drivetrain was essentially new?
On my season maiden voyage between my storage marina and my slip marina, I hit something underwater with my starboard outdrive. I assume this because the drive shaft was bent and the tube that the gimbal bearings installs into, was sheered off by about 1/2 of its length. In the diagram below, it's the pipe that parts 21 and 22 go into. My TAs were replaced 2 seasons ago and my outdrives last season (20 years old, it was time). There was a noticeable white mark on the sbd OD, painted matte black with antifoul the day prior.
Progressive insurance, having not even seen the damage inside the TA well (gimbal assembly was still attached), claimed "wear and tear," citing things like a couple layers of antifouling paint, barnacles, and some rust on the drive shaft installed just 8 months ago. Well, I'm back on the water and have the old TA and took it apart and found the tube sheered off and the drive shaft (also replaced) bent. Can anyone tell me if "wear and tear" would cause a bent drive shaft and a sheered off drive shaft tube? The bearings were gone, btw, but the outer containment ring was still intact and unbent and unmelted. I'm now filing an appeal with plenty of pictures of the sheered tube and bent driveshaft. Am I crazy or could this only be from hitting something underwater, given that the drivetrain was essentially new?
Dan of Steel
'05 Rinker 360 Fiesta Vee
'05 Rinker 360 Fiesta Vee
Comments
'05 Rinker 360 Fiesta Vee
'05 Rinker 360 Fiesta Vee
'05 Rinker 360 Fiesta Vee
I don't like the rust on gimbal shaft, the inner race looks semi permanently rusted to the shaft. Your boot should keep out all moisture., you want that to look greasy.
I'm assuming they are saying the gimbal locked down and free spun in the housing, thus causing the damage.
'05 Rinker 360 Fiesta Vee
'05 Rinker 360 Fiesta Vee
If there is little to no visible exterior damage, I can understand why they would argue that it wasn't impact-related.
I had something very similar happen about five years ago with nearly identical damage, but in my case I also had a bent prop and wood lodged in the lower outdrive. One difference was that my gimbal bearing was still intact and spun freely. My transom assembly looked a lot like yours, and my driveshaft broke at the U-joint. The flopping U-joint is what ultimately destroyed the transom assembly.
My insurance company initially claimed it was a maintenance-induced failure, pointing to some light rust on the driveshaft and U-joint assembly. I responded by explaining that the rust was the result of the bellows being compromised after the transom assembly failed and the fact that it took two days to get the boat out of the water. I also sent them a video showing that the gimbal bearing spun freely. They eventually honored the claim.
To be honest, yours looks like a tougher case. The amount of rust, combined with the gimbal bearing coming apart, makes it appear that there may have been water intrusion for some time. If the bearing seized, it could have caused a chain reaction that led to all the other damage.
Just my thoughts—hopefully everything works out in your favor.