XDP drives
Dkress
Member Posts: 3 ✭
I just purchased a 2007 Rinker 350 EC, 140 hrs, XDP drives.. I've seen a lot of bad stories regarding the XDP drives, mine seem to operate perfect, should I worry about them?
Comments
First off congrats on your new purchase! Great boat!!!
Recommendations to help keep your XDP"s healthy.
1) do not over trim them while engine is running. Say no more the 1/8th. May tear bellow with u joint, the u joint catches the bellow spring. Water intrusion!
2) pull the drives annually and buy new bellows to activate VP annual warrenty. Don't go beyond 365 days unless you don't care about the parts warrenty on u joints and bellows.
3) throttle up easy.... You have a heavy boat and two issues are known. The shafts have been known to twist and break under extreme load. The other is extreme pressure on the plastic transom plate which has caused cracking and water intrusion.
4) the water cooling coupler inside the boat attached to the inside transom plate is stainless and Not bonded to the block. Electrolysis eats them up. Hence water intrusion and hard to find leak. Now you know where to look. I went thru 4 in two years! Bond a wire to the block!
5) the hydrolic rod that pushes your drive up has a stainless cap. Again not bonded so electrolysis eats it away until a pin hole arrives and leaks hydrolic fluid.
6) don't over steer hard under high throttle. The spring in the bellow issue again.
You'll know if you get water in the bellow which is the main issue. The sound is like a 1960's car alternator metalic sound as its about to go out. Fix asap! The transom plate is plastic as is the area that holds the bearing which is whining due to water. If it rusts solid then the outer bearing turns causing high friction and melts the transom plate. Very bad day.
You may want to call VP to see if they still have parts on hand or what your options look like down the road. I think they stopped production about 4-5 years ago.
Good luck!
LG
I agree with most of what is posted above. Learn to look at the bellows and the parts of your drives...I was confronted with the bad rep and the need to do my own maintenance and upkeep....the boat would not sell with those drives....
I now have OXis and essentially a new boat....10 years later.
According to MarinePartsExpress, from whom I buy parts, about 40% of XDP owners had a variety of serious issues...but some 60% don't....Only God knows which group you'll be in...perhaps the previous owner can tell...
-Good luck.