Drive Trouble

raybo3

So my marine tech told me yesterday that when he changed the gear oil on my Bravo3 that it had metal chips in it. Wont know whats going on till he breaks it down. Waiting to hear with my fingers crossed.......... 

Black_Diamond

If it is chips, and not the normal metallic dust, not good.  Did he try flushing the drive with oil to see if more came out?

raybo3

No they are going to open it up. I am hoping its just a bearing.......

Liberty44140

Fingers crossed! 

93Vee

who do you use, Ray?

93Vee

Stoneham?

rasbury

Dang raybo....

raybo3

Thanks guys I will tell you that when it rains it pours. Had to help my son out who is buying a house (long story and it just makes me hate my ex even more) to the tune of almost $13k and now this. Hoping that its only a bad bearing and not the drive. 93Vee yes Timmy at Stoneham Boat Center. Trust me he is a good friend of mine and will help me out as much as he can. 

Handymans342

This is why you work OT

raybo3

Handymans342 said:

This is why you work OT

Handy I have been working 3 17 hour shifts a week plus 2 8 hour shifts. The money is good but its hard keeping up lately. SMH..........

Handymans342

Always the 45 caliber method

raybo3

LOL or running her over.......

Michael T

Nice? Then again listening to the news in Cape Coral there is a lot of 45 play down there! :-)

Handymans342

Listening to the Fake news again MT?

93Vee

Sorry to hear that Ray. Glad Timmy will take of you. He runs a good shop.

reneechris14

Hope it's just some parts that will be good.good luck.That's way I change fuild in the fall.

raybo3

reneechris14 said:

Hope it's just some parts that will be good.good luck.That's way I change fuild in the fall.

Fluid was changed in the fall but he thought he told me. It was a little miscommunication. 

Handymans342

@raybo3 Do you have B2s or B3s?

raybo3

Bravo3

69fastback

Metal in a Bravo 3 = bad


hopefully you get lucky. I replaced mine last year with a factory new drive, and it was almost $11K parts and labor. 

randy56

How many hours? It always amuses me, you try and take good care of your stuff and it still happens.

Black_Diamond

Bearings typically 'grind up' when they fail. Gears will make chips. As a general rule. If the gear lash and bearing clearances are set up correct, usually the bearings fail first and take the gears with them. Once the debris starts floating around, every bearing is suspect. Just reality. Gear damage can usually be visually identified. 

Again, if everything was set up right initially, oil failure/contamination is suspect. Along with overloading from prop strikes, etc. 

raybo3

Alswagg said:

Why was this not seen last fall prior to winter lay up???  Oil should have been changed and if any suspicion of damage it would have been repaired in the off season???

It was found in the fall. My guy thought (who I see all the time) he told me. It was a miscommunication. He is going to break it down today or tomorrow. I will post what he finds.

Liberty44140

I had thought that internal gears could be replaced just like in an outboard.  No?

Handymans342

Good thing he remembered before launch. Geeezzz

69fastback

Liberty44140 said:

I had thought that internal gears could be replaced just like in an outboard.  No?

I did some looking around when mine failed, and it seems it's fairly labor intensive to change the gears, and the cost wasn't much more to replace the drive, and get a warranty.  Mine also had a bent vertical shaft, so my case may have been slightly different. 

gack

Not good news at the start of boating season.   Good luck.