Calling all boat project fanatics, this one’s for you! Boy, did we have a time trying to get our engine aligned. While Phillip and I knew we had some kind of issue going on with our prop shaft, the key that fits in the shaft (which was always coming out and we were hammering back in, brilliant plan!), and our coupling, we didn’t know it was quite as bad as it was.
Watch along as Brandon, Shane, and the great team at http://www.perdidosailor.com help us diagnose and solve many issues relating to our prop shaft and how it seats in the transmission. We had a machinist re-engineer our old coupling and make us a new one. We also re-bedded the strut and replaced the gutless bearing.
And, just as boat projects always do, the boat had a lot of extra hidden work in store for us in the form of a rotten engine stringer portion (under the raw water pump on starboard, no surprise) that we had to repair along the way. Fun, fun! Misery loves company! Give it a watch! More photos and write-up available at http://www.havewindwilltravel.com.
I hope you all have been enjoying these shipyard videos while Phillip and I were off galavanting across the Atlantic Ocean. We’ll have plenty to share from that adventure once we get our heads back on straight. It can be hard, at times, to transition from offshore sailors back to full-time lawyers/marketing gurus. But, the work is always worth it. In exchange for all of those photos and videos of us out sailing and traveling the globe, enjoy seeing us here all grimy and greasy wedged down in the engine room on our boat! You’re welcome! B.O.A.T., am I right? : )
Good times at the yard!
— *Annie Dike*
Speaker: AnnieDike.com Author: Amazon.com Sailor: HaveWindWillTravel.com
On Fri, Jan 25, 2019 at 10:10 AM Have Wind Will Travel wrote:
> anniedike posted: “Calling all boat project fanatics, this one’s for you! > Boy, did we have a time trying to get our engine aligned. While Phillip and > I knew we had some kind of issue going on with our prop shaft, the key that > fits in the shaft (which was always coming out a” >
I believe that your coupling repair may have addressed a symptom and not the cause. It appears that your transmission has an extreme amount of end play, obvious when shifting as the output shaft moves axially at least 1/4-3/8″. This end play is normally prevented by a internal thrust washer or bearing which may be worn out or missing in your transmission.
As noted by the boatyard worker the prop shaft will be alternately pushed & pulled when going forward & reverse, this will also occur to a lesser degree with changes in throttle. Ideally there would also be an external thrust block bearing to control axial shaft movement. That thrust force & movement would cause rapid wear in the trans output seal, the stuffing box & cutless bearing, eventually destroy the transmission.
Just my opinion…
Hi Mike! Thanks for sending this in. Appreciate the thought you put into it. We’ll run it by Brandon and see what he has to say. Again, many thanks!