Marinette Boat Forum

I can't remember if I posted this on the old forum or not. My Seacrest has twin Chrysler 318s with Velvet Drive transmissions and Walter Vdrives. When in forward or reverse I notice that the port shaft is oscillating while it is rotating. I do have some work this off season on this side of the boat as my port strut has some corrosion issues and will be replacing it. I do have a spare prop shaft that came with the boat that I am going to validate it is straight and try to swap it out. I was looking at adding drive savers to both shafts while I am doing the work just to cover myself from the isolation as I do have active corrosion on the port side strut and just above the prop.

Question 1:

What is the best way to go about validating that my alignment is good? I am purchasing some feeler gauges tonight and will start measuring it out that way. I have never aligned a transmission at all and getting a professional in my area is tough as there isn't anyone around that works on boats anymore.

Question 2:

Anyone that has used the drive saver have an issues? I am just concerned with the longevity of it.

A machine shop is your only choice--and have them face the coupling in a lathe while you're at it (with the coupling mounted on the shaft. Be sure to mark how that coupling went on the shaft--some can go on two different ways!)

That oscillating sounds like a bent you-know-what.

Jeff

Your flange has a 3 thousandths tolerance. When I did mine, I slid the shaft back, removed the isolator, slid the shaft back forward and measured between the couplers. You can use nylon washers to isolate your bolts, or nuts depending on witch way you put your bolts in. Beware of metal to metal contact where the threads may touch the flange inside the bolt hole (tube side....keep reading). The isolator has tubes built into it that go through the coupler, make sure these are not wore out, they are what isolate the threads of the bolt from the flange. On a side note, the non-conductive washers are supposed to go on the (tube side) of the isolator, otherwise the head of the bolt (or nut) will have contact through the two couplers, you don't need non-conductive washers on the (non-tube side), the bolt (or nut) will have contact with one flange but no the other because of the "tubes" and the non-conductive washers, current will not pass through.

It is not a bad job, I did mine out of the water and have had no problems, I have heard you are supposed to do it in the water because of hull flex.

Be careful when prying the isolator out of the flange, the "tubes" that go through the bolt holes can easily break.

I have never done a alignment on a v drive.
I can imagine that there is not a lot of room around the coupling area.
Sounds like a Youngman's sport.
Bill

..."I can imagine that there is not a lot of room around the coupling area"

It's not as bad as wrassling a crockagator, in a mud hole, with diarrhea, but it's close.

Jeff

What he said.
Bill

This one is remote mounted so it isn't as bad as a direct attached. Still a pain though.