[Pan Dragon]

Just did a sea trial after FINALLY getting the jackshaft seated in the v-drive. I got the file out and was able to get the splines cleaned up. I am super excited because the boat is running smoother than it ever has! My v-drive must have been out of alignment for years…. make that 6 years!! The boat feels so much better!

Okay- so I must say that the V-drive is very robust. Not only has it been way out of alignment for many years, I had also been running the thing with a blown u-joint for months. Everything else in the unit looked brand new except for the u-joints.

I gotta put in a plug for Bio Solv from MAS epoxy… I poured this stuff into a tub and cleaned each part prior to reasembly, and the stuff took all traces of grease and oil of everything in seconds. For a biodegradable product, I am amazed! Much better product than acetone.

[Pan Dragon]

Thanks Rich.

I will set the file out and see what I can do.

Thanks again!

[Pan Dragon]

Hey everyone,

I am just finishing a rebuild of my RV-20. Rich was right about this job, it can be a real PAIN! All in all everything went well. I found a blown u-joint that had been squealing for several months. I’m glad I decided to do it, because that broken u-joint wasnt going to last much longer the way it was. I replaced all 3 u-joints. All in all, I ended up spending $60 in parts. I made my own gaskets. Probably saved myself $1000 in labor.

It took me about 20 hours to do the job. I went out to the boat and mounted the v-drive, but now I am having one hell of a time getting the splined jackshaft to slide into the unit. Rich, did you have any trouble with this? It sure came out easy when I started the job… I think I am going to have to pull everything out and mess with on the dock.

I mounted the v-drive, aligned the prop-shaft, and then attempted attach the jackshaft. After a long day, i finally had to walk away from it.

Any insight or experience would be greatly appreciated.

[Pan Dragon]

Sucess! So far…

Changed the oil today and added 90 W gear lube instead of the 30W. Also put a healthy amount of grease on the Universal Joint (by the transmission) on the jackshaft. No more squeak!

I can’t be sure, but I have a feeling it was the external U-joint all along. It really sounded like it was coming from the V-drive itself. Sounds in the bilge are hard to pin down with a noisey diesel cranked up.

Everything is running nice and smoioth. There is still some play in the jackshaft, but I dont think I am going to worry much about it. That deafening squeak was my main worry.

Thanks so much for all the advice!

[Pan Dragon]

Thanks so much for your replies,

How much play do you have in your v-drive?

I noticed a little play in the input shaft around the same time my squeak developed.

As i turn the jackshaft it seems to not ingage the v-drive right away. It will engage with a “thud”. It will not slip unless I reverse the rotation of the shaft.

I seem to remember it used to be smooth as silk.

Must be the CV joint.

[Pan Dragon]

Hello all,

I have an 1981 RV-20, and it has develope an anoying sqeak. The sqeak came about around a year ago, and has progressively gotten worse. The sound seems to be coming from the internal u-joint. The drive was rebuilt about 10 years ago. There is plently of oil in the unit, and no traces of water contamination.

Has anyone else experienced this? Is this the beginning of the end?

Thanks,

Kevin Barber
S.V. Pan Dragon

[Author]

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