Greetings,
Isn't this boating $tuff FUN!
I have a 2008 Formula 37 PC equipped with Bravo 3 X drives. After about 8-years and about 330 hours of use, the port side outdrive failed.
WHY?
The rear lower carrier bearing unscrewed and backed out of the aluminium drive housing.
This is a left had thread, in a right hand turning prop. It holds the prop shafts inside the housing.
So the carrier unscrewed itself from the outdrive housing, with the prop grinding the aluminum from the carrier, backing everything away from the prop seals. The gap left is not a small leak, but a major gaping area left for the oil to escape.
These drive have been well cared for with annual oil changes, and pulled for maintenance as well.
The Low Drive Oil Warning went off, and we immediately stopped the boat. The drive bottle was empty, and we refilled it. After 2-3 more miles, the alarm went off again, so we shut down the motor and went home on one.
Regardless of how fast you could refill the drive container, it could not keep up with the huge gaping area it left for the oil to escape.
Since the oil went out so fast, and all of it, the top gear set was ruined along with the lower end issues.
I have put a new Outdrive on now $$$$$. However this drive has now cost me nearly $30.00 for every hour of operation.
Talked to Merc, and they have never heard of it before, while my marine technician sees it often and diagnosed what was wrong just by looking at it for about 20 seconds.
Anyone el$e having i$$ues like thi$?
Isn't this boating $tuff FUN!
I have a 2008 Formula 37 PC equipped with Bravo 3 X drives. After about 8-years and about 330 hours of use, the port side outdrive failed.
WHY?
The rear lower carrier bearing unscrewed and backed out of the aluminium drive housing.
This is a left had thread, in a right hand turning prop. It holds the prop shafts inside the housing.
So the carrier unscrewed itself from the outdrive housing, with the prop grinding the aluminum from the carrier, backing everything away from the prop seals. The gap left is not a small leak, but a major gaping area left for the oil to escape.
These drive have been well cared for with annual oil changes, and pulled for maintenance as well.
The Low Drive Oil Warning went off, and we immediately stopped the boat. The drive bottle was empty, and we refilled it. After 2-3 more miles, the alarm went off again, so we shut down the motor and went home on one.
Regardless of how fast you could refill the drive container, it could not keep up with the huge gaping area it left for the oil to escape.
Since the oil went out so fast, and all of it, the top gear set was ruined along with the lower end issues.
I have put a new Outdrive on now $$$$$. However this drive has now cost me nearly $30.00 for every hour of operation.
Talked to Merc, and they have never heard of it before, while my marine technician sees it often and diagnosed what was wrong just by looking at it for about 20 seconds.
Anyone el$e having i$$ues like thi$?