Is it just me?

[chathamsolutions]

Went to Bear River last week. Our church rents from PG&E and has a camp up there. My wife's been a councilor for a couple years and I've been water staff the last two years. It was our oldest daughter's first year. It was hard, but fun.

I pulled a lot of tubes and am realizing how hard pulling tubes is on my boat.

On Thursday I was coming into the tiny dock, rimmed by large granite boulders, and my transmission stopped working. Fortunately a friend of mine was standing there. We were able to grab the boat before I hit anything. We checked everything and found my oil, which had just been changed, was low 2 qts. My transmission fluid was also low. My V-Drive oil was also low. All of these still showed readings on the dip sticks, but all at the bottom. I topped them all off, after finding some ATF that was Type F (I understand this hasn't been in normal use since 1978...), I borrowed what I hoped was gear oil to put in the Walter V-Drive - but still no luck. The linkage was working, engaging the transmission. Everything 'sounded' the same. I couldn't tell why it wasn't working.

I had a salt of the sea boating guy with me. He literally has 50+ years of boating experience, another V-Drive owner with me and we poured over everything for about an hour and a half. Finally a friend of ours came in from pulling some tubers and said, 'I don't know much about these. My last boat was a direct drive, but I'll look at it if you want.' Sure, I was open to anything at that time. He knelt down in my boat, put his hand below the V-Drive and within 3 seconds he looks up and says, 'I know exactly what your problem is."

We were floored.

He pointed out that the shaft had disconnected from the V-Drive. There's a round flat plate on the V-Drive that the shaft connects to. The shaft has a large brass fitting that's round and flat on one side so it will attach to the V-Drive plate, flush with 4 Grade 8 bolt, nuts and lock washers.

Earlier we had found ONE sheered bolt in the bilge, but for all our looking we couldn't find what it went to.

I drove into town and found some matching grade 8's and plugged them in. She worked fine after that

I believe there was only one bolt holding it together though - so, you should all put your hands under your V-Drive and make sure there's 4 bolts holding it together.

One my drive home, about a 5 hour drive, I blew a trailer tire. Pretty easy repair, just switched out the spare. I was on the 5, so biggest issue was semi trucks passing by. But still, lame.

In the 330 hours I've had on my boat, I've:

- hydrolocked my engine

- lost my trailer brakes

- lost two wheel seals on two different trips (oil bath hubs now switched to grease)

- lost the tread on one tire

- Blown my truck tire parking my trailer

and now had my shaft come off the V-Drive and had a tire blow on my trailer.

Seems like there's been more than this in the last 4 years. Crazy it's been 4 years.

I do have a friend that lost two trailer tires pulling from CA to Powell and then the other two on the way home.

[WakeGirl]

Did you read any of our accounts from last summer? It seemed like nothing but drama all season, so I can relate.

FWIW, I've had blown seals repaired on 3 of my hubs & need to have the 4th done. Ironically, I've been told that the '04 trailers were much worse & they supposedly have it worked out now. I never had a single problem with my '04, but the hubs on this '06 have been nothing but a poster child for why you wouldn't want oil bath hubs. I've seriously considered switching mine like you did.

Anyway, thanks for the head's up & I'm glad to hear that it was a simple fix for you. Just keep thinking, "it could be worse".

[99response]

Crazy story.

I took my boat out for the first time this year and found the keyway in that coupler had sheared, had to pull it home.

Took me 10 minutes, not 2 hours though!

-Chris

[88Skier]

Andy, check your alignment. I bet it's out.

[tvano]

i sometimes wonder if i am crazy for all the time, effort and money involved in owing a boat.

i have wondered about all the free time i might have with my family if we moved out into the toolies into a mud hut and quit all of this high powered, big lifestyle stuff.

then i figure the veggie patch would need work, the mud hut would need a new roof and the livestock would all team up to keep me busier than i already am. all of this doesn't keep me from brooding about a string of bad luck but i guess i've got it pretty good, overall, since i can still afford fuel!

[thethrillofspeed]

How did you hydrolock your motor? I hope your luck turns around!

[Tom Sawyer]

It happens to all of us.

Just don't forget to look at the "half full" portion of the glass too. It looks as if the event you attended as well as it's venue, may have been worth the trouble.

[chathamsolutions]

How did you hydrolock your motor? I hope your luck turns around!

I got behind the boat and said, 'Hit it!'

Really, the CFO did it. I'm not sure what happened. I just know, the boat wouldn't turn over and we had to be pulled back to the dock.

For the full story go here:

http://www.wakesiderides.com/forums/index....st&p=110196

[Bill_AirJunky]

Shaft alignment has to be way off to break all 4 bolts. This is the kind of problem caused by doing bat turns, hitting double ups, possibly pulling tubers over boat wakes over & over.

Definitely check the alignment. Should be done regularly.

[chathamsolutions]

Does a shop have to check this, or can I?

Wouldn't my packing leak if my alignment was off? I just had my packing tightened before this last week. About 20 hours run this last week and hardly any water in the bilge.

[NorCaliBu]

Does a shop have to check this, or can I?

Do you have a .003 feeler gauge?

Wouldn't my packing leak if my alignment was off?

Not necessarily. The top of the packing gland (where the actual packing material is house) is mounted on top of a piece of hose which will give a bit. Your strut bearing will take a beating though.

I can't believe your luck Andy. I've put over 300 hours on my Sporty and...ummm, well there was that time...no...umm...I once threw my hat on the dash and the little bead thing on the back exploded part of the windshield. I've had no mechanicals whatsoever...of course, now I just jinxed myself. Now I have to sell it.

Edited July 2, 2008 by NorCaliBu

[Bill_AirJunky]

Does a shop have to check this, or can I?

Wouldn't my packing leak if my alignment was off? I just had my packing tightened before this last week. About 20 hours run this last week and hardly any water in the bilge.

Like Norcalibu said, it's done with a feeler gauge. It's adjusted by torqueing the engine & tranny mounts to angle the engine whichever way is needed.

Since the packing is partly made of wax, it's more forgiving than the steel bolts, especially if you torque that big nut down a bit. The packing leak rate may change as you work on the prop shaft though so be sure to check it after wards.

Edited July 2, 2008 by Bill_AirJunky

[obski]

You do have some interesting adventures with your boat, Andy.

How did the camp go?

I'll be heading off to the high school Houseboat Camp in a couple of weeks. I enjoy pulling the kids, but do get tired of being a "Tubesetter".

[CumminsBu]

Wow, That is something everyone should be check a couple time throughout the Season. Add some threadlock to those bolts also.

[88Skier]

Andy, seeing it's a VD, it's a PIA to get to, and if it's out you're probably going to have your dealer do the alignment anyways, so I would just take it in. I'd make sure they know how to do it first. A bad alingment can also ruin your gearbox or in the case of a DD, tranny.