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Transmission, VDrive or Both?


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I was recently towing 3 tubes with 7 teenagers riding. My transmission or VDrive began to slip (much vibration, no power at revs, no accelaration). After lightening the load, everything worked fine.

I have towed more people and more tubes in the past without this problem.

Trans and VDrive fluid changed every other year.

Any suggestions? Does this sound like the trans or VDrive? I am a 7 out 10 when it comes to mechanical skills. Would I be able to rebuild these myself?

07 VLX with 400 hours. Walther VDrive.

Thanks.

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Not sure of the inner workings of the vdrive and I have no solid advice for you but I'm just going to take a guess that it is a vdrive issue rather than the transmission.

Be ready for wise cracks about pulling tubes (especially from Baddog Whistling.gif )!!

You might want to update your profile, says your boat is 98.

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Is your tranny fluid topped off? We had the same deal happen during vacation this year while pulling a surfer with the boat full of ballast. I figured we were in for an expensive and shortened vacation and it turned out the tranny was a 1/2 quart low on fluid. I topped it off and it's been fine for that last two months. Thumbup.gif Check your fluid level before doing anything else.

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It could also have been prop cavitation if the slipping only happened while turning sharply while tubing. I have had this happen and once the tubing is over the boat runs just fine. It seemed to occur with people sitting on port bench and turning sharply to the left. The prop would cavitate from the white water coming off the chine on the bottom of the hull. Seemed to only occur turning too sharply to the left with people sitting on that side.

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It could also have been prop cavitation if the slipping only happened while turning sharply while tubing. I have had this happen and once the tubing is over the boat runs just fine. It seemed to occur with people sitting on port bench and turning sharply to the left. The prop would cavitate from the white water coming off the chine on the bottom of the hull. Seemed to only occur turning too sharply to the left with people sitting on that side.

Kinda what I was thinking. Did you have any ballast while towing the tube? Wedge deployed? What prop are you running?

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Not sure of the inner workings of the vdrive and I have no solid advice for you but I'm just going to take a guess that it is a vdrive issue rather than the transmission.

Be ready for wise cracks about pulling tubes (especially from Baddog Whistling.gif )!!

You might want to update your profile, says your boat is 98.

Sheesh! Now you are like my wife. With her I get in trouble for things she thinks I am thinking, when in fact I am not. Guilty until, well, just guilty regardless. One wife is enough.

And besides, I have nothing against tubes. Everyone should have a couple of them. They make good protectors in the garage so you don't crunch you Bu into the rear wall. See?

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I feel sorry for you baddog! I am a single father to a 14 y.o. girl and trust me when I say, my daughter is going to make a great wife someday because she too screams at me for thoughts I haven't even had yet.

My parental status explaines the tubes - the only way I can get her on the lake without a fit is to do "her" things!

Fluid levels are good.

It is not cavitation (this is my 3rd malibu since 1991).

What I felt was a completely new thing - boat straight, tubes loaded, hit the throttle, boat revs, vibrates like hell but doesn't go anywhere fast. Something (either VDrive or trans) was definitely slipping. Lighten the load and I'm off like a rocket.

As a side note, I recently replaced the strut bushing to the new style (plastic). I am not happy with them and will be going back to the original style next year. There is a tad bit of play in them so I pick up a very slight vibration. When the old bushings were good, my boat ran super smooth under all throttle levels. These new style bushings are not nearly as smooth.

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Not sure of the inner workings of the vdrive and I have no solid advice for you but I'm just going to take a guess that it is a vdrive issue rather than the transmission.

Be ready for wise cracks about pulling tubes (especially from Baddog Whistling.gif )!!

You might want to update your profile, says your boat is 98.

Sheesh! Now you are like my wife. With her I get in trouble for things she thinks I am thinking, when in fact I am not. Guilty until, well, just guilty regardless. One wife is enough.

And besides, I have nothing against tubes. Everyone should have a couple of them. They make good protectors in the garage so you don't crunch you Bu into the rear wall. See?

Next time I'll just let you make your smart tube bashing remark and I'll say, "see" right back at yuh :) After 10 months on this site I'm starting to get a feel for what some of the regulars are going to chime in with on certain topics, it's kinda fun beating them to the punch!!

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I had the same symptoms last week after going pretty shallow, into a weed bed, to get a kick off ski. I even hit reverse to clear the prop of weeds. After that I go to ski and the boat takes off slow and wouldn't go fast. The driver said it vibrated too. But after stopping and hitting reverse again, the problem went away. Maybe it was weeds in the prop. Hell, maybe it was some rope you picked up.

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I feel sorry for you baddog! I am a single father to a 14 y.o. girl and trust me when I say, my daughter is going to make a great wife someday because she too screams at me for thoughts I haven't even had yet.

My parental status explaines the tubes - the only way I can get her on the lake without a fit is to do "her" things!

Fluid levels are good.

It is not cavitation (this is my 3rd malibu since 1991).

What I felt was a completely new thing - boat straight, tubes loaded, hit the throttle, boat revs, vibrates like hell but doesn't go anywhere fast. Something (either VDrive or trans) was definitely slipping. Lighten the load and I'm off like a rocket.

As a side note, I recently replaced the strut bushing to the new style (plastic). I am not happy with them and will be going back to the original style next year. There is a tad bit of play in them so I pick up a very slight vibration. When the old bushings were good, my boat ran super smooth under all throttle levels. These new style bushings are not nearly as smooth.

Is it possible you sheared the key on your drive shaft?

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Not sure of the inner workings of the vdrive and I have no solid advice for you but I'm just going to take a guess that it is a vdrive issue rather than the transmission.

Be ready for wise cracks about pulling tubes (especially from Baddog Whistling.gif )!!

You might want to update your profile, says your boat is 98.

Sheesh! Now you are like my wife. With her I get in trouble for things she thinks I am thinking, when in fact I am not. Guilty until, well, just guilty regardless. One wife is enough.

And besides, I have nothing against tubes. Everyone should have a couple of them. They make good protectors in the garage so you don't crunch you Bu into the rear wall. See?

Next time I'll just let you make your smart tube bashing remark and I'll say, "see" right back at yuh :) After 10 months on this site I'm starting to get a feel for what some of the regulars are going to chime in with on certain topics, it's kinda fun beating them to the punch!!

Guess it's time to change it up a bit just for you.

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Your V drive boat has a transmission - this provides forward, nuetral and reverse. The transmission has an oil bath clutch (wet clutch). This design makes for very smooth shifting. If the transmission is overload, worn, or low on oil - it can slip, and what you decsribe sounds like transmission slip. You should let a good boat mechanic check your trans.

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  • 13 years later...
On 9/23/2009 at 12:33 PM, Ndawg12 said:

Next time I'll just let you make your smart tube bashing remark and I'll say, "see" right back at yuh :) After 10 months on this site I'm starting to get a feel for what some of the regulars are going to chime in with on certain topics, it's kinda fun beating them to the punch!!

Cute. hahaha

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