Why are Malibu and Indmar doing this?

[2006Maliblue]

So I've been working on my v-drive. Had to replace the seal. Well it takes a special socket to get it off! Basically a 2" hub socket, you know the type with 4 prongs on the bottom. Well nobody makes it its an odd ball size. Indmar, the manufacturer of Malibu's new ski-V v-drive makes a specialty socket but its expensive. But here's the kicker none of the local dealers even have this socket to work on these tranny's I called all my local dealers. Heck they say they've never even taken one out. I even went to some local boat repair shops with no luck, by the way the guys at Topside Marine in San Jose were very helpfull even though they didn't have the socket either. So I ended up having to make a socket.

Then I ordered the seal and try'd ordering a new nut for the shaft. Well they sell the seal but they don't sell the nut? The nut is a nylon lock nut that holds the flange on the shaft and they don't sell it? I don't usually like re-using lock nuts especially nylon lock nuts but I have no choice now! Well I do actually, if I want a new lock nut I have to buy a new v-drive and it comes with a new lock nut on it! Why are these manafactureers not supporting the products they sell with parts?

And then to order the seal its a pain, can't order it direct from Indmar, have to order from the malibu dealer, who orders it through Malibu, then Malibu orders it from Indmar, then hopefully Indmar shipped it out!

I well say James at Salinas Marine was really cool and did everything he could to get it over nighted to me. Hopefully it actually arrives today!

Why dosn't Malibu require all dealers to have all the tools they need to work on there boats? If a specialty tool exists they should send it out to all dealers automatically! And they should sell every nut, bolt, etc. that goes into there boats with out requiring you to buy a whole new assembly!

I just can't believe how difficult they make it to work on your own boat! I guess gripe over with!

[ColinP]

That really is annoying! As for the locknut, do you have it's dimensions? Perhaps you can find it at a specialty fastener store.

[2006Maliblue]

I may be able to find it through a specialty supplier or somewhere else with enough effort but its so odd ball it'd take a while to track down and I am on the water every other day so i don't want to wait weeks and weeks just for a nut. I'm going to locktite it when i re install it and i'll try locating a nut just to throw in my boat parts bin so if in the future I have to do this again I have a spare lying around!

[Dougger]

Some parts are Indmar parts and some come from other suppliers to Malibu. Indmar may not offer the shaft nut because they may not supply it. Malibu should know where to get a new one but Indmar might not. For that kind of thing you might be able to get it from ARE manufacturing or Elbert's.

[FIC]

So I've been working on my v-drive. Had to replace the seal. Well it takes a special socket to get it off! Basically a 2" hub socket, you know the type with 4 prongs on the bottom. Well nobody makes it its an odd ball size. Indmar, the manufacturer of Malibu's new ski-V v-drive makes a specialty socket but its expensive. But here's the kicker none of the local dealers even have this socket to work on these tranny's I called all my local dealers. Heck they say they've never even taken one out. I even went to some local boat repair shops with no luck, by the way the guys at Topside Marine in San Jose were very helpfull even though they didn't have the socket either. So I ended up having to make a socket.

Then I ordered the seal and try'd ordering a new nut for the shaft. Well they sell the seal but they don't sell the nut? The nut is a nylon lock nut that holds the flange on the shaft and they don't sell it? I don't usually like re-using lock nuts especially nylon lock nuts but I have no choice now! Well I do actually, if I want a new lock nut I have to buy a new v-drive and it comes with a new lock nut on it! Why are these manafactureers not supporting the products they sell with parts?

And then to order the seal its a pain, can't order it direct from Indmar, have to order from the malibu dealer, who orders it through Malibu, then Malibu orders it from Indmar, then hopefully Indmar shipped it out!

I well say James at Salinas Marine was really cool and did everything he could to get it over nighted to me. Hopefully it actually arrives today!

Why dosn't Malibu require all dealers to have all the tools they need to work on there boats? If a specialty tool exists they should send it out to all dealers automatically! And they should sell every nut, bolt, etc. that goes into there boats with out requiring you to buy a whole new assembly!

I just can't believe how difficult they make it to work on your own boat! I guess gripe over with!

Not all of the dealers do repairs on the transmmissions, we do at our dealership and we also rebuild them and have the special socket your talking about, most dealers ship off the units to repair facilitys.

[winddawg]

So I've been working on my v-drive. Had to replace the seal. Well it takes a special socket to get it off! Basically a 2" hub socket, you know the type with 4 prongs on the bottom. Well nobody makes it its an odd ball size. Indmar, the manufacturer of Malibu's new ski-V v-drive makes a specialty socket but its expensive. But here's the kicker none of the local dealers even have this socket to work on these tranny's I called all my local dealers. Heck they say they've never even taken one out. I even went to some local boat repair shops with no luck, by the way the guys at Topside Marine in San Jose were very helpfull even though they didn't have the socket either. So I ended up having to make a socket.

Then I ordered the seal and try'd ordering a new nut for the shaft. Well they sell the seal but they don't sell the nut? The nut is a nylon lock nut that holds the flange on the shaft and they don't sell it? I don't usually like re-using lock nuts especially nylon lock nuts but I have no choice now! Well I do actually, if I want a new lock nut I have to buy a new v-drive and it comes with a new lock nut on it! Why are these manafactureers not supporting the products they sell with parts?

And then to order the seal its a pain, can't order it direct from Indmar, have to order from the malibu dealer, who orders it through Malibu, then Malibu orders it from Indmar, then hopefully Indmar shipped it out!

I well say James at Salinas Marine was really cool and did everything he could to get it over nighted to me. Hopefully it actually arrives today!

Why dosn't Malibu require all dealers to have all the tools they need to work on there boats? If a specialty tool exists they should send it out to all dealers automatically! And they should sell every nut, bolt, etc. that goes into there boats with out requiring you to buy a whole new assembly!

I just can't believe how difficult they make it to work on your own boat! I guess gripe over with!

Try looking HERE, they will probably have what you are looking for.

-Dave

[Ndawg12]

Not all of the dealers do repairs on the transmmissions, we do at our dealership and we also rebuild them and have the special socket your talking about, most dealers ship off the units to repair facilitys.

How often do you see a repair such as what the OP is tackling?

[FIC]

How often do you see a repair such as what the OP is tackling?

Not to often, it depends on the usage, some boats sit more and are in a damp area where rust forms and takes out the seal or in rare cases with a boat that uses a lot of extra ballast weight the nut comes loose and starts to leak.

Try to keep the bildge dry.

[2006Maliblue]

We lost the seal because a zip tie that holds the wires above the tranny broke and the wires found there way around the driveshaft. The driveshaft ripped the wires out of the ballast pump and sucked them up the driveshaft and threw the seal! It's an odd ball size socket to get it off thats what really sucks and I was surprised that none of the local dealers had the socket. Dave next time I pull it apart, if ever I hope, I'll check the threads and pitch and grab a new nut. Can't believe it but that actually looks exactly like the nut!

[Bake's Marine]

So I've been working on my v-drive. Had to replace the seal. Well it takes a special socket to get it off! Basically a 2" hub socket, you know the type with 4 prongs on the bottom. Well nobody makes it its an odd ball size. Indmar, the manufacturer of Malibu's new ski-V v-drive makes a specialty socket but its expensive. But here's the kicker none of the local dealers even have this socket to work on these tranny's I called all my local dealers. Heck they say they've never even taken one out. I even went to some local boat repair shops with no luck, by the way the guys at Topside Marine in San Jose were very helpfull even though they didn't have the socket either. So I ended up having to make a socket.

Then I ordered the seal and try'd ordering a new nut for the shaft. Well they sell the seal but they don't sell the nut? The nut is a nylon lock nut that holds the flange on the shaft and they don't sell it? I don't usually like re-using lock nuts especially nylon lock nuts but I have no choice now! Well I do actually, if I want a new lock nut I have to buy a new v-drive and it comes with a new lock nut on it! Why are these manufacturers not supporting the products they sell with parts?

And then to order the seal its a pain, can't order it direct from Indmar, have to order from the Malibu dealer, who orders it through Malibu, then Malibu orders it from Indmar, then hopefully Indmar shipped it out!

I well say James at Salinas Marine was really cool and did everything he could to get it over nighted to me. Hopefully it actually arrives today!

Why doesn't Malibu require all dealers to have all the tools they need to work on there boats? If a specialty tool exists they should send it out to all dealers automatically! And they should sell every nut, bolt, etc. that goes into there boats with out requiring you to buy a whole new assembly!

I just can't believe how difficult they make it to work on your own boat! I guess gripe over with!

Indmar / Malibu do require those tools to be a dealer, its the dealers decision to decide what level of dealer they want to be and stock the necessary parts/tools they can afford. At Bake's we have two of those tools because they are notorious for breaking. I've change a handful of those seals over the past 10 years working on Indmar/Malibu and I still have a hard time doing it so you are a extremely rare case of somebody working on their own gear box.

Understand the gripe but know its not Malibu or Indmar's fault, it's ZF hurth (manufacture of the gear box) fault for making that funky lock nut that way.

How often do you see a repair such as what the OP is tackling?

Very Rare, 1-2 a year in the Seattle area. Most of the time I remove the gear box and ship it to the manufacture. Too specialized and difficult to repair in house most of the time unless its just a seal.

-Paul

[FIC]

The nut is not anybodys fault, it was a design to try and make unit more compact and lighten up the drive train for better fuel economy and power, as for repair they are a very simple unit to rebuild.

[51gringo]

Wow, I feel your pain brother, hope it all works out, we moved away from your area, not too long ago and landed here in Shasta County. Shasta Lake is huge, I thought that guy in Salinas was gone, did he just relocate?. Our local dealer shut his doors, but the Malibu mech guys are still around if I have a prob..sign of the times, I guess.

Max.

[07VTX]

I have a 2007 VTX and had the misfortune of a boat towel used to wipe down my boat after use, finding its way into the engine compartment near the v-drive. Well, it wrapped around the prop shaft taking the wiring from one of my ballast pumps along with it, and that seemed to be just enough stuff spinning around to screw up the seal on my v-drive unit. I have removed the unit in order to replace the seal (what fun that was!)and now find myself in the same spot as you were. How / where did you find a tool to get the nut off, and is it a normal thread or reverse thread (counter clockwise to remove or clockwise?)?

[brad72]

I have a 2007 VTX and had the misfortune of a boat towel used to wipe down my boat after use, finding its way into the engine compartment near the v-drive. Well, it wrapped around the prop shaft taking the wiring from one of my ballast pumps along with it, and that seemed to be just enough stuff spinning around to screw up the seal on my v-drive unit. I have removed the unit in order to replace the seal (what fun that was!)and now find myself in the same spot as you were. How / where did you find a tool to get the nut off, and is it a normal thread or reverse thread (counter clockwise to remove or clockwise?)?

Can you post a picture of the nut. If it is the type I am thinking we remove them all the time off the gear in our factory but post a picture first.

[07VTX]

I do have a picture of the flange and nut, however not sure how to post it on the Malibu crew website. It is the round nut with 4 cutouts that holds the flange on the output shaft of the Ski Vee v-drive. This flange would then bolt to the coupler on the prop shaft. I did find a socket that is used for older 4 wheel drive hubs, and it looks perfect, but is too large for this nut. I'm getting very frustrated on not finding a tool, ANYWHERE. If you could point me to where I can purchase the tool.

[brad72]

The nut sounds like a ring nut but the correct tool will not be cheap for a 1 off.

In the past we have used an impact socket with an inside daimeter the same as the cutouts in the nut then taken a grinder to the socket and cut away the excess material leaving 4 prongs to drive the nut. Make sure if you do this to keep cooling the socket in water so the temper does not get ruined.

Another metod is to take a smaller inpact socket and weld 4 pieces of keyway steel to the outside matching the nuts cutouts. DO NOT weld to regular chromed scocket, the fumes are deadly.

Another thing that has worked is a pair of heavy duty needle nose pliers on 2 of the nuts cutouts then turn the pliers with an adjustable spanner. This may fail depending how tight the nut is.

Another method that has worked is drilling 2 holes in some flat bar and fitting a couple of bolts that have had their ends squared off to fit the nut cutouts (fix the bolts with nuts to stop them moving). If you have a big enough piece of bar drill 4 holes then you will be driving off all 4 cutouts.

To see the rotation of the nut have a look at the top of the thread. If it ends in an anticlockwise sweep direction then left turn to loosen, if ends in a clockwise sweep direction then right turn to loosen.

The main consideration with the ring nut is you tighten it to the correcet torque when assembling it. You should be able to find an online manual for the box that will have this info

[07VTX]

I really appreciate you taking the time to give me your input on my problem!

I have actually thought of most of the options that you talked about, but have had limited access to the tools to make a tool. Last night I did buy a piece of flat bar steel and drilled 4 holes to match up with the cutouts, put in 4 screws and nuts to hold them, however ...all that happened there was that the 4 screws just bent. I'm pretty sure that I am turning it in the right direction, but there is not enough (any really) thread exposed to determine the proper direction to turn the nut to remove it.

[brad72]

You need to get some 1/4" high tensile bolts. Those will not bend easily

[07VTX]

I actually got some hardened pins for my homemade bar tool and it worked, however I do believe it was also the magic oil that someone pointed me to that did the trick. I had used WD-40 with no luck and then I tried KROIL Penetrating Oil, "The Oil That Creeps". I had never heard of this brand of oil before, but it works like magic to loosen really stuck bolts/locknuts. Bottom line, the flange/coupler is off and I'm waiting for my seal to arrive to put it all back together.

By the way, the old seal was actually in 2 pieces, when it is supposed to be one piece. The metal part that gets pressed into the v-drive case and the rubber part that does the sealing. When the towel and wires wrapped around the prop shaft, it really did a number on the seal!

[brad72]

Always nice to hear a happy ending.