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Water in V-Drive ATF


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I have a 2010 Wakesetter VLX, and I'm getting water in my V-Drive ATF fluid from somewhere after only a couple hours on the water. The past couple trips out on the water I've kept my bilge pump running the whole time out and have been successful in keeping the fluid nice and red. So I'm thinking that the water is leaking in through one of the gaskets. However, I never find ATF in the bilge. Any ideas???

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1st question - why are you getting so much water in the bilge?

I'd be surprised if water could enter the v-drive through a gasket since the v-drive is under some pressure when running and would be expected to push fluid out not let it in. I'd think maybe an internal crack in the transmission cooler if you hadn't said that running your bilge was helping.

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Other than the VD sump pan, the lowest and most likely point of intrusion is going to be output shaft and seal. First off, if you have that much water constantly getting in you probably need to replace the prop shaft seal just aft of the shaft coupler. It will be inside of the plastic housing topped by the blue rubber cup. If the shaft seal went bad, you probably are going to need alignment work done as the seals are supposedly good for a ton of hours before they go bad. Opinions and results vary in regards to longevity. Having inadvertently drowned my VD, starter etc... and never having had a problem with the VD getting water in it, I would strongly suspect that a seal or gasket is not your problem. IME unless you have a gaping hole in a gasket or seal the constant back pressure I consistently experience when I check the VD and trains fluid would prevent the water from coming in. The next time you check the fluid level listen for a hiss when you open the dip stick. This would pretty much rule out a leak big enough to let water into the VD IMO. A consistent water issue in the VD has me thinking a leak involving the VD cooling process. Another unlikely possibility is that you got or are getting water in the bilge high enough to get into the VD vent and he vent is bad, not likely.

As far as the VD fluid in the bilge, it may be getting displaced by an internal water leak in the VD and coming out through that vent. I would check the vent for signs of fluid to support the theory.

Edited by wdr
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I have had water in the ATF on 2 different boats. My theory is when the bilge water gets high enough to be whipped into a mist by the spinning coupler it enters through the vent. I changed the fluid 4-5 times and paid more attention the water level in the bilge.......problem solved.

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I have had water in the ATF on 2 different boats. My theory is when the bilge water gets high enough to be whipped into a mist by the spinning coupler it enters through the vent. I changed the fluid 4-5 times and paid more attention the water level in the bilge.......problem solved.

On my Walter VD I would say that would be a possibility, but on our Hurth's not so much of one. The vent on the ZF looks to be a lot better set up than just an open baffled device like on the Walter. My questions would be, "how much water are we talking about" and why is the VD sucking in the water (in the instance you are talking about) as opposed to pressurizing the unit due to heated VD fluid? I am just thinking out loud. :)

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