Volvo Penta SX outdrive questions.

flyweed · **Posted:** Sat Oct 10, 2015 11:44 am

Hey guys,

quick question.my buddy has a 1994 (19 foot) GW Invader, Bravo Coupe that has the 5.0 engin Volvo Penta SX outdrive

He was on the river and hit something with it and it broke the suspension fork on the outdrive, no dings on the prop, or issues with the drive itself.

My question how easy or hard would it be to replace the suspension fork? Cost?

Any thoughts? I can pick this boat up super cheap, as he just wants to get rid of it, but I dont want it if I'd have to end up replace the entire transom/gimble mount.

Any thoughts??

GottWhat · **Posted:** Sun Oct 11, 2015 1:06 am

Do you mean a trim cylinder broke? I would suspect an impact that breaks a trim cylinder would result in additional damage.

rpengr · **Posted:** Sun Oct 11, 2015 10:21 am

Is this what he broke? That's not easy.

Well, it is replaceable, but a bit of a job to get it apart. I suspect that the impact must have been quite a side-load to break that. I would check to see if the transom shield shifted or if it is still tight to the transom.

But if the price is right, why not?

Graham R · **Posted:** Sun Oct 11, 2015 4:37 pm

I struggle to understand how that could be broken without damage to the prop etc.

LouC · **Posted:** Sun Oct 11, 2015 5:02 pm

Are you sure that is an SX drive, the suspension fork terminology usually is reference to the AQ Swedish style drives.
I agree if a part like that is damaged then it's likely that there could be other damage to the drive or transom itself. Be careful get a real marine mechanic to look this over, those parts are very expensive.

flyweed · **Posted:** Sun Oct 11, 2015 7:48 pm

Yep, it is indeed a Volvo Penta SX drive. and it's NOT the Hydraulic Trim. I was talking to him on the phone, and he sent me some photos. He indeed did break the suspension fork ( I guess there is an upper steering fork too, but that is fine). I asked him if he had any water in his engine compartment..he said, when he pulled the plug, he had maybe a cup of water come out..so it sounds like he could have a leak now through his transom mount????

He said he had a shop "look" at it, and they said it just needed a suspension fork. rprengr, YES, that is the part I believe...Let me see if I can post his photos I texted me

flyweed · **Posted:** Mon Oct 12, 2015 12:05 am

Well here's pics as promised. I told my buddy there could be alot more issues....he did say after he hit something in the river, he drove it a good 4 miles back to the landing, and it ran "just fine/as usual".

Any thoughts?

rpengr · **Posted:** Mon Oct 12, 2015 2:38 am

It would appear that it is the Transom Mount that is broken, not the Suspension Fork.

LouC · **Posted:** Mon Oct 12, 2015 7:48 am

The part that is broken is the lower mount for the steering on the gimble housing assembly. You'd have to take apart most of the transom mount to replace this and that assumes that the inner transom plate that is up against the transom inside the boat is not damaged and you can get at the 6 nuts that hold on the gimble housing. If you can't get at them, then you'd have to pull the engine for this repair. Did the guy have insurance? If so he should get it fixed and then sell it. This is not going to be a cheap or simple repair, like I said take a look at an exploded diagram for the transom mount to see what's involved. Any close ups of the point of impact? Front of lower unit? No cracks in the transom gelcoat outside or inside?

flyweed · **Posted:** Mon Oct 12, 2015 10:16 am

Yeah, Lou that's what I told him, when he showed me the pics. He said the "shop" he took it to, told him it was the suspension fork, and he could repair it himself for UNDER $1000.00. After seeing the photos I told him otherwise. He's NOT happy to say the least.

He did contact insurance for the repair...they turned him down and denied the claim. They told him he could not PROVE the damage was done by hitting an underwater structure, so they weren't going to cover the repair. How ya like that?? (oh, just for reference, he has American Family)

I told him to maybe part it out????? to make some money off the engine, etc....because he wasn't going to get squat for it otherwise. He has it currently advertised on Craigslist for $4300.....I told him NOBODY is going to pay that, if they KNOW what needs to be done to it.

Dan

LouC · **Posted:** Mon Oct 12, 2015 11:59 am

I would not let the ins co get away with that BS. There is no other way for how that damage could happen. Tell him to contact the state ins commission in the state he's in and tell him to find the point of impact and take pix; it has to show something..Id think there has to be a mark of some kind on the fwd edge of the lower unit...
He's lucky the boat did not sink, the drive was being held on by the upper steering pivot and the trim rams...

flyweed · **Posted:** Mon Oct 12, 2015 5:25 pm

Lou

I just told him exactly what you told me...NOT to let his insurance company get away with that crap! I cannot believe they dont THINK this damage was caused by underwater "debris".

rpengr · **Posted:** Tue Oct 13, 2015 9:13 am

LouC wrote:

I would not let the ins co get away with that BS. ...Id think there has to be a mark of some kind on the fwd edge of the lower unit...

I agree. And I think the impact probably pushed the drive towards one side or the other to cause that damage, so I would look for a mark on the side of the drive or "bullet" (towards the front).

...and yes, it is possible for the drive to take a hit and still miss the propeller. Each blade travels approx. 6" apart, so if the timing and angle of the obstacle was just right, it could pass between prop blades. I'm picturing the end of a 2x4 or even a 4x4 that could have hit the drive, but passed between blades.

The impact could also have been on the front of the skeg, and the object passed under the prop.

Ray

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Volvo Penta SX outdrive questions.

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