Grinding/knocking from SX drive?

schoolsOut · **Posted:** Mon Aug 29, 2016 7:56 am

So launched the boat this weekend (admiral drove it off the trailer and headed over to the marina while I brought the truck around). She called me shortly after laugh and said she hears a grinding noise. She was already part way to marina (short no-wake spin around the corner on the lake) and I needed the boat off the trailer to fix a broken bunk so I had her continue to the slip and I hopped aboard to have a listen. Definite low pitch knocking sound coming from drive. Worse when in gear. Not as bad in reverse. Can hear it slightly in neutral. We slipped it for the night while I fixed the trailer. In the morning we put it back on the trailer and I checked the drive oil level. It is full and looks very clean. No obvious sign of metal fragments in oil. I'm not sure they would be visible on dipstick oil either way. I tend to believe the gimbal bearing is going out. Do the symptoms match? I pulled the boat home and will be pulling the drive this week to see what things look like.

LouC · **Posted:** Mon Aug 29, 2016 8:40 am

Could be that or the ujoints.
Possible water in the bellows?
Found this:

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=12394

Had you taken the drive off between this time and now? If not its possible that you may have water in the bellows, but back then you checked both the gimble and u joints and they seemed fine....

rpengr · **Posted:** Mon Aug 29, 2016 12:02 pm

The "Not as bad in reverse" is the only thing that doesn't make sense to me regarding the gimbal bearing, but it could be.

I would also check the lower unit drain plug magnet for metal chips.

schoolsOut · **Posted:** Mon Aug 29, 2016 7:30 pm

LouC wrote:

Could be that or the ujoints.
Possible water in the bellows?
Found this:

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=12394

Had you taken the drive off between this time and now? If not its possible that you may have water in the bellows, but back then you checked both the gimble and u joints and they seemed fine....

I had removed the drive. Was dry in the bellows and the u-joints were smooth. At that time the gimbal was smooth as well. I don't notice the vibration as much anymore after switching to a 5-blade prop.

rpengr wrote:

The "Not as bad in reverse" is the only thing that doesn't make sense to me regarding the gimbal bearing, but it could be.

I would also check the lower unit drain plug magnet for metal chips.

Was thinking maybe the stress on the gimbal is different in forward and reverse which could be why there is a difference between the two.

Was planning to pull the drive today at work, but unfortunately life has its way of throwing you a curve ball. Unfortunately I had to put my 7 year old golden retriever to sleep unexpectedly. Seems she had a hemorrhaging tumor in her heart that bled into her chest cavity which caused her heart to be unable to pump. Poor girl's symptoms showed up so fast, that she had an apparent stroke before we could get it all figured out. She had a great last weekend of life at the lake camping, swimming, and doing what she loves best, hanging with my kids. Needless to say, there was no boat work today. Just trying to keep the family situation under control. Fortunately, tomorrow has to be a better day than today. I'll post an update as soon as I get the drive off and also check the drain plug for metal shavings. Thanks all.

230 Mike · **Posted:** Mon Aug 29, 2016 8:41 pm

Wow Seth, I'm sorry to hear that. That makes at least three of us on this board who have lost our Goldens in the past few months. It still hurts every day.

When you get back to it - your drive shaft rotates the same direction in the gimbal bearing regardless of whether you're in forward or reverse, or even if you're in neutral - as long as the engine is running.

deafwish · **Posted:** Mon Aug 29, 2016 8:49 pm

Sorry to hear of your loss, mate.
It's never easy. :cry:

GottWhat · **Posted:** Tue Aug 30, 2016 10:35 am

Could the issue be caused by an engine alignment issue?

PS: Sorry for your loss, losing a pet sucks.

97_245_sd · **Posted:** Tue Aug 30, 2016 11:08 am

Sorry to hear about the loss. We lost our 15 year old Dobie mix back in November.

LouC · **Posted:** Tue Aug 30, 2016 11:12 am

Sorry for the loss, dogs are the best friends aren't they?

Let us know what you find when you get a chance to look at it again. Might want to pick up a mechanic's stethoscope run it on the water hose and listen to the drive itself, make sure its not coming from there and also listen up against the transom mount. You may be able to more easily localize where the noise is coming from.

schoolsOut · **Posted:** Tue Aug 30, 2016 9:51 pm

Thanks everyone for the thoughtful responses regarding or lost pup. I appreciate it. Lou, good call on the stethoscope. I have one at the shop. Mike, I did not realize that the drive rotates the same direction regardless of gear, but now that you mention it. That makes sense. Ran out of time to pull the drive today. Should have it off tomorrow. I'll report back.

schoolsOut · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2016 9:09 pm

Ok, so the drive is off. Water is in the bellow. The bearing is completely locked up. It would not spin at all by hand. The boat was last used each day from 8/7-8/14, but had not been used since until last weekend. The boat was kept in the water the week of 8/7-8/14. I did find a tear in the bellows. I am guessing water intrusion happened that week, but since it was being used so much, the bearing did not have a chance to rust and lock up until we put it on the trailer and left it sit for a couple of weeks. I think I can get the bearing and bellows tomorrow and put them in. Tried pulling the bearing today, but none of my pullers seemed to fit. There seems to be a grease seal behind the bearing. Is this correct? Should it come out too?

LouC · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2016 9:41 pm

Not sure about the grease seal; I had mine done by the mechanic the last time the bellows leaked (2005). You might also want to check the ujoints as well; any rust visible by the seals? Do they have grease fittings? When my old bellows leaked in '05 the mechanic was able to save the ujoints by greasing the heck out of them right away (salt water). Those same joints are still in use 11 years later

230 Mike · **Posted:** Thu Sep 01, 2016 4:10 am

I just checked the VP shop manual. There is a seal, behind the bearing (engine side). It sounds like there should be a small gap between the bearing and seal, since the puller is supposed to be able to get a bite on the bearing separately. Given all that, I'm not sure why the seal would have to be replaced, but you know how it is when you're that close to it...

The recommended puller is Owatonna Tool (OTC) #1176 for both the bearing and the seal. :roll:

https://www.zoro.com/otc-slide-hammer-u ... lsrc=aw.ds

Also - FYI, the new bearing has a hole in the side that has to align with the zirk on the side of the transom housing, otherwise you won't be able to grease it.

schoolsOut · **Posted:** Thu Sep 01, 2016 9:00 pm

Repairs are done. One of my employees had a puller that was perfect. Yanked it out with about 3 pulls. The new bearing was a little tough going in, but its is in now! As are the bellows. Drive is back on. Going to fire it up on the hose tomorrow then jank it back out to the lake this weekend. Thanks for all the help and support.

www.iFourWinns.com

Grinding/knocking from SX drive?

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