My new saildrive

Jan 25, 2011
2,391
S2 11.0A Anacortes, WA
This is a thread that continues from a thread in Engines titled “air leak” that morphed into my saildrive issues. I repowered a yr ago along with a new saildrive both from Beta. The new saildrive has been puking ATF out the top breather vent. Beta sent a supposed fix that involved top plate replacement that did not work. I said new saildrive which was installed end of last week. It survived a one hour tour and a half hr run at dockside. Had lunch today with Les and John and then headed to the boat. I needed to wash it and I let the engine run concurrently. Ten minutes in, it started puking ATF out the breather. This saildrive is a Twin Disc Technodrive Seaprop 60 supposedly made in Italy. Monday are some very pointed phone calls to Beta and I think I’m going to demand a Volvo replacement. This is getting ridiculous!! More coming..
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,993
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Oh no. And we had such a great time at lunch.

Disappointing. Something is not right. Hope you get to the bottom of it quickly.
 
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Jan 25, 2011
2,391
S2 11.0A Anacortes, WA
First question I asked was if the right dipstick was installed. No foaming..solid ATF.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,993
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Mark It seems pressure is building in the unit. Is there a vent stuck? Perhaps there should be a seal that is not properly set and the ATF is getting past it.

Without schematics only guesses. What could be causing the pressure build up?
 
Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
First question I asked was if the right dipstick was installed. No foaming..solid ATF.
Okay, I should have added, was the ATF premeasured so as to be the right amount, or just the dipstick used as to proper level?
 
Jan 25, 2011
2,391
S2 11.0A Anacortes, WA
I'm not sure it’s pressure..Sure, oil is getting to the top plate..But that’s where the end bearing is. It needs oil. The shims and bolt torques determine the upper bearing preload. I think the drain back is screwed up. What really boggles my brain is they did NOT want the first one back for failure analysis. It’s a throwaway unit. (Chinese?) It was donated to the local college maritime tech school. I had a discussion with them and i want to know the failure mode and they were very accomodating. It will be interesting to know if they want the second one back...I spent 37 yrs in aerospace engineering. My first response would have been to send it back immediately.
 
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Jan 25, 2011
2,391
S2 11.0A Anacortes, WA
Okay, I should have added, was the ATF premeasured so as to be the right amount, or just the dipstick used as to proper level?
Both. It called for 3ltr. Three qts were put in. After the 1 hr tour, the level on the dipstick was below the lower line. It was filled to cose to the upper line. Today before running, it measured right at upper line...
 
Dec 2, 2003
751
Hunter 260 winnipeg, Manitoba
Sounds like you may have over filled it. - I cant find the full service manual but based on the betamarine installation manual the saildrive calls for a minimum 2.5ltrs of atf and a max of 2.65 Ltrs. With 3qrts on initial fill it is already over max fill (2.8ltrs)

https://www.betamarinenc.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Seaprop-60-installation-instructions.pdf

Is it possible the saildrive isn’t installed level with the waterline affecting the dip stick measurement or that the dipstick isn’t seating fully?

How long after turning off motor did you wait before rechecking fluid level in transmission?
 
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Jan 25, 2011
2,391
S2 11.0A Anacortes, WA
Page 13 of that doc under Tec Specs. Oil capacity of 3ltr. Three qt is 2.838 ltr. Add another 120ml and its 3ltr and at the top line of dipstick. With the initial saildrive, I had the level well down below the lower line and problem still existed.
 
Dec 2, 2003
751
Hunter 260 winnipeg, Manitoba
Yes, I did see that. However the information on page 12 seems to agree with the information I gave above which is listed on page 7. Page 13 appears to give the overall size of the sump. I would ask for clarification from manifacturer. You could also try their drain and refill procedure on page 12. Refilling to the upper drain plug and add the .15ltr to see if the problem still persists at that point.

You didn’t state if you are checking level with engine running or off?
 
Jan 25, 2011
2,391
S2 11.0A Anacortes, WA
Boat has a stbd list. The pressure method on pg 12 is the process i used on the initial saildrive. In the end, it’s all about the correct dipstick reading. All this is done with engine off and having sit for a day.
 
Jan 25, 2011
2,391
S2 11.0A Anacortes, WA
Talked to Stanley at Beta north carolina. He was somewhat familiar with my problem as there were conversations between Sausilito, N.Carolina, UK, and Italy..He simply stated it sounded like a defective breather vent. My response: It’s just an open hole right? He stated there is a checkvalve inside it. We might have changed out a whole saildrive when a $ 1.49 part could have fixed it..But, we now have two different saildrives and two different breather vents having the same problem...everbody is contemplating...
 

Apex

.
Jun 19, 2013
1,197
C&C 30 Elk Rapids
..... My first response would have been to send it back immediately.
....unless they are already aware of the root cause. Perhaps that $1.50 check valve costs more in shipping/teardown/replacement/and re-assembly than the cost of a new unit. Staggering
 
Jan 25, 2011
2,391
S2 11.0A Anacortes, WA
....unless they are already aware of the root cause. Perhaps that $1.50 check valve costs more in shipping/teardown/replacement/and re-assembly than the cost of a new unit. Staggering
Check valve is in the breather on the top plate. It would take longer to find the right size wrench than swapping it out
 
Jan 25, 2011
2,391
S2 11.0A Anacortes, WA
“Likely a silly question but any chance the dipstick isn’t fully inserted when checking giving an erroneous reading?“
I do know to work a dipstick and it’s very accessable.
 
Dec 29, 2008
805
Treworgy 65' LOA Custom Steel Pilothouse Staysail Ketch St. Croix, Virgin Islands
Not to hijack your thread, but we have a different problem with our BorgWarner Velvet Drive. We lose a pint of transmission fluid after an hour of running the engine in gear. I have a plastic Tupperware tray under it to catch it. While I can’t actually see it running out, it seems to be seeping out of the shift lever arm assembly where it enters the side of the case near the top. One wouldn’t expect it to be able to throw out so much fluid in such a short time, without leaving a running stream of it down the side of the case, but we cannot find any other obvious leak. I pump as much fluid out of the tray as I have to put back in.

Boats!
 
Jan 25, 2011
2,391
S2 11.0A Anacortes, WA
The latest from Italy. I was informed that there is no way with the latest top plate design that ATF can be blown out of the breather vent. I was asked to verify that the dipstick was installed correctly. I gave them a very detailed description of how I insert the dipstick and read it. I was asked to make sure the ATF level is below the max mark on the dipstick. (yawn). I was also asked to to clean and dry the top plate of the sail drive and spread talcum powder to show that there is ATF leaking out. I don't think they get it..see pic. this is about 5 seconds worth of leaking after 1/2 hr engine run..
IMG_1884.jpg
 
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