Repowered with a "V" drive

[Mike H.]

I'm going to look at an 86 Catalina 36 for sale that was repowered with a Yanmar 3jh with a "V" drive. Originally these boats were powered with Universal diesels.

Are there draw backs or advantages to "V" drives. Why wouldn't they just stay with a direct drive?

 

[capta]

Take a look see if you can reach the stuffing box before you decide whether this is the boat for you. Also, have a quick look at the coupling to the shaft and how difficult it may be to remove the shaft.
A V drive is a deal-killer for me unless the boat is big that enough I can actually climb down in there to do whatever is necessary.

 

[LeslieTroyer]

With the v drive you woul loose the aft double birth and move the engine up destroying the CG.

 

[Rick486]

I'm going to look at an 86 Catalina 36 for sale that was repowered with a Yanmar 3jh with a "V" drive. Originally these boats were powered with Universal diesels.

Are there draw backs or advantages to "V" drives. Why wouldn't they just stay with a direct drive?

I had a Pearson 39 with a v-drive. The v-drive is very accessible in the main bilge and it was trouble free. Not so much with the engine though. It is a Perkins 4-108 installed with the "front" of the engine facing aft. All the accessories are difficult to access, especially the fan belt and raw water pump. I was told that this installation technique was necessary with the hull design to keep the CG of the engine low in the boat, and to permit the propeller to be installed without a window in the rudder post, which is a large fin. .

 

[LeslieTroyer]

The purpose of the V drive is Not to lower CG - it moves it Aft. The v-drive keeps the engine out of salon spaces on boats that would otherwise have driveline angle problems

In a boat not designed for them the engine of necessity sits 10”+ higher, and ~2’ aft of the original mounting location.