This is not a true Kanzaki it is a Hurth/Kanzaki and is much closer to a Hurth HBW gear than a Kanzaki with a cone clutch. All Hurth gears use ATF. With Hurth gears you can either lock in reverse or leave to freewheel but never leave it in forward.. Look closely at the logo on that rating plate and the cursive writing says Kanzaki above the word Hurth..Wish it was that easy! But unfortunately Kansaki instructions on this topic for my very old uKBW10 I have not been able to find on line. And comments about doing reverse or not on the various forums has been conflicting. Much like the transmission oil type specified on the name plate ... conflicting as in the attached photos. ATF only is what is on my transmission's nameplate. Or should I disregard and instead accept that it's the owner's choice of either ATF or 20 or 30 weight engine oil as was imprinted on the same model's nameplate but manufactured only a bit older?
My gut feeling: My transmission is really old but like the engine, performs very well. Am I risking more by putting it in reverse while sailing which locks the shaft from turning. Torque imparted from the prop back to the transmission can't be very much. Or letting it spin freely might wear down quicker the already long-in-the-tooth bearing and seal?
I'll try to remember to call Yanmar this week to ask. And hope that the person I talk to has specific information at hand about a 35 year old KBW10. I expect that Yanmar no longer provides much support for this model. Hence the tech might not have any meaningful model references at hand ... and instead will default back to the current directive because its the easiest answer.
When you put the transmission in reverse with a Max-Prop the blades will deploy to reverse position and attempt to rotate the shaft. This loads the transmission - not good for the listed cone and disk type Kanzaki transmisions. Stop the engine in forward. Check for proper feathering by selecting neutral and looking/listening for shaft rotation (there should be none).Movement=wear to bearings. I don't care what Yanmar says, mine goes in reverse which enables my Maxi-prop to feather.
A free wheeling prop can foul on a sheet which inadvertently falls overboard.
Here is a question that I don't think has been answered yet. I spent over an hour searching... What exactly causes the problem (slippage - or clutch/thrust washer wear I assume) when the Yanmar transmission is left in reverse vs neutral? With properly maintained/replaced oil, there should be no additional wear with the prop spinning in neutral (no load and only a few parts actually turning). But with the tranny in reverse, is there enough torque that the clutches do slip. Or does something else cause the damage? Just curious, Chris
Maine Sail:This is not a true Kanzaki it is a Hurth/Kanzaki and is much closer to a Hurth HBW gear than a Kanzaki with a cone clutch. All Hurth gears use ATF. With Hurth gears you can either lock in reverse or leave to freewheel but never leave it in forward.. Look closely at the logo on that rating plate and the cursive writing says Kanzaki above the word Hurth..
However I understand there were some mods specified by Kanzaki that Hurth built into that gear and I would still follow Yanmar's guidance on gear position, it won't hurt it any. That gear is splash lubed so no issues letting it freewheel. Theoretically there should not be any issues locking it, just as you can do with a Hurth/ZF but I don't know what changes were made internally for the Yanmar/Kanzaki Hurth built gears...
In all my talks with Mack Boring and Yanmar the issues have mostly been with Kanzaki cone clutch gears not necessarily the Hurth built Kanzaki's....
Gunni, I think it is the other way around, it is the rotation of the shaft creating a strong enough centrifugal force that will cause the blades to deploy according to their design in the direction of rotation. Once the blades feather there is not enough centrifugal force to be gained from the flow of water until you turn the engine back on and engage the transmission.When you put the transmission in reverse with a Max-Prop the blades will deploy to reverse position and attempt to rotate the shaft. This loads the transmission - not good for the listed cone and disk type Kanzaki transmisions. Stop the engine in forward. Check for proper feathering by selecting neutral and looking/listening for shaft rotation (there should be none).
See item #4:
http://pyiinc.com/images/pdf/max-prop/max-prop_easy.pdf
Zee, on a thirty ton boat such as yours, I would not think there would be one bit of difference dragging a static prop. Unless it's a biggun..
(I swear I don't mean that as sarcastic as it sounds, I'd love to have that Formosa..)
Woodster: Yes, I believe you! And as I noted in my last post, I did in fact change to ATF (albeit a more modern incarnation of) five/six years ago on my first or second transmission lube change after I bought the boat and when I noted the discrepancy between the PO's engine log history and the info on nameplate.ok here is a scanned copy of the yanmar manual on the oil for the transmission as it is in the manual...print ,save it ,and glue it to your machine room bulk head