volvo outdrive slips

[busup1]

Aloha, I was wondering if anyone out there had a problem like mine before. I was out on the ocean the other day & had just tuned up my boat motor 4.3, I was moving very well in the water & at 1 point I decided to see how fast I could get to plane from a dead stop, the boat took off like mad but then all of a sudden it just started wailing, kinda like a manual transmission does when the clutch is fried. I still had forward motion, but maybe 1 mph. a lot of smoke was coming out of my engine box & it smelled like grease burning. after I got it home, I started it up & it seemed to go in gear fine, took the leg off to see if I could find anything but it all looks good, except the drive shaft had some tar looking stuff all over it. Best I can figure is I over greased & it burned up somehow. Any ideas??
I should also mention that the prop is fine.

[tuantom]

Could it have picked anything up to foul the prop and, at the same time, block the water intake? Any overheating?

[busup1]

No overheating & the prop was clean. I had a guy tell me maybe the coupler went out, not sure exactly what that is but I will have to look into it. He was telling me that would explain the greasy/rubber burning smell. Thanks for the quick reply, will look for more advice soon.

[grady]

Hi, What makes me think coupling is the fact that it was a hi-torque situation.

A coupling is a rubber faced (well coupling) that mates the power output of the motor to the driveshafts of the sterndrive. It will allow the two act seperately given enough force. For example if your lower unit siezed you wouldn't want to throw a rod in your motor.

The good news it really shouldn't be real pricey to repair. The motor has to come out though.


Good luck

[marshmat]

Yeah, sounds like a flexible coupling failed..... the "tar like" stuff on the shaft, the "fried clutch" feeling, the fact that it blew suddenly at very high torque, all point to a coupling that slipped, failed, and left its sticky melted remains all over everything. It's a dirt-cheap part that is an absolute bear to reach; while you have the motor pulled (if that proves necessary in your case) you may as well take the opportunity to give everything else down in the engine bilge a good once-over.

[Frosty]

You have 'blown' the prop. The prop has a rubber bush that with age and exactly under the circumstances you describe blow out. There is nothing to see its all internal.

You could change the prop to prove it. It is common.

The bush can be replaced with special tools and a press.

[busup1]

Thanks for all the replies, I actually tried a different prop to no avail, looks like I'll be puling the motor again, (just put it in 5 months ago.) Mahalo Nui Loa (thank you very much) for all the help. will post again once I get it changed out next weekend.

[mongo75]

It's definitely the coupling. No offense frosty, but I don't see how smoke coming from the engine box (burned up rubber from the coupling) will be indicative of a spun prop

[busup1]

Aloha once again & thanks for the help, took the motor out this weekend & yup, the coupler was totally fried, smelled it & that was the weird smell. Boats running great again, Mahalo for the help.