Looking for troubleshooting advise for an SX out drive issue

[FishingwithDave]

I have a 2002 Glastron GX185SF with Volvo Penta 4.3gl motor and SX out drive. I was out fishing on Thursday trolling. Stopped trolling to bring the trolling rigs and move to another area of the lake. Fired the boat up, put the boat into forward gear and heard a nasty screeching type noise coming from the back of the boat that went away after I put it back in neutral. Raised the out drive to inspect and didn't see any issues. Lowered and tried again and not only was there the noise, but the boat was not being propelled forward. Out of fear of doing further damage, shut it down and used the trolling motor to get back to the ramp.

When I got it home, I tested it in forward and reverse and the prop was spinning and no noises. Pulled the drain plug to check for metal shavings and there wasn't any on the magnetic plug or the oil I drained out. (I only drained a cup or so of the oil.) There wasn't any water in the oil and the oil level was full according to the dipstick.

I'm mechanically inclined, but I know nothing about repairing out drives nor how to troubleshoot to get some idea of the likely issues these symptoms would indicate. I've been researching this issue for a couple of days, but haven't found much information.

I would appreciate any insight as to possible causes and recommended troubleshooting steps to follow.

Thanks so much!

David

 

[Scott Danforth]

welcome aboard

what is the fluid level in the drive? if its low you could burn up a cone clutch. with improper adjustment on the shift linkage, you could burn up a cone clutch

when was the last time the gimbal bearing was inspected? would have been done last time the bellows were done or the u-joints inspected (hint, it should be an annual inspection)

 

[FishingwithDave]

Scott, the oil level in the out drive read full. I take my boat in for service annually. I probably should know everything they do, but I’m not sure if inspecting the gimbal and u-joints is part of the service though I don’t think it is. Back in November 2017, they did check the bellows while they were troubleshooting why my boat was taking in water and said they were fine. (Broken speedometer hose was the problem.)

I cant find the receipt, but maybe 7-8 years ago, I believe gimble bearing, splined shaft and u-joints were all replaced because the splines on the shaft were wore down and they recommended fixing before it failed. Probably replaced the bellows too.

Would a bad gimbal bearing cause the problem I’m having?
David

 

[Gator5713]

Qualifier: there are many on this forum WAY more knowledgeable than me on outdrives.
The sound you describe sounds like either the gimbal bearing or the cone clutch. While it is possible that the gimbal could scream only when under a load, it is more likely that it would be making noise whenever the engine is running. Pair that with the lack of thrust and that leads me to suspect the cone clutch. Any chance that you were in shallow water (prop in the mud?) if so it may be possible that the extra resistance on the prop could have aided in an already out of adjustment cone clutch to slip. There is also a spring in there that could be weak or broken. The other possibility is a stripped out gear somewhere. You can pull the shift cover off the front of the gearbox and visually inspect the cone clutch and part of the gear rings without removing the outdrive and this will at least give you a little more idea of what direction you need to go.
All this said, 7-8 years on bellows its probably time to replace them and the gimbal as well.

 

[FishingwithDave]

Gator, thanks for the information! To check the clone clutch, would I simply remove the four bolts by the shifter in this picture? (Sorry for not knowing the part names, but I haven’t found any good diagrams with part names yet.). Would I need to disconnect the linkage and cables? Do you know if there is a gasket behind the plate?

Also, if the cone clutch was the culprit, would I find metal shavings in the oil?

Thank you for the help!

David

 

[Gator5713]

yes, yes, oring type seal, maybe/maybe not...
for reference, the flat head cap screw to the right of that plate is the 'fill to' hole but you fill from the bottom up.
Also, you appear to be missing the jam nut on your shift linkage.

 

[FishingwithDave]

UPDATE - LOCATED ISSUE - Put the boat back in the water before tearing anything down and learned that the noise and lack of propulsion occurred both in forward and reverse. Drained the gear oil and pulled the shift cover off to look at the shift cone and gears. Everything I could see looked fine. When I lifted cone up or pushed it down and turned the prop, the shift cone engaged and the gears would turn. However, so did the pinion gear. Built an outdrive dolly, pulled the outdrive and found that the splines inside the engine coupler were pretty much all gone. The good news is that the outdrive is fine; the bad news is that the motor needs to be pulled to replace the coupler and I don't have a hoist to pull the motor myself. Have to replace the drive shaft assembly as well.

While it's apart, I'm gonna replace the drive shaft related seals, the shift cover seal and the u-joint and exhaust bellows. The gimbal bearing feels fine, but I'm thinking I should replace it and the seal too. If I'm overlooking anything, please let me know.

Thanks for the help!

David