Winter Service - 2015

[mlines]

Traditionally we have not done our service until the spring, this usually means we are up against it for time pressure and possibly contending with frost and snow (we like our boating to actually start at the end of March just prior to the speed limits cutting in)

Also this year has been our first year with the boat so we were unfamiliar with the noises it should and shouldn't make. However both me and James thought that the sterndrive was noisy and indeed on our last run of the year we found a spot in the mid-rev range where there was a distinct vibration somewhere in the system.

Therefore we booked Tom Parker from Tompa Marine Services in early and he travelled over today to carry out a major service for us (we asked for all service items rather than an "interim" style service)



Tom turned up nice and early and we let him into our private boat compound (Thanks to James' employer)

Mid afternoon I got these nice set of pictures from Tom!

The UJ


The bellows (complete with water!)



The Gimbal bearing



Tom changed the gimbal bearing and the bellows and then re-furbed the UJ for us...



Tom says he has come across a number of UJ's like this and following a proper clean and grease they come up just fine, however we will be keeping an eye (and ear) on it in future.

It was a bit of a lesson to find that shiny boat on outside does not necessarily equate to shiny boat on the inside. I guess at some point the bellows has gained a split and water has leaked in.


Anyway, that's us fully serviced and maintained (and winterised) so its simply a matter of the trailer service in January (remember our local trailer dealership has a servicing "sale" in their quiet month) and we are ready to go!

[_Ed_]

Out of interest, what was done with the UJ's I only ask as they are full of needle bearings and it looks as though they were just painted and greased?

[Gazjen]

Changing the bearings in a UJ is a right pain and takes quite a while. Does he have a press etc in his van?

[mlines]

From speaking to Tom, these type of UJs do not need a press. He has a hand tool that extracts the bearing caps which lets him see the needles. He removed the caps and found the needles all still greased and ok. He cleaned them out and re-greased them. The yokes were then rubbed back and painted. His report then recommends they are changed for new at the end of next year.

And of interest was Toms comment on the bellows. Apparently the bellows fitted was an old type that is known to have water ingress issues, this has now been replaced with an updated bellows and that is what he fitted.

Martin

[Ianfs]

Tom says he has come across a number of UJ's like this and following a proper clean and grease they come up just fine,

Yup, I had several marine mechanics say the same thing....pic a bit blurred though..

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I was advised by 2 marine mechanics that if you wriggle the joints enough and they feel smooth and completely free of any roughness or looseness, they should be fine. Plus your type of UJ has end caps for inspection.

Mine were the older kind, with grease nipples, so I bought some Mercruiser UJ grease and followed the recommended application. On checking earlier this year before the season, they were fortunately still ok.

And of interest was Toms comment on the bellows. Apparently the bellows fitted was an old type that is known to have water ingress issues, this has now been replaced with an updated bellows and that is what he fitted.

My next question was going to be, did you inspect the bellows for cuts, because it looks as if water was leaking in through the seal.

I'm surprised he didn't recommend changing the drive seal at the upper gear housing. He would have infinitely more knowledge and experience than I as a complete amateur but, I would have thought it would have been better to do it now rather than later because of further corrosion on the short part of the drive shaft causing premature wear to the seal.

One last thing, the water ingress into my housing caused the Gimbal housing to corrode, did he advise keeping an eye on that too?