Starboard shaft not turning?
- Thread starter Katie
- Start date
Shaft coupling or transmission/reduction gears? If the coupling and it's keyway key and /or set screws are intact, the transmission will not turn the shaft if there is insufficient ATF fluid level or clutch plates and burned out or transmission pump is not building sufficient pressure. You might mention what transmission model you have and if what if anything you have checked so far.
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2002
- RO Number
- 7269
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- 802
A little more information would be helpful. How did you notice that the starboard engine shaft was not turning? And what exactly is an engine shaft---prop shaft--Vee Drive shaft--shaft from engine to transmission? We all try to help otheres here, but a clearer idea of what the problem is is needed. Boat type, engines, transmissions?
Bear with me it's my first rodeo. I know 0 about engines but I can tell this. It is a 1999 silverton 351 and I believe it has 350 crusaders. I don't know what tranny it has and maybe I'm trying to describe the wrong part. But I was in the salon bilge looking at the gen. And the engines were running. I noticed on starboard a rotating spindle of sorts. I looked at port and noticed that spindle never moved. I thought that was the shafts turning (or not) I could be describing something else?
Was this observed with boat tied to the dock, or underway? Hopefully not underway if you were in the bilge. Do you see the same with engines off?
Do you know if both Shift control levers were solidly in Neutral ,... or in Forward or Reverse? Or perhaps Port transmission was in gear but Stbd was in N?
If both were properly in N at the transmission lever, sometimes a worn transmission will allow prop shaft turning in N.
Also sometimes any current will act upon the propeller to turn the propshaft with or without the engine running -and it may not affect both propshafts the same way due to differences in friction at the cutlass bearing in the shaft strut under the hull and at the shaft packing port /"stuffing box" where the prop shaft passes through the hull.
I believe I've read the 351 with Crusaders employs "v"-drives with the transmission and gears forward of the engine and the belts and pulley at the aft end. Engine output is forward and the v-drive reverses that to the propshaft leading aft to the prop.
Enjoy the rodeo but watch where you step!
Do you know if both Shift control levers were solidly in Neutral ,... or in Forward or Reverse? Or perhaps Port transmission was in gear but Stbd was in N?
If both were properly in N at the transmission lever, sometimes a worn transmission will allow prop shaft turning in N.
Also sometimes any current will act upon the propeller to turn the propshaft with or without the engine running -and it may not affect both propshafts the same way due to differences in friction at the cutlass bearing in the shaft strut under the hull and at the shaft packing port /"stuffing box" where the prop shaft passes through the hull.
I believe I've read the 351 with Crusaders employs "v"-drives with the transmission and gears forward of the engine and the belts and pulley at the aft end. Engine output is forward and the v-drive reverses that to the propshaft leading aft to the prop.
Enjoy the rodeo but watch where you step!
Katie, did you just Splash? I wonder if the components didn't wake up and start moving in synch? Check fluids and then run the boat a little. Repeat your observation process, safe footing, safe distance, while somebody clutches/declutches forward and reverse.
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2000
- RO Number
- 36
- Messages
- 6,650
If you listen carefully while shifting each engine, while tied to the dock securely, you should hear each engine's RPM dip a little when it goes into gear. If you do not hear each engine dip, I am thinking that the shift is not really occurring. Could be a bad cable connection at the helm or at the transmission. With the engines off visually compare the operation of the connections on each transmission and at the helm.
It's easy to imagine how an inboard transmission, using fluid and clutches, could have a touch of "drag" in Neutral allowing the output to rotate a little. Interestingly, outboards and stern drives, even with their mechanical "go or no go" engagements, do it as well sometimes. The lubricant must get to circulating and move the output a little.
My Crusader 360CID 1996 Vee Drive on the starboard side always has a little activity at idle while port side stays put. I had a though that it may have had to do with the direction of the engine (torque versus no) but couldn't put any "real" logic around it because I got distracted by beer......damn you beer....!!