On this page we will try to help you with questions you may have concerning your V Drive. Please click on the form button below to send a specific question to us. When filling out the form, please fill in as many as the blanks as possible, and be as descriptive as you can in the text box.We will try to have an article each month on this page concerning maintenance, performance, and overhaul procedures. Also, we will try to post the names and addresses of businesses making parts, or providing services for V Drives.
Please be aware that the information on this page may not work for everybody. In some applications, it could even be hazardous. It is up to you to use your own good judgment, and determine what is right for you.
Water in your drive? We have had a lot of mail lately concerning contamination of the v-drive oil with water, and how it gets in. In a couple of the letters, the owner claimed the v-drive was completely destroyed due to water contaminated oil.
There are two main ways that water gets into the inside of a v-drive. The first is due to condensation, and can occur in both water cooled, and non water cooled v-drives. If you run your boat for short stretches, and then float for long periods, sooner or later water will get into the oil. When you make a short run, the drive heats up, and the expanding air inside is forced out. When the drive cools down, air is drawn back in. As the drive cools further, the water vapor in the air condenses inside the case, and settles to the bottom. The same thing can happen if you store your boat in a humid location that has large fluctuations in temperature.
The second way that water gets into the oil, is from bad gaskets, or leaking water jackets. If for some reason you take your drive apart, make sure the gasket area is thoroughly cleaned, and a new gasket installed. Also, look for any thin spots in the water jacket due to corrosion. Make sure to tighten all bolts properly, to ensure a good gasket seal. If gaskets blowing out are a continuing problem. Make sure there are no obstructions in the water exit line. A small amount of debris can cause a great deal of water pressure to build up at high speed, and force water past the gasket. Be very careful if you use silicone on the gaskets, as a small amount could be squeezed into the water jacket and block it.
I have noted that some owners check their oil level at the beginning of good boating weather, only to have the drive fail shortly afterwards. They said there was no water in the drive when they checked the oil. But they were wrong. Oil settles to the bottom of the case, and most dipsticks on the drive won't show water, because they don't extend to the bottom of the case. If the oil had been checked a second time right after running the drive, it would have appeared milky on the dipstick, a sure sign of water contamination.
What's the best solution? Well, changing the oil regularly is the best answer. I know its a chore to drain the oil on some units, but changing the oil once a month would be a good start. Also, change it once before and after a long period of storage. Also, don't think that running the boat long and hard will heat the oil enough to evaporate any water from the oil. It won't. The water only gets mixed in with the oil, and what little that does evaporate just condenses again.One other thing I wanted to touch on, was the bolt on the lower bearing end cap on the Casale quick change v-drive. I have had a few people ask me how to adjust it, or want to know what its for.
The bolt and jam nut are for removing the lower shaft from the housing. When the bolt is screwed in, it pushes the bearing out of the gear case, and helps to separate the case half's. The bolt should be adjusted a turn or so from the bottom, and the jam nut secured. Do not tighten the bolt to the point where there is no slack. Doing so could lead to big problems.Make sure to check out the Ideas section for a handy little device you will find endless uses for. That's all for this month, and thanks for stopping by.
Back to Drive page