Transmission Leak

[loubennett]

Quest has developed a leak in rear seal in the transmission. The boat has been hauled and my mechanic will be repairing it this week. He says he will have to pull the engine to get to it making this an expensive repair. I'm curious if anyone else has had this problem and what they determined as the cause. Quest has 1725 hours on her but that seems early for this failure. Last year I had a collision with a log that damaged the prop and bent the rudder. I am wondering if this is the result of that collision. I checked the shaft and it seemed to be true but I didn't remove it. What do you think? Also I want to make sure everything is checked and refurbished that is more easily done while the engine is out. Suggestions? I trust my mechanic but it never hurts to get other inputs.

[RobS]

Did you make an insurance claim when you struck the log? If so, put them on notice of this right away. Once they open it up hopefully then you will have a better idea as to the cause of the failure...

[loubennett]

Quest went back into the water on Friday 7/2. Transmission seal fixed. My son brought her home so I didn't get to test the results until Saturday. I seemed to have a vibration that wasn't there before and had the mechanic check the alignment. He did that yesterday and sea trialed the boat. Says it's much smoother. Hopefully I'll get to test it tomorrow. The leaking seal and work have kept me from using her much for the last two weeks. I'd like to have a smooth and trouble free time for the next few weeks.

[loubennett]

Well the engine re-alignment solved the vibration problem. I think it's smoother than ever. At the same time my mechanic replaced the valve cover gasket. When I tried the boat on Friday about 30 minutes after leaving my dock the oil pressure dropped. A check revealed low oil level in the engine and oil in the bilge. Called the mechanic and he came over in about an hour. The only problem he found was that the new gasket had a defect. He replaced it and we tested the boat. All seemed fine. I ran the boat for several hours the next day and the oil leak is gone. He had also rebuilt the steering ram and it became very slow to respond to the helm during my trip. I think it didn't get bled properly. He is fixing it tomorrow. Three straight weeks with the mechanic on board, ugh. I hope I have a few weeks without having to call him. My bank account will appreciate it too.

See you all in Solomons.