Albin AD 21 Reverse gear transmission neutral problem

[gmikeliv46]

I have a 1972 Columbia 34 MK II with an Albin Ad 21 22hp engine. I am having a problem with the transmission not getting into neutral. It does into forward and reverse but is not wanting to go into neutral. The previous owner used Shell Rotella 15WX40 oil. The manual says use SAE 30. Could this be a problem or is there another issue with the transmission. The oil was just changed and the transmission fluid was just changed. What can I do to fix the problem. Thanks for your help.

[dkirsop]

You should only use SAE 30 oil as multi-weight oil will result in slippage and failure to engage forward and reverse however it should not effect shifting into neutral. I expect your problem is one of 3 possibilities - shift linkage out of alignment, gear selector pawl worn, or reverse clutch spring broken.

The first is easy to check. Simply check to see if the selector arm on the transmission correctly aligns with the detent positions as you move the gear selector at the helm.

To check for the second possible problem you must remove the gear selector from the transmission. First disconnect the shift cable from the selector arm then make sure the arm is in the neutral position. Remove the two bolts holding the selector mechanism to the transmission and pull the mechanism straight out from the transmission. The engagement pawls project from the bottom. Each pawl should have a sharp well defined shoulder where the flat vertical face engages the tab on the clutch spring. If they are worn, rounded or chipped then they will need to be replaced. Move the sector lever back and forth to observe the motion of the engagement pawls, the should move up and down smoothly. The forward pawl controls the neutral clutch spring.

If you shine a light into the gear selector opening on the transmission you should be able to see the clutch spring tabs. With the gear selector removed the clutch springs will be fully clamped to their respective shafts. The forward most tab controls the neutral clutch spring. When the selector pawl engages this spring tab as the engine is running the spring unwinds and loses its grip on the engine output shaft (are you still with me?) which results in the neutral effect. If you can see the tab then it has not broken off and it will not be possible to move it with a screwdriver.

Parts for the transmission are available from Albin Motor in Sweden. A google search will quickly produce the web site address. At a minimum you will need a new gasket for the gear selector mechanism. From what you have described it is most likely that the engagement pawl is worn.

Good luck and let me know how it goes.

[WillieC]

What an excellent explanation. Mr. K, I see there is a 1973 A25 in BC that I would like you to buy that is very similarly equipped as mine. I may have some questions for you.

[gmikeliv46]

Thanks dkirsop for that great and thorough explanation. In checking the transmission further the plate says it is a Walter Gear V drive made by the Walter Machine Co, Jersey City, N.J. USA serial # 20298 with a 2-1 gear ratio. Do you know if this is the same transmission you are referring to in your explanation and was this transmission common to all the Albin engines of that era?. It would appear that I should be able to get parts from the Walter Co here in the US.

I have hull 265 of the 34 MK II and my manual shows a transmission with a one lever control for forward, neutral and reverse, however, my set up has the standard throttle lever on the right side of the steering column and the shift lever on the left side. I know the previous owner had the transmission rebuilt in 1987 so not sure if he made a change to the transmission at the time.


I would appreciate your thoughts on this as you seem very knowledgeable about the transmission.

[dkirsop]

The transmission you describe is very different from what I am familiar with. I have two AD 21 engines complete with transmissions; one in my boat and a spare which I believe came out of a Vega sail boat. Both are configured for a straight shaft drive, and both are original from Albin Motor Works. I have reconditioned both transmissions (my equivalent of doing jigsaw puzzles for entertainment) which is why I am familiar with them.

I strikes me that you may have a third party transmission fitted to an Albin engine. Here is a picture of my engine, the transmission is directly below the coolant overflow bottle. You can compare to see if there is any similarity to your installation.

Engine.jpg

[gmikeliv46]

Thanks for the picture. My engine looks the same as yours though not as nicely painted etc, however my transmission does not look like yours. My engine is reversed in my boat with a V-drive unit attached to the transmission which allows the shaft to reverse itself and run back under the engine and out through the hull.
The plate on the reverse gear says to use 20-30 oil.

The section of your transmission however, has the same gear selector and is in the same place as mine on the transmission making me think that the V-drive unit was attached to a part of the original transmission if that is possible.

My manual says the Albin AD 21 is fitted with a so called "Spring Loaded" reverse gear , with a single control lever. Since mine is not this It is obvious that the previous owner made significant changes to the transmission when he did the rebuild in 1987.I plan to call the Walter gear drive machine company tomorrow to talk with them.

However, just to give you more detail of what I am experiencing currently. I am not having any slippage problem, however, when I shift the gear into neutral I can actually find a position in the neutral position that it will go into neutral, however, if I move it slightly within the neutral position or increase the RPM'S it sounds like it is trying to "catch" into gear either forward or reverse depending on which direction I move the shifter ever so slightly. I am sure you can explain why this is happening and maybe answered by your pervious explanation.


Your thoughts on this would be very much appreciated.

[gmikeliv46]

Just as a quick follow up to my last post I just looked at the line drawing schematic of my 1972 Columbia 34 MK II and it shows the engine with the transmission with the V-drive showing the shaft being reversed and running back under the engine and out thru the hull as I previously explained. So I am assuming that the Albin came originally with that set up .

Even though you have a straight shaft drive and mine is a V-drive my gear shifter is in the same position as in your picture as it looks exactly the same and is in the same position on the transmission.

[dkirsop]

If you have the same transmission then it sounds to me like the problem is related to the worn pawls mentioned in my first reply. Send me a picture and I might be able to see if you have the same transmission. Your V-drive may simply replace the reduction gear unit which is attached to the flange at the back of my transmission.

[dkirsop]

Here are some close-ups of my gear selector. If your gear selector is the same then you have an Albin transmission with the clutch springs.

Gear Selector 1.jpg

Gear Selector 2.jpg

[WillieC]

Mr. K, I like your thoughts about the vee-drive taped onto the original transmission. That begins to make sense given that who would have gone to the trouble of making transmissions for AD engines other than Albin. The Volvo Pentas are bad enough. I would be much relieved if I knew there were a transmission that would bolt onto the MD17C without a bunch of mods. The RB transmission from the MD3B won't even fit, different drive, shared engine oil, etc... These old parts are getting older as we speak. Like us.

I think you have nailed it.

[gmikeliv46]

Thanks for the up close pics of your gear selector. Mine is exactly the same so yes you did nail correctly. I did contact Stefan at Albin in Sweden regarding parts and he asked what Transmission I had. You have confirmed it. Is there any other way to identify the transmission for Stefan other than the Albin Transmission with clutch springs?

I also contacted the Walter machine Company and you see (Below) their response to me. So obviously the V-drive is what is attached to my transmission.

I appreciate all your instructions of how to take the gear lever out and will try to do so though I am new to all this so a little reticent in starting something that I may not be able to complete successfully. If you have any other instructions that may help me I would appreciate hearing them.

Their Response to my inquiry.

S/N 20298 is a model RV-10DT V-Drive which has been in service 48 years. It mounts to the transmission or reverse gear, which is what shifts between forward/neutral/reverse.

Unfortunately I cannot tell you which transmission you have as this V-Drive could mount to several different transmissions.

Sincerely,

Customer Service Team
THE WALTER MACHINE COMPANY, INC.
- Established 1927 -
84 - 98 Cambridge Ave
Jersey City, NJ 07307
USA
(201) 656-5654 - Main
(201) 656-0318 - Facsimile
E-Mail - info@waltergear.com

[dkirsop]

Your description; "My manual says the Albin AD 21 is fitted with a so called "Spring Loaded" reverse gear , with a single control lever." will adequately describe your transmission for Stefan. There are two versions of the gear selector that attaches to the transmission - yours is the older version. You can forward the pictures of the gear selector that I have posted to Stefan if you want or send him the link to this thread.

Removing the gear selector is easy. First remove the shift cable from the selector lever by sliding the barrel connector sleeve back and removing it from the ball joint on the upper arm. Place the selector cable in the neutral (middle) position. If possible release the engine compression and rotate the engine manually until the propeller shaft stops turning. The direction of rotation is clock wise when viewed from belt (alternator) pulley. If you still have the crank handle it will only work in the correct direction. It is not critical if you cannot get the engine in neutral, just helpful.

Remove the two bolts that hold the gear selector mechanism to the transmission then pull the selector straight up and out. If it is stuck to the gasket tap it lightly on the side using a hardwood block an hammer. Then proceed to check the pawls as described above.

There are two pawls, the longer one being neutral. They will project and retract as you move the gear selector lever. Here are pictures of the from the Albin web shop.

pawl1.jpg

Reverse Gear Pawl

pawl2.jpg

Neutral Pawl

Notice how the vertical face is flat and ends in a short horizontal edge at the bottom with a sloped back. I expect you will find your neutral pawl worn, chipped or rounded at the bottom. If so, you have two options for repair.

Option 1 is to replace the entire gear selector mechanism. You can buy it from Albin Motor. This is the simplest and easiest solution, it will cost about $100US more that purchasing and installing individual parts.

shift lever.jpg

Option 2 is to do a tear down and recondition the gear selector. You will also need this part

doo-hickey.jpg

Unless you are mechanically inclined Option 1 is the way to go. It is a fiddly job and easy to damage or lose a part.

Hope this helps

[Burgess8229]

Your description; "My manual says the Albin AD 21 is fitted with a so called "Spring Loaded" reverse gear , with a single control lever." will adequately describe your transmission for Stefan. There are two versions of the gear selector that attaches to the transmission - yours is the older version. You can forward the pictures of the gear selector that I have posted to Stefan if you want or send him the link to this thread.

Removing the gear selector is easy. First remove the shift cable from the selector lever by sliding the barrel connector sleeve back and removing it from the ball joint on the upper arm. Place the selector cable in the neutral (middle) position. If possible release the engine compression and rotate the engine manually until the propeller shaft stops turning. The direction of rotation is clock wise when viewed from belt (alternator) pulley. If you still have the crank handle it will only work in the correct direction. It is not critical if you cannot get the engine in neutral, just helpful.

Remove the two bolts that hold the gear selector mechanism to the transmission then pull the selector straight up and out. If it is stuck to the gasket tap it lightly on the side using a hardwood block an hammer. Then proceed to check the pawls as described above.

There are two pawls, the longer one being neutral. They will project and retract as you move the gear selector lever. Here are pictures of the from the Albin web shop.

pawl1.jpg
Reverse Gear Pawl

pawl2.jpg
Neutral Pawl

Notice how the vertical face is flat and ends in a short horizontal edge at the bottom with a sloped back. I expect you will find your neutral pawl worn, chipped or rounded at the bottom. If so, you have two options for repair.

Option 1 is to replace the entire gear selector mechanism. You can buy it from Albin Motor. This is the simplest and easiest solution, it will cost about $100US more that purchasing and installing individual parts.

shift lever.jpg

Option 2 is to do a tear down and recondition the gear selector. You will also need this part

doo-hickey.jpg

Unless you are mechanically inclined Option 1 is the way to go. It is a fiddly job and easy to damage or lose a part.

Hope this helps

Dkirsop, you’re a wizard! I replaced both pawls last year when the reverse went out on my ad-21. Now I’ve lost both fwd and rev. I tried to take the shift mechanism out but it’s stuck. It comes out about 1cm and sticks. Any advice? I pulled pretty hard…

[dkirsop]

There is nothing about the shift mechanism that would cause it to snag unless something is broken and has jammed itself up against the mechanism. The only thing I can think of that might do this is the smaller spring that acts as a clutch. Can you rotate the prop shaft back and forth by hand as you try to remove the shift mechanism to see if it comes loose?

[Burgess8229]

I tried that like you said, no luck. Next step is to pull the transmission out and see if it can be rebuilt. Probably looking at a repower if the boats worth saving.