Good news for SX owners.

[bigbrownbuku]

This could be old news for some, however.<br />today i was re & re a drive for spring lubing etc<br />low and behold water in the drive, p'shaft seal rubber has delaminated. parts guy picks me the new seal , me expecting the same piece of **** seal that just broke only to be handed a very deluxe looking replacement, new part number etc.<br />I would strongly suggest to you all to book to have this seal replaced asap its a very quick job that WILL prolong the life of your drive.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Good news for SX owners.

BenC<br /> the seal problem in the SX is an ongoing thing. a cure we used since 95 was 2 shaft seals for the cobra run back to back. the rubber seems to come unbonded from the steel seal carrier. there was a new tool issued for seal installation a year or so ago. I hope the new seals work better than the old ones. the 95-2000 SX drives were terrible about it in the salt pond.

 

[bigbrownbuku]

Re: Good news for SX owners.

yeah i lost count how many i have replaced rodbolt. this new seal is what they should have made from the start. probably saved themselves 20c per unit installing that crappy seal from the beginning. <br />AGAIN if you own a sx. take it to a dealer and have your pshaft seal replaced with the updated seal. your existing seal will fail unless it is updated to this new part number. i really cant stress this point enough.<br />dont settle for old stock either, same as the pos you have in there at the moment.

 

[cmyers_uk]

Re: Good news for SX owners.

Ben,<br />Thank you for raising this issue. I have a VP SX-M year 2001. Its been fine for 4 years just past its pressure and vacuum test and its salt water only so Ive clearly been lucky. Nobodys ever mentions changing it at any of the dealers before is there a note issued by VP explaining this problem? Don / Rodbolt do you advise SX customers to change this when you service their drives? <br /><br />regards<br /><br />Chris

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Good news for SX owners.

yes<br />volvo wont admit to any failures. even though some I replaced 2 or 3 times under warrenty but after the warrenty we used the seals from a cobra unit. the seals from volvo had a tendancy to become unbonded from the steel retainer. I got rather proficient at doing the job without removing the lower. trim the drive all the way down to remove and clean/flush, then all the way up to get the silly retainer back in.

 

[cmyers_uk]

Re: Good news for SX owners.

Thanks Chris, Ill get it done. Ben C do you have the part number just so I can make sure I only replace the right component.

 

[tie_one_on]

Re: Good news for SX owners.

Stupid question. What's a "p-shaft seal"? Where is it? Thanks

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Good news for SX owners.

tie_one_on<br /> p-shaft is quik for propellor shaft. the SX seemed toshed the rubber from the steel backing. started with the 97 run or so. most failed at least once or twice. at the volvo school theysaid it was an issue with the manufacturing process fron chicargo rawhide. in about 2002 orso they said it was an installation tool issue and sent out new tools. now it seems they have issued a new seal as well. I have not looked it up. but that defective sealsure tore upa lot of drives in my area and once out of warrenty,even though some were replaced in warrenty 2-4 times, it was your baby. volvo would not help. thats whysome of us in da biddness found alternative seals that worked. I dont mind fixing it on Volvo's nickel. aint gonna happen on my nickel. by 98 we knew the seals were defective at the technician level and made modifications to the replacement procedure as required. took the corperate level a few extra years and thousands of gear cases. its an awful expensive case to rebuild once it wipes out due to no oil, just water, in the case.

 

[tie_one_on]

Re: Good news for SX owners.

Thanks Rod Bolt. I repowered my 1976 23' IMP Inca from an OMC Electric Shift back in January 2000 with a brand new VP 250hp SX. What a sweet set up. Did all the work myself. I've changed the impeller once in five years, will change again before this season. Changed the spark plugs every 2 seasons (I troll Lake Erie for walleyes). I have about 250 hours after 5 years, any thing else besides the "p-shaft" seal I should replace as PM?

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Good news for SX owners.

the bellows for the drive is due. check the play between the gimbal ring and lower pivot. the commercial guys wipe one a year out. if its loose I have a cure. cobra units had the same problem. check the gimbal bearing and shaft alignment. grease the ujoints. drive removal for inspection is a yearly thing. follow the service manual guidelines. you fresh water guys are lucky. leave an outdrive on in the salt pond for 5 years and you can take the nuts off and toss them as the drive becomes one with the bell housing

 

[mikeneal]

Re: Good news for SX owners.

Can you post the par tnumber for the updatred seal. I have a 2000 SX and would like to change it out before it fails. Can I just drill a small hole in it and pull out with a sheetmetal screw?

 

[bigbrownbuku]

Re: Good news for SX owners.

the part number is the same, just the part updated, or its the same but supercedes. the seal is trapped removable only from the inside once the bearing carrier and the aft bearing cone have been removed.<br />i believe DonS has access to some excellent shop/parts manuals online. perhaps a pm to him would help with the new part #. im just a tech that doesnt like to see good stuff break for stupid reasons

 

[Don S]

Re: Good news for SX owners.

Take it in and get it replaced. There are special tools and procedures needed to change it. Without a service manual, you will probably cost yourself a drive if the job is done incorrectly.<br />The part number for the new seal is 3863090, at least that is the latest one shown in their electronic catalog.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Good news for SX owners.

Originally posted by tie_one_on:<br /> Thanks Rod Bolt. I repowered my 1976 23' IMP Inca from an OMC Electric Shift back in January 2000 with a brand new VP 250hp SX. What a sweet set up. Did all the work myself. I've changed the impeller once in five years, will change again before this season. Changed the spark plugs every 2 seasons (I troll Lake Erie for walleyes). I have about 250 hours after 5 years, any thing else besides the "p-shaft" seal I should replace as PM?

Might be a number of people who would be interested in the details of your conversion, TOO. You ought to start a thread with descriptions and pics.

 

[mikeneal]

Re: Good news for SX owners.

The seal goes into the carrier from the inside? (sorry I am too slack to go get the factory drive manual I bought a while ag0? That is a hated design. I have rebiult an alpha, but was hoping the durabilty of the SX drive would keep me from buying Volvoi tools. . Don, is the job that tough? I don't have a guy around here I trust since I typically do it myself.

 

[Fordmannn]

Re: Good news for SX owners.

I also don't trust anyone to work on my drive! I want to make sure i get the new seal and not the old one. Could someone please explain the differences in the old and revised seals so that i am sure i get the revised seal? Thanks to BenC for posting this. I had not heard about the problem before -- i guess it must be less common for the strictly fresh water folks out here. I have never found any water in my '99 SX but i only look at it once a year when i change the oil. Thanks again to everyone for the info!

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Good news for SX owners.

hello<br /> the new seal has the rubber going all the way inside the seal backing instead of just around the lip of the backing. you will need the carrier removal tool and the seal installing tool. and a service manual. its a fairly easy job that does not even require lower unit removal.

 

[Fordmannn]

Re: Good news for SX owners.

Thanks Rodbolt!

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Good news for SX owners.

dont forget to remove the two carrier locking devices before attempting to unthread the carrier

 

[mikeneal]

Re: Good news for SX owners.

What does the carrier removal tool cost?