need the help and support from my friends here

[nailem]

The upper gear set in my alpha one gen 1 broke. some of the teeth cracked. i was out and running about 20-25mph and heard a thud then a thud thud thud from the drive. followed by the smell of gear lube. i have another thread with the full story. but the long and the short of it is it turned it into my insurance as a collision claim. the adjuster came out and looked at the drive and there is no signs of damage to the out side so he said i need to take it to a merc mechanic and if he feels the gear set broke due to an impact i would all set. i found a shop that could get me in relatively fast and he looked at the drive and put in writing that the gear set had no signs of wear and broke most likely from a prop strike. i though i would be good to go until they said the claim was denied. i asked why and was told that it is "imposable to brake the gear with no signs of damage to the out side of the drive".

i am fighting it and they are supposedly sending the pictures to a marine expert. i say the only way they can win is for him to say that it is "imposable" even if he says it is note likely i should still win.

others i have talked to say i could have hit anything a tire, log, ext.

Im not sure how anyone can help but there is so much experience and knowledge here that maybe some one would have something to offer. maybe a similar experience or some documentation from the web supporting that the gear can brake without smashing the outer case. I have nationwide insurance so maybe someone else with a claim with them.

thanks

 

[dubs283]

Re: need the help and support from my friends here

hitting the prop on something in the water usually damages the lower gears while a gear lube loss destroys the upper gears

 

[JustJason]

Re: need the help and support from my friends here

Sorry to say it man... your going to lose this one. It smells a little like insurance fraud to me... And I'm no adjuster.... so I hope your playing dumb.

2 ways to fry an upper gear set....
1. Open it up and monkey with things and not put it back together correctly
2. Run it low on oil/oil out water in

Think about it.... the gears are hardened steel... very very very strong. Stronger than any other part in your boat. Just as strong if not stronger than the crankshaft.

A hit of any kind would damage an aluminum gearcase. A prop hit would damage an aluminum prop. A prop hit on a stainless steel prop would damage the prop before it damaged hardened steel.
A heavier hit would damage the prop hub, especially if it's a flo-torque hub. A really really heavy hit snaps the vertical shaft. A really really really heavy hit rips the drive off the boat.
Jumping the boat through waves/wakes and rapidly loading/unloading the prop would show no damage to the prop itself, but twist the propshaft, ruin the prop hub, snap the vertical shaft, even ruin the engine coupler.... but it's not going to break the gears......

You may want to withdraw your claim before they red flag you on this one buddy.

 

[nailem]

Re: need the help and support from my friends here

i would have never place the claim if it were not for the information i got here. a very senior member said he has seen upper gears brake from hitting a plastic bag. his words not mine. if it were low on gear lube you would see hot spots or signs of wear. again words from others here and at other sites not mine.

lets assume for a moment that the gears were weak or the weakest point but still good. i hit something that broke them, they were still operational to that point. the strike caused the premature failure.

please keep your thoughts and opinions coming. they are welcome

 

[nailem]

Re: need the help and support from my friends here

dubs283, from what others have said you are right "usually" but not a always. i think a usually statement would not cut it.

 

[Bondo]

Re: need the help and support from my friends here

Ayuh,...

Running the Prop into something Other than water can cause gear fractures,+ broken Shafts,....
If this Something that Stops the prop is of a consisentency of say Mud,....
It can happen Without outside case injuries,.. 'ell No damage to the prop even...
Been there, Done that...

If I remember the Long story of this,.... I again Agree with JJ,....
Bite the bullet,+ Buy an SEI drive, chaulking this up to Experince...