Borg Warner Velvet Drive spinning

[tomrobalo1]

Recently purchased a 79 Whitby 42 which is equiped with the Perkins 4236 and a BorgWarner Velvet Drive transmission, Model # 10-17-012. Should this transmission be left in gear with engine off under sail or should it be allowed to rotate freely in neutral? If it is suppose to be in gear, which one, forward or reverse? Thanks for any help, I have a lot to learn here as I am new to sailing.

[Vasco]

They recommend that you freewheel it i.e. put it in neutral.
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[SkiprJohn]

Agreed. Freewheeling for the Velvet Drive is ok.
JohnL

[GordMay]

Borg-Warner Velvet Drive Manuals:
Owner’s: http://www.mv-dreamer.com/VelvetDriveOwnersManual.pdf
Shop: http://www.mv-dreamer.com/Velvet%20D...p%20Manual.pdf

[tomrobalo1]

Thank you all, that's one more thing to check off my list of "I don't knows"

[SkiprJohn]

Ok Tom, ask another one.
JohnL

[Ron Flick]

We have a Velvet Drive on our sailboat. Everything was fine until today, when the drive pressure registered zero when we turned the motor on to come in after a day sailing. It's been real reliable after being rebuilt 8 months ago.

It shifts and powers the boat forward and reverse, but we nursed it back to the slip. There is fluid in the thing. Any ideas why the pressure might have disappeared all of a sudden??

[Lancerbye]

You have pressure gauges on your transmission? Usually when the internal pressure that is used to activate the clutch and control is blocked by some internal debris that is what happens. Or the pump has gone south. It is one of the easiest trannies to rebuild though. I had to do one twice because a piece of plastic from a deflector plate got into the works and things got melted. The replacement was made of steel.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by tomrobalo1

Recently purchased a 79 Whitby 42 which is equiped with the Perkins 4236 and a BorgWarner Velvet Drive transmission, Model # 10-17-012. Should this transmission be left in gear with engine off under sail or should it be allowed to rotate freely in neutral? If it is suppose to be in gear, which one, forward or reverse? Thanks for any help, I have a lot to learn here as I am new to sailing.

Our old velvet drive would keep spinning under sail, even if you put it in gear. Forward or reverse made no difference. (engine not running obviously) We always left it in neutral.

[Allan S]

Hello Tomrobalo1, the wife and I are soon going to look at a Whitby 42, how do you like your? From what I have read about them, I halve almost bought it sight unseen...lol.....Allan

[over40pirate]

Being a hydraulic transmission, it will freewheel even when in gear. I always run the enging briefly every 10 hours or so, when making a passage, to lubricate the internals. It's like an automatic trans in a car. the oil pump in the trans only pumps when the engine is turning the input shaft.

As far as loosing pressure. If I remember right, the trans has a pressure regulator. I would check that first. Assuming the trans didn't leak the fluid out.