Prop fouled and milky saildrive oil

[TopperHarley]

G'day people,

In a brief moment of distraction the other day my spinnaker sheet went over the side and fouled the prop, causing the engine (Bukh 8hp saildrive) to come to a pretty sudden stop.

After clearing the rope, I was going to give the engine a run to see if all was well, when I noticed the saildrive oil had become milky, suggesting water ingress....

I imagine the rope has damaged the seals...

Any thoughts on what my next step should be ? Is it possible Ive done any further damage ?

Cheers,
Craig.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Craig.

If the milky oil is concurrent with the fouling incident, I’d suspect (as you seem to) damage to the seals. Further damage may also be possible.

I'd haul out, and perform a detailed inspection.

BUKH DV10SLME Parts ➥ http://univa.no/wp-content/uploads/P...0saildrive.pdf

[TopperHarley]

Thanks Gord,

I was out there today and noticed that there were a few metallic specks in my lovely avocado coloured sail drive oil too !.

There will be quite a lead time to organise replacement parts....apart from the seals, what other parts do you think I should be looking for ?

Cheers,
Craig.

[belizesailor]

Bummer, bits of metal...that's never good. You almost certainly damaged the seals and maybe the prop shaft -- even minor and not very noticeable damage to the prop shaft can cause the seals not to seat properly. Have it checked out very carefully by a machinist if the damage is not obvious.

[Khagan1227]

If you can avoid it, don't run the engine.

The metal doesn't necessarily mean you ruined the sail drive, but it will need to be inspected.

As Gord said, you will most likely need to hull the vessel and replace the seals.

IF the drive is salvagable, you'll need to flush the oil system. A good rule of thumb is to change 2 to 3 times the amount of oil you normally use in the drive, running the drive each change to circulate the oil and remove the particles from the system. A clean filter after each flush is a MUST. After the flush, run the drive for a few minutes, then get a sample of oil. filter the oil through a white cloth and look for debris, if the cloth is debris free, you should be good to go.

Good luck.

[sctpc]

Originally Posted by Khagan1227

If you can avoid it, don't run the engine.


Good luck.

Why not? its his sail drive, my dv10 out of gear was ran on the hard and it did not spin my prop they just put a hose attachment on the intake.

TopperHarley the biggest problem would be to find a good Bukh mechanic parts will not take long to get. Hope there's not much damage but I could be wrong if you have water in your seals rust will set in the longer you leave it.

[marshmat]

Craig: I concur with the others who say you'll have to haul the boat and have the drive checked.

Hopefully it'll just be the shaft seal and a few gaskets that need replacing.

But be prepared for having to machine or replace the prop shaft. As others have pointed out, even small burrs and scratches on the shaft can do damage to the seals.

I would say that it is unlikely, but not impossible, that the gears themselves may be damaged. Wet gear oil is common, and the gears *should* be sturdy enough to handle it for short periods. But if this has been going on for a while without your knowledge, they may be a bit worn.

[Khagan1227]

Originally Posted by sctpc

Why not? its his sail drive, my dv10 out of gear was ran on the hard and it did not spin my prop they just put a hose attachment on the intake.

TopperHarley the biggest problem would be to find a good Bukh mechanic parts will not take long to get. Hope there's not much damage but I could be wrong if you have water in your seals rust will set in the longer you leave it.

Yep, but as I said, I'd avoid using it, 'cuz he has metal in the oil. IF the damage isn't too bad now, it could very well get worse (and cost more to fix) if he uses it. Metal is a poor lubricant.

[C4 King Cobra]

You should drain that milky oil as soon as possible. The saltwater in the oil will start to pit your internal parts damaging them. Bearings and the like could need to be replaced. Seals are cheap but bad oil can reak havoc on the rest.

[TopperHarley]

Thanks for the advice guys - Have organised to have the boat slipped next week and looked at by a diesel engineer...... Will let you know the results

[sctpc]

If you think its stuffed LSM have second hand ones for just over a 1k + post
LSM Diesel A/S - Denmark - Marine Motor Sale, Spares and Repair

soz cant get directly to page. Go to left side click on (sail drives) then 3rd from bottom (027D5001 saildrive complete) could work out cheaper to change over

[TopperHarley]

Thanks sctpc...... I just in the process of getting some quotes and suspect it may be cheaper to get the whole thing.... the price of Bukh parts in oz makes me cringe !

[sctpc]

Originally Posted by TopperHarley

suspect it may be cheaper to get the whole thing.... the price of Bukh parts in oz makes me cringe !

Bukh Diesel East-West Marine (WA)
Engines-Diesel &/or Equipment & Parts - Gosnells, WA
9 Greenhood Crt, Gosnells WA 6110, Australia
(08) 9490 2126
This guy has resources that I would love. He is no cheaper than LSM but the advice is worth that cost. At least he will give honest advice.