Dropped a straw in my gearbox!!!!

[Swift Drift]

Hallelujah the foreign contaminant has been removed! It took several hours of hunting and trying different methods. I’m shocked it actually happened....I feel like I won the lottery.

Ultimately what lead to success was:

1) Taped the small pick up hose from my large oil extraction pump (hose I usually send down dipstick tubes) to an endoscope camera and fed it down the gearbox fill hole. This allowed me to remove the very small puddle of ATF that was remaining at the bottom. This was hiding the straw from view.

2) Taped my “grabber tool” alongside endoscope which not only allowed me to see where I was going with my grabber, but also provided better/stiffer structure to endoscope as opposed to a floppy camera cable. This set up is invaluable!!!!!!

3) The foreign containment was initially spotted (just barely) via the gearbox fill hole on port side. I couldn’t get a very good view or access from this angle.

4) Extraction was via the cover plate/tranny cooler area on starboard side. I was barely able to access a small portion of the straw with the grabber/endoscope combo tool. It was tense as I was worried it may come loose and/or be jostled to a worse location.

What a relief! Unfortunately I won’t be able to answer the question: “Will a polyethylene tube stuck in a a KBW20 gearbox cause damage?”

Thanks for everyone’s insight....very much appreciated.

[mvweebles]

Whew!!!! Great news. Congrats - thanks for sharing your predicament.

Fair winds

Peter

[sailormed]

[SaylorMade]

I needed this ! Haven't slept all night

[jimbunyard]

Though I don't expect many to understand this, that you got it out pretty much answers the question. A straw that size in that transmission won't cause damage.

It's a moot point however. Glad you got it out (without tearing everything apart), for everyone's, but more importantly, your, peace of mind.

If you have a bit of time, here's a similar, perhaps somewhat more amusing thread along the same lines.

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ke-186189.html

[ggray]

Originally Posted by Swift Drift

Hallelujah the foreign contaminant has been removed! It took several hours of hunting and trying different methods. I’m shocked it actually happened....I feel like I won the lottery.
<snip>

What a relief! Unfortunately I won’t be able to answer the question: “Will a polyethylene tube stuck in a a KBW20 gearbox cause damage?”

Thanks for everyone’s insight....very much appreciated.
Attachment 214723

Congratulations!

I'm late to this discussion, but want to comment on whether the tube would cause damage if not removed.

Seemed to be a minority opinion that the tube could be drawn into the gears, but I think it certainly could (unless it was of sufficient length to lodge itself in an out of the way position).

Think of an old-fashion washing machine wringer. That's where the phrase "t____ caught in the wringer" came from. On one side the gears could pull objects inward.

If that didn't damage anything, certainly the ground up particles could damage bearings as someone mentioned.

But the main point --perhaps an old mechanics tale-- that I want to throw out for consideration or debunking is something that mechanics I knew claimed.

They always said to be very sparing with using RTV sealing around gear boxes as any excess sealant chunks that might come loose would cause damage to the gears and bearings.

I don't know if that's true. I never tested it!

[Rod B]

They always said to be very sparing with using RTV sealing around gear boxes as any excess sealant chunks that might come loose would cause damage to the gears and bearings.

This is true, I once bought a small Honda motorcycle cheap because the engine wasn't running. A previous owner had used excessive amounts of RTV on all the cover plates with had plugged oil ways. Beware.

[gonesail]

congrats .. great solution to a big problem

[jimbunyard]

I feel an exposition on this subject coming on, but, fortunately or not, I'm pretty busy at this time so it's going to have to wait...

[wsmurdoch]

Be careful putting the cover back on. Its exact position matters. This is a page from the manual for the similar KBW10.

[kmacdonald]

Originally Posted by SaylorMade

I needed this ! Haven't slept all night

Neither of us did.

[hpeer]

Very good. You deserve a couple of drinks for that one.

Now the question is.....what did you do to cause the Situation in the first place and what should I do to not repeat it on my boat?

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by hpeer

Very good. You deserve a couple of drinks for that one.

Now the question is.....what did you do to cause the Situation in the first place and what should I do to not repeat it on my boat?

Don’t use the gear oil pump for the outboard to suck the ATF out of your transmission, use your oil change vacuum pump instead.
I cringed when I heard about it, cause I could see myself doing the exact same thing.
If you choose to use the gear oil pump, get a straw long enough so it can’t fall it if it comes loose.
People who stick the tanks on an airplane often make the same mistake and drop the stick into the tank, a longer stick you can’t drop into the tank.


Glad you got it out, good thinking with attaching the two tools together

[Swift Drift]

Originally Posted by wsmurdoch

Be careful putting the cover back on. Its exact position matters. This is a page from the manual for the similar KBW10.

Thank you!

[Swift Drift]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Don’t use the gear oil pump for the outboard to suck the ATF out of your transmission, use your oil change vacuum pump instead.
I cringed when I heard about it, cause I could see myself doing the exact same thing.
If you choose to use the gear oil pump, get a straw long enough so it can’t fall it if it comes loose.
People who stick the tanks on an airplane often make the same mistake and drop the stick into the tank, a longer stick you can’t drop into the tank.


Glad you got it out, good thinking with attaching the two tools together

What A64pilot said is the ticket!