Oil leak from Volvo Penta HS1A gearbox

[jensalmdal]

I purchase a Halberg Rassy 46 in January 2014. The engine is a Volvo Penta TMD31 L-A with a HS1A gearbox both from 1997. 1600 Hours run time. After the summer holiday in 2014 notice that there is leaking oil between the gearbox and the motor. It is clear gear oil. It leaks 0,5 dl after 10 hours runtime.

• 2014 August I change the Sealing ring ref 48 part nr 6842273.
• 2015 May I send the gearbox to Volvo Service partner.
The notice a scratch in shaft ref 12 were the Sealing is sitting. We try to position the Sealing ring in a way that do not conflict with the scratch.
• 2016 august I change the Sealing ring again. But the ball (ref 52) fall out when mounting the oil pump and damage the oil pump. The gearbox is send to Volvo Service partner again. They renovate the gearbox change all bearings etc and put a sleeve on the shaft.
• 2017 April still leaking oil. I send the gearbox up to Volvo Service partner again, the notice that the sleeve is loos. The glue a new sleeve on the shaft.
• 2017 July still leaking oil. I send the gearbox up to Volvo Service partner again, the notice that the sleeve is loos again. They remove 1 mm of the shaft and put on a new sleeve that has the same diameter as the original shaft.
• 2017 August still leaking oil.

• What do I do???? I think they do the right thing, but I still have the problem.

[Captsteve53]

Replace the input/gear shaft, or find another repair center that knows what they are doing, it's obvious the replacement wear rings are not being assembled correctly, normally these are an interference fit which means once on they normally are there for life,

Just one concern here you mention gear oil? - The Volvo HS1A is designed to run on the same oil as the engine (SAE 40 GRADE),

Cheers Steve

[Captsteve53]

item 12 is the input/gear shaft as below, going back to the oil if you are using something like 90 weight gear oil then perhaps the increase in oil pressure is causing you an issue?

Cheers Steve

[jensalmdal]

Hi

I use standard Volvo Penta Motor Oil as specified. My comment was about the color of the oil. Motor oil is normal black after some hours of use. Whereas gear oil don’t change color.
Jens

[Captsteve53]

Thats correct, it should stay clean as it's not being used in the engine which turns the black due to the combustion/cleaning process of the oil,

OK then as using the correct oil these guys you are sending the gear box are not doing the job correctly, sleeves are a common method of refurbishing a shaft but coming loose is not, any shaft sleeve I have installed has been using an interference fit method, for example either a press fit or freeze the shaft and heat the sleeve in boiling oil and drops right onto the shaft to never move again,

Cheers Steve

[rwidman]

I think you need a different repair shop. If they can't get it right after two tries, they don't know what they are doing.

[Captsteve53]

Jens, to move forward with this here's a little more info below, If you need to get redone some where else, ask what type of sleeve and there fitting process,

1)Use of a shaft repair sleeve::

A shaft repair sleeve has the potential to instantly restore a worn or damaged shaft or create an original, high quality seal surface. Sleeves are usually used with shaft diameters from 1/2" to 8.00” (12.7 to 203.2
mm). Some have a flange and are intended to be driven on with a simple tool or press. Wall thicknesses vary as:

2) Thin-walled sleeves (about .011” or .279mm) thick and do not add enough to the shaft diameter to require a different seal innerdiameter size. For thin-walled sleeves, basic shaft preparation consists of removing burrs and filling deep grooves.
Note: The above means basically the new original sized seal can be used with out changing to a custom seal size,

3)Heavy walled sleeves Sleeves with wall thickness above .030” (.76mm) add toomuch interference, and a new seal of appropriate size must be selected. Most sleeves above 8.00” (203.2mm) have
wall thickness of .060” (1.52 mm) or more. Not only do they require shaft grinding or changing the seal size, but may
require a heated slip-fit (to approx. 350 °F in a bearing heater or similar) must be used at assembly. They do preserve
the main benefits of shaft repair sleeves, which are speed and repeat ability.

Cheers Steve

[jensalmdal]

The problem is that I dont know for sure that the oil come from a leak between the shaft and the seal ring. This time the sleeve is fix on the shaft. The had the gearbox op running in the machine shop for 40 min with out leak. Now mounted I see oil under the gearbox. But I am not able to see were the oil come from. When they test the gearbox it is cold when I use the motor/gearbos it warm, I dont know how big a difference this is to the oil consistence. Do you know a trick to se were the oil come from??

[Captsteve53]

Only a small probability re the oil temp but it can be the difference in some cases, (thats a tough call).

I presume like most gear box applications it's impossible to see under it?

There's several other o rings sealing the front plate onto the actual gear casing where oil could leak from especially they had the front casing off to install the sleeve on the input shaft/gear,

I PRESUME there was a new shaft seal fitted during the last repair?

There are very small camera's like a bore scope on flexible trunks where some one may be able to pin point the leak as from the casing join or the front seal,BUT either way it would need to come out again!!

Also I trust you have checked the drain plugs for being tight?

Cheers Steve

[Captsteve53]

Forgot to ask, whats the condition of the drive/damper plate?

Is it a spring type and springs tight?

Just a thought that if the drive plate was not good perhaps it's causing enogh vibration to cause a leak? (thats a long shot by the way!)

[jensalmdal]

The drain plug is tiet. I know the oil is leaking in the house were the flywheel is and the gearbox. Because when I this is were a big part of the leaking oil is. So it come from the shaft seal or oil pumpe seal.

[Captsteve53]

Jens, Sorry mate, looks like out it comes, and as i have just rebuilt and replaced one of these monsters on a Jeanneau I know what that means!!!!