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From: Edwin F. Kelly (no email)
Date: Wed Apr 13 2005 - 06:57:46 EDT
Margie,
What you report is consistent with transmission failure.
My wife and I have "been there, done that" during the Summer of 2004.
We have a Universal 3 cyl diesel and a Hurth transmission on our
sailboat.
We first had slipping and slow engagement only in forward as well. The
plates can slip in forward and not in reverse. It can "catch" sometimes
and then not the next couple of times. We noticed the problem when we
thought we were in gear but would find ourselves revving without
engagement of forward. Reverse did not fail on ours. We had to shift
to forward at absolutely zero throttle, and eventually it would not
shift into first without many attempts.
We then read about and tried a transmission reconditioning effort that
involved flushing the system with a solvent (can't remember what it
was) and then exercising tranny by shifting between forward and reverse
about 100 times and advancing throttle, then flushing, and repeating
whole cycle about two more times. The theory was that this would help
clean the clutch plates somehow of the buildup that kept them from
locking. It did help. The report from 2004 will be in the Liveaboard
Archives.
After the rehab flushing attempt the transmission was better and was
usable for a while, but we decided we did not want to later be "out
there" when it could fail at a later time. We bit the bullet and
decided to replace it, and ordered a new transmission from "Dr. Diesel"
from Foley at their web site:
http://www.foleyengines.com/specials.html
They promise an exchange for your old unit, which they ultimately did.
They were helpful in helping us order the right transmission. We got
down in the bilge and photographed the old transmission so we did not
misorder and shipped them a picture of it with Email. As a tip to
newcomers, you can often get a good view of a problem in cramped areas
of your vessel where you cannot adequately stick your head into, by
using a small digital flash camera and sticking your hand down into the
area you are investigating and snapping a couple pictures.
They shipped us the proper replacement Hurth transmission unit via UPS
in a plain cardboard box (without cushioning or packing material and
when delivered by UPS we ultimately found that unit damaged in transit
(a part of the metal rib was cracked where it had broken sometime in
shipment - the box must have been thrown or dropped on a shipping dock
somewhere). We did not discover the replacement transmission defect
till we were ready to install it and a friend suggested we might as
well fill it with the transmission fluid at the dock before installing
(only to notice the transmission fluid leaking out of the corner where
the metal casting had broken at a corner). We got a second one from
them - another full charge on our credit card, and it came fast and OK
(though still not in any proper packing box, only in a cardboard box).
We did transmission replacement ourselves (talk about a chore!) with
much help from mechanically minded friends on our dock in Iowa. The
new one worked great. We found out the Hurth transmissions are supposed
to be placed in REVERSE whenever sailing. (Its in their transmission
manual - to avoid damage.) That surprised us and about 8 others on the
list reported to us that they also had not known of this requirement.
We theorized that in the 24+ years our old transmission was used it
probably was left in forward when sailing some of the time. (I am
advised that eventually the plates will wear out if not placed in
reverse on the Hurth models).
We got our refund from our first credit card charge only after waiting
about two months, and after a hassle getting them to issue it. In
response to my legal demand, I got some guff in a return phone call
about "that's why no one likes to deal with you lawyers, etc. etc."
<Grin>.
However, they soon listened and after I apologized for my offensive
conduct (which got their attention) they then softened up and said they
were incredulous that I had not gotten a credit and then issued one,
saying they thought it had been done. They did not apologize, though.
I also learned that when UPS investigates shipping damage claims they
adjust it with the shipper and pay off the shipper but do not tell the
buyer what they did, so the buyer remains totally in the dark. We
never got any response from UPS, they just kept referring us to the
shipper (who UPS has their contract with and to whom they issue a
refund)! But after neglect, and complaints, two months later we did
get the refund on the first unit that had arrived in damaged condition.
Ed Kelly
ENJOUE, Allmand 35 Pilot House sloop now at Herrington Harbour North on
the Chesapeake
On Apr 12, 2005, at 9:47 PM, John & Margie wrote:
< . . . (about) some potential transmission trouble. >
. . .
My question is this. If I have a problem with the internal parts of the
transmission, would it just fail altogether, or would it sometimes work
and sometimes not? When it works, it works without a problem. Then the
next time it does not engage although I see movement in the lever. What
is your opinion, cable problem or transmission problem?
Thank you in advance for your input.
Margie
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