Volvo Marine Diesel Engines D2-75 – Gear Box problem

Hi,

I have started a previous thread on this subject:

http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/technical-discussion/13859-volvo-penta-d2-75-a.html

We had rough gear changes at the first 100 hours, then this problem ceased to exist. Afterwards, from 50 to 200 engine hours we had vibration between 2400-2700 RPM. We cruise with 2300 however, there were a few instances of high-speed runs necessary and the vibration was common at 2400+.

Now the engine is at 230 hours (approx). No problems or vibrations at any RPM whatsoever. Since you have a Cat, do you have the problems you wrote about for both engines or only one of them?

Hi,

Just an update FYI; we had to replace the propeller on our boat (D2-75). I have attached the pictures of the old one after the diver replaced it with a new prop.

Basically, the Volvo dealer stated that the flexible part covering the propeller on the inside (I don't know the exact term) was a faulty production. They covered the replacement under warranty. The Bavaria dealer also stated that D2-55's also have this propeller and/or gearbox problem. The vibration around 1300-1900 RPM is a good indication that the prop will fail in the future.

The way it happened was that after warm-up and cruise operation at 2000 rpm half an hour into our trip, we lost forward drive. I thought we wrapped something up and dived under the hull, there was nothing. So the prop almost 'came off' . The dealer ordered a new prop from Belgium and the marina diver replaced it. We tested the operation without the prop, the transmission runs smoothly, so its fine, no faults there.

Also, look at the way the paint has come out below, this is 9-10 months old.

Anyway, D2-75s and D2-55's have gearbox problems, confirmed by the dealer and Bavaria in TR. Its mostly because the S-Drives are manufactured I presume.

If anyone else has comments to make, I welcome your opinions. Regards, VR.

Could the gearbox be overheating because while sailing, the water is turning the propellor and shaft and therefore turning the gear in the transmission without lubrication?

We almost never sailed without the engine off for long periods, always motor-sailed or motored to our destination.

In the engine manual, it states that during sailing, the gear should be in neutral or locked in reverse. There is no shaft as it is an S-drive and the transmission oil was checked many times. Serviced twice in its 250 hr. lifespan. The dealer says that its due to the production, we'll see.

Hi,

There is an article here where Owners discuss their experiences with Prop Corrosion with the Volvo DPH Drives

It may provide some info for you so here it is: http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=222884

The DPH drive has NIBRIL props that have terrible corrosion problems (they are allergic to saltwater).

The regular saildrive comes with an aluminum prop. I've never seen one as badly corroded as this one on a saildrive before. Are the zincs working?

Hi,

-Thanks for the link K1W1, I will read the contents, much appreciated.

-We just checked the zincs, they are working and there is no corrosion on them at all. We thought there was an electrical discharge in the marina water however that is not the case.

The dealer sells epoxy primer and black paint for the propeller, we'll use them if this happens again. We're going to lift the boat out around April.

The best paint I've found for Aluminum props is for outboards. Quicksilver EDP (Part No. 92-802878Q50). Works well, nice finish.

Thanks Fish, I'll keep that in mind for our tender outboard as well

For future reference, I wanted to conclude this thread by relaying some information, which we heard directly from the dealer (Both Bavaria and Volvo) in Turkey.

These Volvo engines are experiencing a high frequency of transmission and prop. failures on many sailboats. Some users have lost their propellers (literally came off in some instances because of the bad quality materials covering the centre.) and were unable to motor back from a Greek island to Turkey.

The manufacturer is aware, and the existing boats might need replacement parts, and these need to be sent from Belgium or somewhere else. It takes almost 10-15 days for delivery. There are a few other parts requiring changes if this happens, I will post the details if anyone needs more info.

Basically, if you have a sailboat that uses a D2-55 or D2-75, be careful. Also, the transmission might not engage the gear during docking, if going in& out of gear multiple times. This is also a manufacturing defect, found even in Bavaria 55's engine (new Farr-designed cruiser), the flagship model.

I wish safe and good sailing to all. Regards, VR

Thanks for the heads-up VR.

On our sister island I had heard of 2 boats losing their props this summer but thought nothing of it (bad maintenance/ installation).

So have Volvo paid up and apologised? I hope they looked after you well.

Cheers

Yes, the dealer at D Marin Didim was very helpful, covered everything under warranty. They have ordered a few more extra parts just in case. The Good thing is its a sailboat; were it to happen on a motoryacht it would be much worse for the owner's mood.

Cheers

I have spoken to Volvo at two boat shows, they know the problem exists and they have come up with an interesting solution to fix it:

They are now advocating the use of engine oil such as 15W30 (making up the oil number) instead of transmission oil. The use of ATF Oil is not recommended as they are advising customers to put the same engine oil to the transmission/reverse gear as well. On the new engines in their stands, they have put the stickers which say "15W30 oil only" on transmission/reverse gear housing as well.

They have stated that the clutch slip is a common problem and if the above solution does not work, the transmission/clutch parts need to be changed.

We have changed the prop. and now will change a number of parts in the transmission and use the engine oil in our D2-75 as stated by Volvo. Speak with your dealer as they should know of this solution. Litigations will take time.

Vibration Shaking with our new Volvo Penta D2-55

Hello Folks. Just sharing that we are having some related problems with our installation in a Lord Nelson 41. During the sea trial there was a significant amount of vibration and the shifter cable arm came off the transmission and we could not get in to gear. The connection is problematic and needed a different bolt&nut tightened down extra hard. We've still not solved the vibration but it may be the prop shaft coupling out of alignment. We'll see. Just curious how the rest of you solved your challenges. Thanks for sharing.
/Matthew Warren, sv Tashtego,