Need help with old velvet drive transmission

watered down

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I recently picked up a 1959 Century Resorter with a Dearborn Interceptor V-8 with the velvet drive. Had it out for the 1st time this summer and ran into a problem with the transmission. After about a 15 min ride, I tied it off at the dock. A little while later I put it in neutral and turned it over......and it jumped forward!. I double checked that it was in neutral and tried it again....same thing. No matter what I did, I could not get it out of forward gear. Now, the safety switch keeps it from starting in anything but neutral, but somehow it is stuck in gear. I checked the fluid and it was at the low mark, but there was fluid and it is still pink.

I am limited on my knowledge of transmission work.......any ideas??? Thanks
 

DeepBlue2010

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Sorry to hear about your transmission problem. You posted in the wrong forum though. You will get much faster response if you post in one of our engine and mechanical forums. Best of luck to you.
 

alldodge

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I recently picked up a 1959 Century Resorter with a Dearborn Interceptor V-8 with the velvet drive. Had it out for the 1st time this summer and ran into a problem with the transmission. After about a 15 min ride, I tied it off at the dock. A little while later I put it in neutral and turned it over......and it jumped forward!. I double checked that it was in neutral and tried it again....same thing. No matter what I did, I could not get it out of forward gear. Now, the safety switch keeps it from starting in anything but neutral, but somehow it is stuck in gear. I checked the fluid and it was at the low mark, but there was fluid and it is still pink.

I am limited on my knowledge of transmission work.......any ideas??? Thanks

The velvet drives have a fail in forward to get you back home. Its a real good thing but does tell you the trans needs rebuilding. They are a simple enough to rebuild but do require some tools. If your willing to get into it we can find you a manual, and there is several threads on it. Other wise look for the modle number tag, it will tell us which model and if it is something other then a 1:1 ratio
 

watered down

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First off.....thanks for moving the thread.

AllDodge: Thanks for the response. I would like to tackle this myself so any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated. I have attached photos of the tranny with the plate. 20150903_181900-1_resized (1).jpg
 

alldodge

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I can see the serial number but your second pic did work. The link below is the guy that goes completely thru the trans and shows how to rebuild, he does a nice job
http://www.mastercraft.com/teamtalk/showthread.php?t=53874

Service manual for 70 and 71 models. Yours may be a different model but they are about the same, but do have some slight differences. Need to find out exactly which one so you can get the correct rebuild parts. The other model is 5000 A or V
http://www.marineryachts.com/borg_manual.pdf
http://www.kp44.org/ftp/VelvetDriveServiceManual.pdf
 

Capt Ken

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I have to differ on one aspect, the transmission doesn't a fail safe to get you home. If there is no pump pressure, it don't move. You have overheated the transmission and the forward clutches have welded themselves together. Been rebuilding them things since the 70's. If the pressure drops, there isn't enough force to keep the clutches, there are five forward in that old model, pressed together so they start slipping. When they do they weld themselves together. They are simple transmissions to rebuild but there is several gotchas you have to watch for.
 

watered down

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Thanks again guys. Just got back from holiday so now I'll start focusing on the boat. The 2nd photo should be showing now. Before I start to take this apart, how hard is it to get parts once I find out what is broken? Capt Ken-the tranny is stuck in forward. Even when shifted to reverse, the tranny still spins in forward. If the forward gears are welded together, I assume it will be evident when taken apart?

Also guys, I have a friend who actually has a replacement tranny, I just have to verify it would fit. If it does, should I instead just replace it assuming it
s working? Thanks again.
 

alldodge

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If both a 1:1 ratio or the same other ratio and will fit, yes it should work. Parts are readily available so find parts should not be an issue
 

Capt Ken

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Only thing to watch for is the old BW transmissions had a course spline on the front where the newer ones have a fine spline. If they are different you can replace the drive plate on the flywheel.
 

alldodge

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It's a velvet but the picks are not clearing up what model it is, wonder what happened to the other tag. All manuals show a model, ratio and serial number. Yours just has the serial number
 

watered down

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I'm going to look through the paperwork I got with the boat again, there might be something there I missed that had more info.
 

Capt Ken

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Looking at that picture and it looks like an old 70's series Velvet Drive. It's a 1:1 drive
 
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