Volvo Penta 4.3 Engine Noise?

B

Ba15shortcake

Recruit
Joined
Jul 27, 2014
Messages
3
Hi guys. Just recently noticed a noise high up in the outdrive of our 1998 Volvo Penta 4.3 while testing our boat in the driveway with water earmuffs. The noise sounds as though it is in the outdrive, not the engine. The noise is constant no matter what gear the boat is in. Could it possibly be a bearing? Maybe even a Input bearing in the upper drive? If their is a possibility of a worn bearing how do we diagnose and test that to be true?
 
Last edited:
D

dypcdiver

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Nov 1, 2005
Messages
1,018
When was the last time you pulled the leg and checked and lubed the gimbal bearing?
 
gator fan josh

gator fan josh

Seaman
Joined
Oct 7, 2012
Messages
54
If there is a grease zerk on your pivot housing on the transom you can try to shoot some grease in there and see if that changes the sound. However, it would still be a good idea to pull the outdrive (its only 6 bolts and about 20 minutes) and check the bearing. If the gimbal bearing is making noise you may have a cracked bellows and that could be allowing water to get to your bearing and causing it to rust and make noise. Either way if you have never removed the drive you should do it to check the bellows, u-joints, and gimbal alignment if possible.
 
W

White90GT

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 5, 2011
Messages
161
I'm having the same problem, clattering kind of noise from the upper unit area. I inspected the bellows and found the driveshaft bellow was toast, multiple cracks/separations in the rubber. This evening I pulled the stern drive off, six bolts as described. Do you have a Seloc repair manual? If not, get one.
Things to unhook before pulling stern drive, remove the cover that has 3 bolts (10mm) to expose the gear selection lever. Remove the cotter pin, measure or mark the shifter cable and remove the nut that the cotter pin goes in and set it aside. You can remove the prop or leave it on, but you'll want some way to support the drive as you start to separate it. I built up a cradle out of some chunks of 4x4 lumber I had laying around and used a furniture dolly to set it all on. I just strapped it all together, nothing fancy like a lot of guys here do, but it got the job done. Just may be a little harder going back together LOL. Remove the tilt/trim cylinders from the rear of the stern drive (they have a plastic cover and a bolt on each side). Tie them up out of the way. Now you're ready to remove the six bolts, I believe they are 5/8" and you will need a swivel on your ratchet. Once those bolts are off and the trim cylinders out of the way, you should be able to wiggle and wobble the drive while pulling it away from the boat and lifting up/down a bit and it will eventually get free. I used the trim cylinder bolts on each side of the stern drive as handles to man-handle the drive and get it separated. Just be careful you don't go overboard and free it up only to drop it on your toes LOL.

Hope this helps.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top