Volvo outdrive bolts failing

[Johnshan1]

There have been some reports of the outdrive bolts failing on various Volvo Penta outdrives.

Looks like #5 and #6 are the bolts used to hold it all together.

#5 ? Stud 3883255 QTY REQUIRED: 6 $3.69
#6 ? Stud 3883256 QTY REQUIRED: 2 $3.87

Can someone confirm that these are the bolts that have been failing? I do not see a nut on the end of these studs, do they thread into the transom shield?

There have been 2 boats that I know of that have sunk due to these failing, which allow the unit to be pulled away from the hull, letting water in.

 

[Don S]

Re: Volvo outdrive bolts failing

I've never heard of them failing for no reason. I have seen them corrode in half from electrolsis, or being in a salt water wet transom. But even then, the bolts are inside the sealing ring of the transom shield. Those reasons are not bolt failure problems, they are the result of other boat problems.
Of course if the transom is rotten and soft, the bolts will not be tight and the transom shield could pull away from transom when in reverse, or twist in forward.

 

[Johnshan1]

Re: Volvo outdrive bolts failing

The problem is, how do you know you don't have these problems unless you investigate?

 

[Bondo]

Re: Volvo outdrive bolts failing

The problem is, how do you know you don't have these problems unless you investigate?

Ayuh,... That Investigation is called Routine Maintenance to some folks....

That picture sure looks like a Bad place to be,... Hope ya had really Strong bilgepumps....

 

[Don S]

Re: Volvo outdrive bolts failing

That don't happen overnight. Obviously someone knew it was leaking and did the bandaid fix of putting sealer around the outdrive to stop the leaks, or the outdrive hit something. Hard to say what all happened just by looking at that picture, but I also see the steering hemet is broken/missing. I would be interested in finding out "The Rest of the Story" on that drive.

 

[Don S]

Re: Volvo outdrive bolts failing

One other thing with that picture that is confusing. For it to open up like that, the front engine mounts had to pull out of the stringer. The engines flywheel cover goes through the transom shield and bolted with 6 bolts to an outer ring.

Way to many things happening in your picture to say a broken stud caused it, it would take at least 4 broken ones and 2 bent.

 

[Johnshan1]

Re: Volvo outdrive bolts failing

Thanks for the input.

This was a photo from a NC charterboat and all I know is they blamed the drive bolts for failing. They were 60 miles offshore, came off plane and noticed the fishbox lids lifting up from water below deck. They got on plane again somehow, and then made it all the way back to shore, where it sunk as they were being picked up by a coast guard boat. They told the operator of the vessel that if he ran it up on the beach they would arrest him, so he did as told and the boat sunk.

I also picked up on the fact that there were missing bolts on the steering helmet, pointing to lack of maintence/attention to detail.

I am just curious if this is something that I need to address, should I replace my bolts or just leave well enough alone? I keep up with my maintence and just want to address any issues before they arise.

Thanks.

 

[Don S]

Re: Volvo outdrive bolts failing

This was a photo from a NC charterboat and all I know is they blamed the drive bolts for failing

That might be what they want to blame it on, but that isn't what happened. That drive in the picture has so many obvious thing wrong, that the owner proably blames the color of the drive for not catching fish.
I wouldn't worry about it. I hate to think of how many Volvo transom shields I have pulled off and never had a broken stud on any of them. Except the one that had the drive completely ripped off the boat and laying in 1000' of water when they hit a log. One of the bottom studs broke, but Duhhhhh, it ripped the whole drive and H fork off the boat too.

And don't go into a panic everytime you read something weird.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Volvo outdrive bolts failing

I am with DonS on this.
notice the steering helmet is missing and the shift cable cover is coming off,and a different color and the aft drive bellows hose clamp is incorrectly positioned.
a sure sign of competent maint.

I have a 27 albemarle sitting here now for salvage that sunk.
previous mechanic noted a leak around the transom seal last year,fix?
caulked it with 5200.
last december I had to troubleshoot a no spark on either engine problem on said boat,both petronix ignitors were bad,not a petronix problem.
I noted that sitting in the water but still on the lift the bilge pump cycled about every three minutes.
I disscussed this with the customer as I thought the plug was out or missing.
he is the one that told me about last years 5200 job.
2 weeks ago he lightly tapped a sandbar at the inlet and pulled the studs through the transom at the bottom and sunk when they got it off the bar.
sunk in 4 feet of water.

NC charter boat.
mostly tells me its a used hard hung up wet POS.
99% of the commercial work I do is when it simply cannot be patched again by a backyardigan and they bring it to me and I laugh.

 

[Johnshan1]

Re: Volvo outdrive bolts failing

"I had the same thing happen to my DPE drive on my 25 CC several years ago. I was fifty miles offshore and pulled back to start fishing. The bilge turned on and never turned off. When I looked in through the rear hull access I could see daylight and water rushing into the boat through the drive. The drive had just been re-built by the local Volvo dealer with new rubber bellows installed. I guess the transom shield bolts were not checked."

Theres another account of a different incident.

http://www.carolinaclassicboatowners.com/forums/showthread.php?3146-Carolina-goes-down

I dunno guys, is everyone here over-reacting?

 

[Don S]

Re: Volvo outdrive bolts failing

The drive had just been re-built by the local Volvo dealer with new rubber bellows installed. I guess the transom shield bolts were not checked."

How do you propose checking them? I suppose with each drive repair, the engine and transom shield could be removed and the bolts all xrayed, or mag checked looking for internal crackes. That shouldn't cost too much.
Personally I have never seen one break like that. I have worked on a LOT of Volvo powered Charter boates in Alaska, and nothing like that ever happened.

Even if those bolts had a problem, it wouldn't be taking out the steering helmet and everything else on the back of the boat.
We aren't getting the full story here.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Volvo outdrive bolts failing

gotta love a carolina classic.
they havent made the 25 with a DPE in years.
drive rebuild has NOTHING to do with transom or transom shield seal integrity.
had anyone ever caulked any sealent around your sheild to transom?

DonS, I think we have a different mentality of charter boats here, and as the economy worsens so does the maint.

carolina classics and albemarles are built about 50 miles from my shop.
I see a lot of them, mostly incredibly poorly maintained as they were never designed to be serviced but they look pretty.

WHAT, 4 FREAKING hours to remove a fish box to grease two fittings??

WHAT remove the stbd engine to replace a 200 dollar macerator pump?????

WHAT remove one of the two engines to replace the A/C seawater pump????

and the list simply goes on.
we wont disscuss removing the refigerator to access the seawater washdown or freshwater pumps.

it actually takes time.

 

[Johnshan1]

Re: Volvo outdrive bolts failing

I hear ya- I have heard about a ton of Carolina Classics and Albemarles that always seem to have problems.

My friend runs a charter boat and I understand the lack of maintence being a problem.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Volvo outdrive bolts failing

not to mention the pic ya posted was of a swedish 290 style drive and the parts ID picture is of an SX style(USA manufactured) drive.

 

[Johnshan1]

Re: Volvo outdrive bolts failing

So what? My boat is an SX style drive.

 

[Don S]

Re: Volvo outdrive bolts failing

You have an SX (1993-2006), the parts drawing is an SX-A (2007 and newer) the one with the problem is 92 or earlier.
All completely different setups, made in different countries.

Sound to me like you and the guys on the carolina classics forum have more of a boat problem, than a Volvo problem, and should probably focus on what the boat is doing to the transom shields that cause the problem.

Rodbolt, trust me, not all of those charter boats in Alaska are wonderful to get on boats. I dreaded going on seatrials when we had to fix them after the owners did their thing all over the boat. They just were not safe. It scared me to ride in those boats in cold water, and I'm fearless.

 

[Johnshan1]

Re: Volvo outdrive bolts failing

Don,

I have no problem with my boat- but when would you know that you do have a bolt problem? When they break? I would rather be pro-active rather than reactive.

 

[Don S]

Re: Volvo outdrive bolts failing

Don,

I have no problem with my boat- but when would you know that you do have a bolt problem? When they break? I would rather be pro-active rather than reactive.

I would strongly suggest you replace the studs in the transom shield yearly (during the off season). Be sure to have them xrayed and mag particle checked and signed statements by the inspectors. Of course this also requires a new seal ring on the transom shield. and stop all boating activities until the transom is replaced. New studs installed and all is back to 100% safe and documented, and insured.
Also carry an eperb and an inflatable life raft, "Just in Case"

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Volvo outdrive bolts failing

DonS
I am glad I aint simply nutless.
but there are a lot of commercial boats I have to work on,not by choice, that I will neither seatrial nor take off the trailer.
you would think a person that makes a living from the machine would actually maintain the machine.
but they wont.
and its almost as bad in the pleasure boat world.
they all compare a boat with their car.
simply aint gonna happen.
but I will stand by my reccomendation for fiberglass lifters and balsa wood pushrods for ANY application over 9000 RPM.

 

[Johnshan1]

Re: Volvo outdrive bolts failing

I don't understand the attitude- im just asking a question, there have been a few reports on the net about these failures and want to make sure I don't have the same problem.

Isn't being pro-active and not waiting for something to break what you guys always preach?