Volvo Penta 270 - clunk going into 'gear'

[Peter1950]

83 Bayliner with Volvo 4cyl and 270 drive. From idle and moving the lever up, there is a quite a bit of movement before it finally clunks into gear. Is there supposed to be such a gap? And such a clunk?

 

[kamby]

Re: Volvo Penta 270 - clunk going into 'gear'

These drives use motor oil not gear lube, 30wt motor oil. I changed mine out PO had gear lube in it. It stopped the clunk going into reverse and the shuttering in reverse. Mines got a bit of movement going from dead idle to gear, doesnt have a problem getting to WOT and around 35mph. So i dont worry about it.

VP use the cone clutch so im not sure if there is supposed to be a clunk or not, i always thought there was but mine ran better with the motor oil in the drive, gear lube from what Don told me can ruin the drive gears.

 

[kamby]

Re: Volvo Penta 270 - clunk going into 'gear'

I think with these you dont throw them in gear real quick, like you do with the dog clutches. I put it into gear, then throttle up from there instead of whamming into high speed. Never noticed any clunking, except when i had that reverse issue.

Check for metal shaving like bubba suggested and if you have gear lube get it out of there and put in 30wt oil.

Also if your going from foward to reverse or reverse to forward quickly it will clunk cause your quickly changing the direction of the drive shaft. Just like on a car, except in a boat u dont drop the drive line on the groun.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Volvo Penta 270 - clunk going into 'gear'

What RPM are you idling at? If your idle is too high, you will get a louder clunk.

 

[Peter1950]

Re: Volvo Penta 270 - clunk going into 'gear'

Tach doesn't work, but idle is pretty low. Clunks going into drive even moving the lever slowly. Don't recall if also that in reverse. Not talking about rev to forward. The magnetic drain plus is on the left side of the very bottom lower drive? How much oil goes in this? And just fill from the very top screw driver screw dipstick?
Peter

 

[Don S]

Re: Volvo Penta 270 - clunk going into 'gear'

If the idle is low and it clunks, and slow at going into gear, it may be time to have the upper gear box checked out. There is a large nut on the upper gears vertical shaft that has to have a gap of .004 to .020 inches. I have seen them get over a .060 inches. They do clunk hard and it doing damage on every shift. Fix it while it's still fairly inexpesive.

 

[kamby]

Re: Volvo Penta 270 - clunk going into 'gear'

Technically your supposed to remove the cover (part that says your drive) and there is a big screw and you fill the oil through there. If u get a barbed to threaded connector you can screw it into the fill hole in the cover and hook a hose and funnel to it and do it that way or get a flexi funnel and try get it into there.

I have heard of some people filling through the top of the dipstick tube. They just took the pointy cap of a bottle of gear lube and stuck it on a quart of oil squeezed the oil into the hole.

Manual states to fill through the cover screw and top off through the dipstick hole. It takes a bit for the oil to settle and make sure teh drive is down; which it should be during storage and level. Get within the top 1/2" or so of the dipstick notch. If u remove the dip you can tell what im talking about. I think these take between 2.3 - 2.5 quarts of oil.

 

[Peter1950]

Re: Volvo Penta 270 - clunk going into 'gear'

Prior owner ( good friend and neighbor) told me today the drive is new as of about 6 years ago. Compelely replaced with 'new' he says.
Ok, not done it yet, but let's say I change the oil, see minor to no metal shavings on the drain plug, and still get the clunk. Then where do I attack it? I have the Volvo stern manual. I don't want to tear open any more than I have to.
Peter