volvo 290 DP lube leak question

[pine island fred]

Will try to keep it brief. Friend and I installed a new out of the box out drive. Then the engine seized and he replaced the 305 with a 350. After 4 hrs on the drive a 2 on the engine all hell breaks loose again. Standing on the dock listening it sounded to me like the starter drive was free wheeling on the ring gear or a nut was clacking around inside a pulley. Nothing spectacular.
He got the boat back home and it was really making a big time noise. He was so discusted that this was before christmas and I just talked him into using seatow to get the boat on a trailer and to my house. He refuses to look at it and has a pro coming. I can understand! Anyway he says the bilge was full of black oil. My question is, is there a cavity between the bell housing and transom adaptor that has to be serviced with 90W oil? When the engine was out I saw some grease fittings on the bell housing, one of which I assumed was for the shaft bearing, others for the stearing yoke bearing. Did not notice any plugs for oil servicing but the unit is buried. Just wondering where this oil he says was in the bilge came from. thanks for your time FRED

 

[Don S]

Re: volvo 290 DP lube leak question

My question is, is there a cavity between the bell housing and transom adaptor that has to be serviced with 90W oil?

Nope, but there is gear lube (mineral 75/90) in the 290 DP drives. If it's black, it's burned oil. and with that many hours, it shouldn't be. If the seal around the ujoint yoke in the upper gear box goes bad or the lube gets so hot that it blows past that seal, it wll go into the bellows, possibly into the bellhousing bearings (known as intermediate bearings) and leaks into the bilge.
I would suggest for your first check, to pull the upper gear box and see if you have burned gear lube in the bellows. That will answer your question.
Here is how to pull the upper gear box (aka Top Box)

 

[rodbolt]

Re: volvo 290 DP lube leak question

would it be to easy to simply check the drive oil level?
then pull the drain and inspect the magnet?
if the dipstick on the drive shows clear oil at the proper level then dont look at the drive.
you can mail my EFI book to the Blue Crab killdevil hills NC 27948

 

[pine island fred]

Re: volvo 290 DP lube leak question

Thankyou for your response. This is a dicy subject with my friend as the failure took place at a christmas boat parade and he has refused to address the problem until now. I have been doing a bit of poking around but will not touch anything since a pro is coming to look at it. He said that the bilge was full of black oil and made it sound like the EXXON VALDIESE. I had popped the hood and found the crankcase at the full level, just where it started 6 months ago. Trim reseuvoir is empty but thats running out of one of the trim cylinders. Power steering system is empty, I had replaced the pressure hose and bled the system for him so I know it was full. Suggested that a seal might have blown in the servo or I screwed up and that is the fluid he saw.
All hell broke loose and he goes off the deep end, says I am accusing him of lying about what he found. He is looking for a major failure and I am anticipating a minor problem. Anyway, wife and I make a discrete departure from their house and I come home and go on I-BOATS. Last thought of mine is that there is a slim chance of their being a planitary gear box attached to the drive shaft that I might have missed. So thats why I asked my friends here. When we hung the new unit it was determined that it was serviced with 30W oil, thats what we did. Went out and removed the clamp on the bellos today, Was full of nice clean salt water !! No oil of any kind.
At this point am reluctant to say anything but he has major problems, the water intrusion just one of them. Got over 10K invested in this scow with the new drive and engine and other geunine VOLVO parts. I do feel sorry for him. Boat is a 91 and I think it will turn into a reef. BTY, anyone notice how many people want their boat to disappear lately? Used boats are springing up like mushrooms on the boat lots lately. thanks for listening! FRED

 

[rodbolt]

Re: volvo 290 DP lube leak question

all DP units require GL-5 synthetic drive oil.
saltwater in the bellows is always a bad thing. its possible that the powersteering is leaking as well if its resevoir was empty.
its a sealed system and is never supposed to be low unless it leaks.
with salt in the bellows I would check the drive oil, then remove the upper box for inspection. there are a few special tools that are required to press the drive gear from the bearing box and to pres it back together and break over the new crush sleeve.
no reshimming will be required unless a gear or bearing is replaced.
if the drive oil is ok then most likly you will need Ujoints at minimum.
hopefully the engine bell housing assy isnt full of saltwater as the bearings in it will most likly fail.
sometimes ya get lucky
if there is water in the drive oil go ahead and drain it and refill it with oil to help keep the lower from being water damaged, volvo is very proud of the shafting and gears in that lower.

 

[Maclin]

Re: volvo 290 DP lube leak question

The older VP 290DP drive can use 30wt engine oil.