Volvo penta SX slipping at high RPM's

[Michigan Jason]

Hi guys, this is my first post and it is not a good one. I really need help here. I just purchased a 1995 regal valenti 202se with a 5.0 ford moror (not cobra) and a volvo penta sx outdrive. I have had it on the water 5 times since purchasing it and just this last time, (while pulling a tuber for the first time) I noticed that while cruising (planed out) it felt like I hit a stump in the water! I was in 6 feet of water though! I was scared out of my mind, and 20 minuted later it did the same thing again. On the way back to the dock, I accelerated and everything seemed find at low speed, but when I got on the throttle the engine reved up and the boat stopped until I let off the throttle and went slow. I took my prop off and it didnt really look like the metal gears were ground down, but I dont know much about them so I could be wrong. Please help me guys, I just spent a lot of money on this boat for my family to enjoy and I'm affraid I made a bad choice.

thank you all so much in advance.

Jason

 

[QC]

Re: Volvo penta SX slipping at high RPM's

Hopefully you only have a propeller hub issue. Kind of sounds like and it's the first thing to eliminate. Do some searching here and in the Prop section. Basically there shoudl be an inner hub and then the "barrel" and "ears" of the propeller. You have checked the inside splines of the hub, btu usually the hub and prop are joined somehow and that can slip. The basic way to check if possible with your prop type is to scribe a line at the back of the prop from the hub through to the barrel. Run the boat until you feel this condition. Recheck the line. If the line is now misaligned, then you have a hub issue . . . if not, then more than likely it is an issue within the drive or coupler (between engine and drive). Whether you made a bad choice on this boat really doesn't have to do with this. Mechanical stuff breaks, and can be fixed. Good luck and Welcome aboard!!!

 

[Michigan Jason]

Re: Volvo penta SX slipping at high RPM's

I also wanted to add that it is a vortex prop, not sure if that makes any difference. Thanks for the reply, so it is possible for the part that I checked to be fine and still have a hub issue? The hub it the black plastic piece that sits just inside the actual prop correct? Is there a way to check this out of the water?

 

[QC]

Re: Volvo penta SX slipping at high RPM's

If this is what it looks like:

And there is no indication that the "black" hub is slipping, then you probably have issues with the drive or coupler and you need to get it to a tech.

 

[Michigan Jason]

Re: Volvo penta SX slipping at high RPM's

I just now took these pics.

 

[Michigan Jason]

Re: Volvo penta SX slipping at high RPM's

If it were a serious poblem in the coupler would it work at lower RPMs? It works just fine when I am easy on the throttle. But as soon as I gun it, It will slip.

 

[rx4fun]

Re: Volvo penta SX slipping at high RPM's

That prop looks pretty beat up. It does sound like you've spun the hub on your prop. I had that happen last week with my boat. I have a Michican Wheel stainless prop and a VP 5.0GXI/SX. I was running WOT and the motor revved to the rpm limiter and the boat started to slow down (never hit anything). I came to a stop, tried to get on plane again, and once the boat would be half on plane (about 1600rpm) the engine would just rev and the boat would slow down. I put on my original alum prop and have been boating just fine since.

Either borrow a prop and try it or take yours off, go to a boat dealer and see if yours needs a Michigan Wheel XHS hub, it's like $18 or so and easy to change. My hub was so bad, that when I pulled it out of the back of the prop, I had to use a broom and dust pan to scoop it up.

Good luck.

 

[Michigan Jason]

Re: Volvo penta SX slipping at high RPM's

UPDATE

I took the vortex prop off, and put my original prop on, and all worked just fine, so I am going to get a new hub put in both and both reconditioned. Thanks alot for your help guys.

 

[Michigan Jason]

One last question about props

One last question about props

One more question!

I just purchased a new vortex prop from iBoats.com and Also purchased a hub kit. I should be able to use the hub kit for the vortex prop on my boat (see pic) and end up with 2 working props right? I have concluded that the hub was spun, although I didnt see any visual evidence of it. I didnt have the OEM prop on there with the rubber hub, it is the 2 piece prop vortex with the hub system. Thats why I never saw any black rubber/plastic as some noted. With that said, I know the outdrive is fine bc with the OEM prop I had no problems.

So the question is, will the hub kit fix the old vortex prop? That was the problem right seeing as how the boat ran fine with the OEM prop and slipped with the vortex...right?