Volvo SX drive - metal particles on magnet

[fcawth]

I am working on a boat I bought a few weeks ago. It is a 2001 Larson with a 3.0 Volvo and SX-M drive. I just spent quite a bit of time aligning the engine and replacing the ring gear on the flywheel, impeller, plugs, etc..

Now I turned to the drive to drain the oil and check it out, and I had some (3) metal particles on the magnet. Two of the particles are about 1.5mm flakes that are thin, and the third was a piece that was a bit thicker but also about 1.5mm (irregular) in size. I ran a magnet around in the oil after it was drained and I couldn't find any more particles. The oil was fairly black, but it didn't have any water in it. I did the complete pressure and vacuum test on the drive, and it passed with no problem (it held 15in of vacuum for 1/2 hour before I disconnected it). I don't know how often the gear oil was changed, or what oil was used. It has a strong "gear oil" smell so it might be some kind of synthetic oil.

So, the question is, what should I do about this? I am planning on using the Volvo synthetic oil. Should I fill it and run it for a while then check again, or should I be concerned enough to take this somewhere to get it checked out? I have the volvo manual for the drive, but it looks too complicated to work on myself (too many special tools). Is there something a shop (or I) can do to evaluate this thing without taking it all apart?

I did run the boat on the water before I bought it, and it performed as it should (quiet, proper top end speed, etc.) Now I know I should have checked the gear oil plug magnet rather than just looking at the dipstick.

Also, I'm thinking that the previous owner overfilled the gear lube, because it doesn't look like the middle plug was ever removed, and there was gear lube in the bellows (no water). I'm not too concerned about a seal because the pressure and vacuum test were fine, and I read on here that overfiling can cause oil in the bellows (is this correct?).

Thanks

Fred

 

[Don S]

Re: Volvo SX drive - metal particles on magnet

Did you check the oil level of the gear lube on the dipstick before you drained it? If not, then you have no clue as to why the oil was black and have some metal in it.
If it was actually low, then the upper gears may have been without lube. But if the lube was overfull, there would have been plenty of oil for the upper.
Without dissassemby, you are just guessing what or if anything is wrong.
Even MY crystal ball doesn't work for outdrives.

 

[fcawth]

Re: Volvo SX drive - metal particles on magnet

The gear lube was on the upper part of the flat on the dipstick (sorry I should have mentioned that in my long post). Also, the metal particles had a bit of black gunk on them (I had to wipe them a bit to see shine), so it is possible that they were sitting there for a while.

So, I guess my question now is what could happen if I just run the thing and see how it goes? Does anyone ever get a few metal particles on volvo sx drives, then run them and have no problems, or is it always a sign of impending doom? The prop on the boat did have a couple of small dings, but I have definately seen worse. I am also going to check the shift travel because it was adjusted all the way to the beginning of the shift cable. Can hard or misadjusted shifting cause metal particles in a volvo?

I wonder if they put in gear oil that is black to begin with? (I seem to remember some mobil-1 synthetic 90W gear oil is black and has a strong smell..)

In any case, thanks for all of your help. I'm trying to get everything in shape for the summer, and it is really consuming alot of time, but I want to do it right. I am learning alot from these forums (like the flywheel ring gear thing - I never would have guessed that it would go so easily), so thanks to Don and everyone else for a great resource.


Thanks,
Fred

 

[Don S]

Re: Volvo SX drive - metal particles on magnet

So, I guess my question now is what could happen if I just run the thing and see how it goes?

It could break, or keep on running.

Change the gear lube, keep an eye on the oil level and color change and enjoy your boat.