We learned to remain curious and suspicious of the boat systems and that if we don’t put our hands and eyes on something, then we cannot fully trust it. Not all systems are this bad and some have already been refit, but this is probably every bit as bad as our steering system.
There are a lot of posts out there and websites that do a fine job describing the purpose of an Aquadrive. This, however, is meant to share our experience in disassembling our drive train which consists of a Aquadrive CV joint and an Aquadrive thrust bearing and collet.
Here we are investigating the life, the maintenance, the operability, the “soundness” of our Aquadrive unit. That turned into 2 hours of being completely bent over at the hip in a crowded system. We first removed the 4xM10 hex bolts connecting the CV joint to the output shaft from the transmission. Then the 6xM10 bolts connecting the CV joint to the input shaft of the thrust bearing. Those guys were torqued on tight; had to use a 3 lb hammer to tap the hex wrench just to break them free! Out came the CV joint.
With the CV joint removed we can see the input side of the thrust bearing and forward side of the bulkhead. The extent of corrosion is becomming more apparent with every bolt being removed. The thrust bearing was next which started with removal of the 4×19 mm bolts and nuts connecting the thrust bearing to the Aquadrive bulkhead which is integrated into the boat superstructure.
I wish I had left these 4×19 mm bolts for the end. Then, I removed the 6xM10 bolts on the collet at the aft end of the thrust bearing that secure the shaft. Those buggers were painful to remove only because some jackleg put so much paint on the unit (over top of rust!) that I couldn’t get my hand held hex wrench into the heads easily.
Once all of thesee fasteners are out, the only thing left was to take apart the Volve shaft seal. With a few tugs outside on the propeller, the shaft was free of the grips of the collet. Out came the thrust bearing.
We were amazed by the terribly corroded state of this critical system. The Aquadrive thrust bearing spins, but we hear metal-on-metal when we turn it. Time to go to the NJ shop for an attempt to re-build.
Fearing that Authority Marine Propulsion may not be able to re-build this, we are also seeking to purchase both a new CV joint and thrust brearing. Since there are no markings left on the thrust bearing and only a few on the CV joint, I took the time to measure critical dimensions of both parts. This helped me understand which models/part numbers that were installed on Skyward.
One thing for certain as we continue to 5S the engine bay, we need to do more cleaning and install more lighting. With low levels of lighting, dirt and rust lurk in the darkened areas and shadows.
Now that we have some mechanical bits removed, we are primed and ready to start thruhull replacement activities. Let the fun continue!
The Loxodograph 