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just hit a log please help!

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bwags70

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hi im new here and i hope someone can please help me. i got a 92 wellcraft excel sl20 with a 4.3 volvo penta engine with a volvo penta 290 sp outdrive. i was doing about 30 mph today when all the sudden i and felt a bang and the boat slowed so i hit the kill switch and noticed i ran over a 10ft by 6 inch round branch floating in the middle of the river...just my luck!!! so i check the prop and its fine i start the motor and it sounds fine put it in drive ...fine.... put it in rev... fine.... so i drive back to the dock and put it in rev and the engine revs but no reverse ????so i pull the throttle back a little and engine revs more and then bang it slams into reverse????? i tried to put it in reverse half a dozen times at the dock and 5 out of 6 times the engine revs to about 1k then it slams into reverse.... but what i put it into drive its fine??? my question is what could have got damaged when i hit the log?? and will it damage the outdrive more doing this??? i never messed with a outdrive before and know nothing about them but i know my boat didnt do this before today... any input would help. thanks in advance​
 
When we hit something of this magnatude with our cars or trucks, we generally pull over to the side of the hiway, get out, and take a look.
You really need to pull the boat out of the water, onto a trailer, and take a good look at everything.

If you truly have a 290 in a 1992 boat, it will have retained a reverse latch unit.
If so, you'll want to examine this closely, as well as any other portion of the drive.


The engine reving to 1k rpm and then engaging reverse, is not good. (it should engage easily and smoothly at idle rpm)
This is likely an indendepent problem from any reverse latch unit damage.... but hard to say from a keyboard and without photos.

Me.... I'd pull the lower unit off.
I'd look at the vertical shaft spline coupler for a twist in the splines.
I'd pull the prop shaft bearing carrier, and would examine the drive and driven gears.
Perhaps do a run-out check on the prop shaft.

If I found any signs of damage, I'd then pull the transmission off and examine it.

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yes sir i agree and i am going down this weekend to put it on the trailer to inspect it. im pretty sure its a 290 only thing on the drive is sp co trim?? the guy i bought it off of says its a 290 ill see if i can get pics of it up on here.
 
483655_386229711395116_502511858_n.jpg
 
Yes I can! Your drive is definitely not a 290.

It is quite common to hear even well seasoned Volvo Penta mechanics call this drive a 290, and sometimes call it a "Large Pin" 290.
There is no such thing!
If you were to order internal parts for a 290, they will not work for this drive.
Seal kits, and many parts will interchange, but you must know which will, and which will not.


This drive is a "C" or later drive easily identifiable by the large suspension fork hinge pins....., no anchorage bracket...., no latch unit...., direct cylinder connection to the suspension fork...., large driven bearings....., and more.
This will also use the short vertical shaft and the long vertical shaft spline coupler.
The transmission bearing box is also an integral aluminum unit. (BB and clamping collar are one unit)

Believe me.... this is a much better drive than the 290 could hope to be.


483655_386229711395116_502511858_n.jpg



Tip for you:
Where your finger is pointing, would normally be the trin fin/torque tab. You probably have power assist steering, or perhaps Hydraulic Steering.
When these are equipped with PS or Hydraulic Steering, often this trin fin/torque tab is eliminated.
However, all of your steering components are still undergoing this un-wanted steer-torque.... we just don't feel it at the helm wheel.

Why they do this is beyond me. This does nothing but cause premature wear on the steering components.

If I owned this boat, I'd be putting the trim fin/torque tab back in place, and I'd adjust it best I could.


Merc does the same thing. Perhaps they need the repair work to keep the shops busy!





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Good point, and I should have mentioned that.

This is an older transmission, but your tag will be in the same location just AFT of the helmet, and FWD on the main transmission gear case.

images
 
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I don't think that should be a concern, Chris. The shift cable on this style drive enters the Intermediate housing just above the upper horizontal suspension fork member.
It is fairly well protected at this area.

15161_1.png


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RicardoMarine said:
I don't think that should be a concern, Chris. The shift cable on this style drive enters the Intermediate housing just above the upper horizontal suspension fork member.
It is fairly well protected at this area.

15161_1.png


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Click to expand...


And if he hit a log in the water and it had some remains of a branch on it, it could damage the cable and give him his reverse shifting problem. Especially if the drive jumped up.
 
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thanks for the tips guys im glad to find out exactly what drive i have and i will be taking the boat out of the water this weekend to check things i will keep you guys updated
 
bwags70 said:
thanks for the tips guys im glad to find out exactly what drive i have and i will be taking the boat out of the water this weekend to check things i will keep you guys updated
Click to expand...
I don't think that we have precisely identified your drive.
The ultimate identification will be from the tag, or perhaps by engine model number.
I'll say that it's very likely an SP-C drive in 1992.

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ok update i took the boat out sunday to put it on the trailer and i noticed that the whole shift mechanism rotated forward about and inch... i guess when i hit the log the force of me being pushed forward i must of had my hand on the throttle and it rotated???? so i rotated it back to the original position(which i can see on the vinyl) and put a bolt in it to hold it in place and now everythings fine goes in reverse nice and smooth... thank the lord... prop got a little damage but thats an easy fix. thanks everyone for you help.
 
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