Puzzle Time
We finished the last stretch of the Staffs and Worcs today, winding through narrow sandstone cuttings down to Stourport.
We’ll be staying with my brother and his wife for a few days. Meanwhile, here is a puzzle for you.
Our boat makes a screeching sound when the engine is going at about 1200 RPM. It starts at 1000 RPM and dies out around 1400 RPM. It happens when the engine is in forward or reverse, but not neutral. It does not happen when there is weed or grass clippings wrapped around the prop shaft. Other possible factors: there is a flexible coupling between the gearbox and the prop shaft, and according to the dipstick, the gearbox is overfilled with oil.
What is causing the screech, and what do we do to fix it (apart from keeping weed wrapped around the prop shaft)?
Hopefully we will find the answer soon, but any suggestions would be most welcome. In the mean time, there are rumors of a BBQ, so I’m signing off for now.
2 thoughts on “Puzzle Time”
I’m guessing it is the shaft seal squealing. Do you have to grease it? Can it be tightened? If so you might try either tightening it if water is getting in or loosening it if it is dry. That is assuming it is not a belt slipping which seems unlikely if weed on the shaft stops it.
It might be the gearbox, but that seems fairly unlikely. Does the gearbox oil go through a cooler? I’m wondering whether water might be getting into the gearbox to make the oil level go up.
I don’t think the gearbox has a cooling system. The shaft does have a greaser, and I give it a little grease every day. There is a little water coming through the gland, but only the occasional drop, so it’s possible that it is too tight. Hopefully our engineer will be able to look at it soon.