Chirping noise when shifting into Forward

[mrsrobinson]

When I put the starboard engine into forward, I'm hearing a chirping/ringing noise when I go back to neutral. I think it's only when putting the starboard engine into forward gear, and then going back into neutral. You can hear it in this video

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Any suggestions what to look at? This started about 6 weeks ago at the end of the last cruise. I noticed it when I got back to the home port and was docking.

 

[Magic]

What do your oil pressure and temp gauges read?
At a guess I would say a momentary dip in oil pressure signaling the engine monitoring alarm.

Might want to post in the Cat 3116/3126 sub-forum.

 

[mrsrobinson]

Good point, all gauges are good.

 

[Jimmy Buoy]

Check and see if your stb prop shaft is still rotating slowly when put into neutral. If the ringing stops as soon as the shaft stops it could be your cutlass bearing causing this noise.

 

[mrsrobinson]

Check and see if your stb prop shaft is still rotating slowly when put into neutral. If the ringing stops as soon as the shaft stops it could be your cutlass bearing causing this noise.

Good suggestion, this could be it since it goes away shortly after going into neutral. My first thought was I have to jump in the water to confirm this, but I should be able to look at the shaft inside the engine compartment where it goes through the hlll, correct?

 

[Skybolt]

I can't really hear anything obvious, except a sound like your system monitor going off when you shift.

I would raise you engine hatch, and in the slip, and verify that it is still making the sound your hearing.

As for the cutlass, I doubt you would be able to hear that. If anything maybe a tides seal is squealing. What shaft drippless system do you have? I would look there first.

 

[mrsrobinson]

Yes, that's the noise I'm hearing, it starts at 20 seconds into the video, it does sound like the system monitor. I don't think it's as loud though, it's more faint. The system's monitor went off during the trip this weekend, when the AFT bilge pump came on. Turned out to be an engine raw water leak where a hose connects to a fitting. It was much much louder.

After replying I was thinking the same about the cutlass, that I would not be able to hear it. I did try raising the engine hatch and listening, unfortunately with the diesels it's entirely too loud to hear anything when the hatch is open. This was with me at the helm by myself. I need to get in the engine compartment on my knees and have someone shift while I'm in there though.

 

[Jimmy Buoy]

Good suggestion, this could be it since it goes away shortly after going into neutral. My first thought was I have to jump in the water to confirm this, but I should be able to look at the shaft inside the engine compartment where it goes through the hlll, correct?

Over 10 yrs ago my 34' Amberjack had a similar "singing" noise after getting a rope wound around the prop shaft - just in front of the cutlass bearing. After running on plane for 15 minutes or so and having an issue with the engines being able to properly auto sync, my son's buddy dove under the boat and found the rope and removed it. About 6' of heavy rope.
After it was removed, all seemed normal until docking the boat. But, every time that engine was put in neutral I would hear the "singing" noise. It was like a playground spinning disk (the kind that made kids throw up and have since been banned due to injury - good times) making a noise as it slowed to a halt. Like two rusty parts squeaking.
Once hauled for the season I checked the cutlass bearing and it looked ok. Not excessive grab or play, but someone on CSR said it could have been starved of cooling water by the rope and glazed the neoprene surface of the bearing.
I replaced both bearings and the noise stopped. Didn't really notice anything obvious inside the bearing, but the water starvation may have "cooked" the neoprene and made the surface hard. The noise seemed to be a certain frequency which may have been a vibration passing through the boats structure.
Maybe my experience will help you track down your issue.

 

[GnrlPatton]

Over 10 yrs ago my 34' Amberjack had a similar "singing" noise after getting a rope wound around the prop shaft - just in front of the cutlass bearing. After running on plane for 15 minutes or so and having an issue with the engines being able to properly auto sync, my son's buddy dove under the boat and found the rope and removed it. About 6' of heavy rope.
After it was removed, all seemed normal until docking the boat. But, every time that engine was put in neutral I would hear the "singing" noise. It was like a playground spinning disk (the kind that made kids throw up and have since been banned due to injury - good times) making a noise as it slowed to a halt. Like two rusty parts squeaking.
Once hauled for the season I checked the cutlass bearing and it looked ok. Not excessive grab or play, but someone on CSR said it could have been starved of cooling water by the rope and glazed the neoprene surface of the bearing.
I replaced both bearings and the noise stopped. Didn't really notice anything obvious inside the bearing, but the water starvation may have "cooked" the neoprene and made the surface hard. The noise seemed to be a certain frequency which may have been a vibration passing through the boats structure.
Maybe my experience will help you track down your issue.

I had a similar experience on mine. Whenever I would go from forward to neutral, I would get about a 3-4 second squealing noise, much like Jimmy described. I think I started a thread here asking about it. Turns out mine was also the cutlass bearings getting blocked, but mine was from the shaft anodes that had deteriorated enough to slide down the shaft and engage the strut, but not enough to have them fall off. They actually scored the front face of the strut slightly. I hauled and replaced the bearings and removed the shaft anodes (didn't replace them, per a few threads here about SeaRay not requiring them), and the sound went away. It sounded pretty similar to what I could make out in your video.