V Drive Shaft Makes Wobble and Noise?

[SeeYa Ray]

I bought a 2000 Searay 340 as a fixer upper and its sitting on stands. The port side drive shaft wobbles and makes a rattling noise when I put it in forward gear or reverse gear. No noise in neutral. I've aligned the shaft but the result was the same. Im gonna include a video and hope someone can tell me what is going on here. Here is the link for the video:

Thanks Gary

 

[Golfman25]

Shaft straight? And bad transmission?

 

[hottoddie]

Prop shaft is definitely bent. I believe you can remove the shaft from the center of the v drive and then run it in and out of gear to see if the noise continues. Bent shaft may have been caused by a prop strike and also damaged the v drive and/or the transmission.

 

[Creekwood]

Sure looks like a bent shaft and if its bent inside the bilge it must have been a major strike and there may be transmission damage too.

On a related note, are you running the engine on land “dry” meaning no cooling water for the engine and for the prof shaft seal? If so, that’s not good. You will probably need new a new shaft seal when the shaft is removed and fixed/replaced.

 

[mrsrobinson]

V Drive, not straight, bent shaft, and yes, do not run it without raw water going to the dripless. Though I could argue who cares at this point since you are replacing the bent shaft and dripless and the same time. Bent shafts can be repaired for +-$400, a place in Norfolk, VA does them.

 

[bfernald0]

V Drive, not straight, bent shaft, and yes, do not run it without raw water going to the dripless. Though I could argue who cares at this point since you are replacing the bent shaft and dripless and the same time. Bent shafts can be repaired for +-$400, a place in Norfolk, VA does them.

I'd agree with the following caveats. The ZF 63 transmissions tend to make noise--plenty of threads on that. Also, the fact that it's not turning in neutral suggests the clutch pack is good. Straighten/replace the shaft, put her back together and hopefully you're good.

 

[Chris-380]

Plus 1 ^^^^^

I'd agree with the following caveats. The ZF 63 transmissions tend to make noise--plenty of threads on that. Also, the fact that it's not turning in neutral suggests the clutch pack is good. Straighten/replace the shaft, put her back together and hopefully you're good.

 

[mrsrobinson]

Agreed, and while the shaft is out I would replace the dripless, maybe even do the Cutlass bearings.

 

[SeeYa Ray]

Thanks to everyone who responded! Appreciate all the knowledge in this forum. I did have the water connected while running it. I'll try running it after pulling the shaft out to see if the rattle is still there.

 

[SeeYa Ray]

V Drive, not straight, bent shaft, and yes, do not run it without raw water going to the dripless. Though I could argue who cares at this point since you are replacing the bent shaft and dripless and the same time. Bent shafts can be repaired for +-$400, a place in Norfolk, VA does them.

Do you have a phone number or the name of the place in Norfolk VA that can repair a shaft?

 

[mrsrobinson]

Do you have a phone number or the name of the place in Norfolk VA that can repair a shaft?

Checking with my dockmate who told me this, and used them.

 

[mrsrobinson]

He got confused, it was a bent prop and he used Miller Island in Baltimore, MD. I would call them and see if they repair shafts as well, and if not, who do the recommend. There's also Black Dog in Norfolk, VA. It should be straight foreword, IMO, to bend a shaft, keep looking around if this doesn't help.

I Googled and found this:

https://marineshaft.com/cold-straightening-of-all-types-of-bent-shafts.aspx

https://www.nettleprops.com/store/c/72-Prop-Shaft-Straightening.aspx

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f114/slightly-bent-prop-shaft-233261.html