4588 hurth transmission oil creamy-gctid819483

[1thefox1]

I'm currently on a trip in an area with very few marinas. I'm heading up wind and up current. Last week on a crossing we were caught in 8 to 10' waves. There was several hard hits as the boat landed (short waves). I noticed a few days later oily residue on the surface coming from that engine. It was missing some prestone every day so I figured it was the seals on the cooler of the manifold. We ran 36 hours in 3 days. This morning I checked the transmission oil and was missing 3 quarts. Added them and ran 10 minutes to check again. The oil is creamy... I have a bad feeling that means the cooler on top of the transmission is leaking. I have another 250 miles to go. Any advice?

[NZ_4588]

I agree with your diagnosis it looks like a gearbox oil cooler leak. You don't want water contamination in your gearbox.

I'd be inclined to continue on one engine until you can arrange a replacement cooler.

Ian

[ksanders]

I'd look at your next port of call and have a cooler flown there. They are not all that expensive or heavy, or hard to replace.

If it were me I'd bypass the oil cooler, change the oil, and run the boat only at displacement speed, monitoring the tranny temp carefully.

If it looked to be getting hot, I'd then run on one engine, and just use the other one for docking maneuvers

[1thefox1]

That's what I'll try to do tomorrow (have cooler flown in). Spoke with a car mechanic friend of mine and he agrees I urgently need to flush the contaminated oil that has salt water in it.

[nile]

Happened to me. I flushed the tranny four times to remove any water residue after by passing the cooler by connecting directly the in and out hoses with a barbed fitting. the brake pads on the clutch disks dissolve in water!

Despite this, when the transmission was later overhauled, they found a lot of water damage on the clutches.

Since then, I carry a spare cooler in my spare parts list.

[1thefox1]

"nile" post=819579 wrote:
Happened to me. I flushed the tranny four times to remove any water residue after by passing the cooler by connecting directly the in and out hoses with a barbed fitting. the brake pads on the clutch disks dissolve in water!

Despite this, when the transmission was later overhauled, they found a lot of water damage on the clutches.

Since then, I carry a spare cooler in my spare parts list.

Yes, I was thinking about carrying a spare cooler now. The one I ordered has a zinc in it to help reduce corrosion. I went a different way to clean mine. I did an oil change, then used 3 quarts of oil pouring them in the inlet pipe of the cooler and let the tranny spit it out into a bucket. After that did another full change and repeated the procedure.

[floatyerboat]

Lets just say no one could find a cooler or it was a week out, could tees and a few hoses be added and the two trannys cooled from one cooler? I have no idea how much heat the trannys throw off or how much heat a cooler can absorb or how big your coolers are. Sorry, I'm a what if kind of guy.

Not knowing where you are and if you decide to run on one engine please contact the proper authorities and check in from time to time.

Maybe over time one transmission would take on all the fluid and the other would become bone dry.

[1thefox1]

"floatyerboat" post=819606 wrote:
Lets just say no one could find a cooler or it was a week out, could tees and a few hoses be added and the two trannys cooled from one cooler? I have no idea how much heat the trannys throw off or how much heat a cooler can absorb or how big your coolers are.

I like your question. Always good to think outside the box. I'd be curious to find out.

[mmichellich]

Last time I replaced mine, both were still functioning, so kept them as get home spares. Figured I could pressure test them before use.

[floatyerboat]

What gave you the idea to replace them, preventative maintenance?

[mmichellich]

"floatyerboat" post=819624 wrote:
What gave you the idea to replace them, preventative maintenance?

Age

[mmichellich]

"floatyerboat" post=819624 wrote:
What gave you the idea to replace them, preventative maintenance?

Age

[1thefox1]

Installed new cooler, no time to paint. Go go go, 224 miles to do in 2 days.


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