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twotails

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Gearbox Oil Leak

Paul Haasnoot
Jun 20, 2012 - 8:40AM
Looking for a mechanic

Hi all,

It's almost a year ago since I started work on Bizzie Lizzie to get her sailing again after having been immobile for seven or eight years.
We have done a lot, especially mechanically, replaced fuel pumps, etc.

Right now there are still quite a few things that need to be done and it's time to call in some qualified mechanical aid to help us over the last hurdle.

The Warner velvet drive doesn't seem to be able to keep the hydraulic pressure, so the propulsion is not reliable. We topped up the oil repeatedly this weekend, but after 8 liters of the expensive stuff, I am not sure what's going wrong. I can't see any oil leaks, so perhaps the system needs still more oil, but I can't say for sure.

After a year (winter!) of mechanical problems the engine (Perkins 4.107) finally starts up like a dream, but there are a couple of fuel lines that are not completely sealed, so they need to be reconnected or even replaced.
In a few other places there's some leakage of cooling water.

In other words: I need a mechanic who can do the last pieces of work, check all connections, gaskets, etc., and who doesn't complain that a newbie may have made a few unprofessional errors.

Bizzie Lizzie is currently in Sas van Gent (Zeeuws Vlaanderen, NL) and isn't reliable enough to sail, let alone be taken over the very busy Canal of Gent-Terneuzen and the Westerschelde.

If anyone of you knows of someone in that area who is willing to help me out, please let me know.

SeaDog Name (if owner or crew) Bizzie Lizzie
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Eric Richardson
Jun 20, 2012 - 9:22PM
Re: Looking for a mechanic

Hi Paul

Unable to help on the labour side, but if you have added 8 litres of oil to the gearbox and no signs of oil in the bilge there is obviously a leak.
It could be going out via the gearbox oil cooler as the oilpressure is higher than the cooling water pressure because that is open ended in the exhaust system. Have you checked that you are not pumping oil out this way?
If it was coming out of the front seal the bell housing would be leaking into the bilge.