Westerbeke 44A FOUR - 35C THREE Operator's Manual page 46

BORG WARNER VELVET DRIVE TRANSMISSION
MAINTENANCE
Transmission maintenance is minimal. Keep the exterior
housing clean, check the fluid level as part of your regular
routine, and change the fluid every 300 operating hours.
Periodically inspect the transmission and the cooler for leaks
and corrosion. Make certain the air vent is clear and when
checking the fluid level look for signs of water contamination
(fluid will appear as strawberry cream).
Lay-up/Winterize
Storage requires special care. Follow these procedures:
D
Drain the water from the transmission oil cooler and
replace it with a proper mixture of antifreeze coolant.
NOTE:
This operation will usually occur when the engine
raw water cooling system is properly winterized.
D
Clean up the transmission and touch-up unpainted areas
(use heat resistant paint).
D
Fill the transmission with Dextran III ATF fluid to pre-
vent internal corrosion.
D
Loosen attaching hardware from the transmission
output flange and propeller shaft coupling flange before
removing the boat from the water. Separate the flanges
and spray with lubricant.
D
Inspect the gear shift cable, linkage, and attachments.
Look for corrosion of the end fittings, cracks or cuts in
the conduit, and bending of the actuator rods. Lubricate
all moving parts.
NOTE: If
the transmission is to be stored for a long time
(twelve months or more), it should be topped off with
fluid to prevent internal corrosion. Reduce the fluid level
before putting the engine back into service.
OIL COOLERS
The continued flow of raw water through the cooler will, in
time, erode the inside of the cooler causing cross leaks to
occur. These internal cooler leaks will cause one of the
following two problems:
1. Transmission fluid will leak into the flow of raw water
and be discharged overboard through the engine exhaust.
A loss of transmission fluid will cause the transmission to
fail.
2. The raw water will leak into the transmission fluid
causing an increase in transmission fluid. This
contaminated fluid will appear as strawberry cream. The
transmission will eventually fail.
Either case requires an immediate response:
1. Install a new oil cooler.
2. Refill the transmission with DEXTRON III ATF.
WARRANTY NOTES
Service manuals are available from your BORG WARNER
dealer.
For assistance, contact:
Richmond and Velvet Drive
1208 Old Norris Road
Liberty, SC 29657
Tel.: (800) 583-4327
BORG WARNER is aware of the shock loads that can be
placed on its gears as the result of mechanical propeller
operation or fully reversing of the propeller blades while
shifting. Therefore torque loads and directional changes
should be made at low engine speeds. If it is found that a
failure was caused by a shock load, any warranty claim will
be denied.
A
CAUTION:
System-related noises or vibrations can
occur at low engine speeds which can cause gear rattle
resulting in damage to the engine and/or transmission.
BORG WARNER is not responsible for total system-
related torsional vibration of this type.
If any problems occur with the transmission, see
TRANSMISSION TROUBLESHOOTING in this manual.
If water has contaminated the fluid, the transmission fluid
needs to be cleaned out and replaced with fresh fluid. It will
take several fluid changes to get rid of the contamination.
Check your dipstick each time until it appears as pure
transmission fluid. Change the transmission filter and clean
out the fluid lines that connect to the cooler.
If the transmission fails to shift properly, it will most likely
need the attention of a qualified transmission service facility.
A transmission cooler may last ten years or more but, in
some circumstances, depending on operating hours, tropical
waters, maintenance, etc. it might only last half that time.
WESTERBEKE recommends having a spare cooler aboard.
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