MD22 gear oil change

[sy_imagine]

We have just brought our boat on the hard to do some maintenance that is not that easy in the water.

The sacrificial anode of the Brunton Autoprop, for example, would probably have fallen off in a few weeks, after a year in the water. Two of the three screw holes were already corroded away.

Another point is the gear oil change in the MD22 Saildrive. The manual says open the screw and drain the oil. However, the screw cannot be opened. Now I'm afraid of destroying the screw or thread if I open it forcibly.

Can't I just pump the oil out of the filler neck in the engine compartment?

Does anyone have experience with it? I have not found any older postings on the topic.

[diverphil]

on ours there is a tube to suck the oil out next to the dipstick,1-d30s 2006, try Volvo Penta instructions on the web,

[geoff]

The oil drain hole on the 120s leg of early 2000s Bavaria is a bit of a sod to remove . Clean the slot and buy a screwdriver bit socket ,it needs to be a good fit about 2mm x 12mm. best of luck I will be doing mine next week. Geoff

[Yngmar]

Wera Chiseldriver SL10 - got a hex fitting to apply torque with a wrench and you can whack it with a hammer too. Got ours out every time with that.

If someone put super strength threadlocker on there, heating it up will inform that to let go.

No, pumping it out won't do, all the crap is in the bottom and needs to be drained out. You can however drain the oil just as well by removing the shaft bearing housing from the rear end of the saildrive. That would do and you probably want to change the sails and inspect the shaft for wear anyways.

[sy_imagine]

It was due to my lack of experience with tools. A size 16 wrench can be attached to the shaft of my 2x12 screwdriver. With the lever the screw opened without complaint. The old oil went out in a few minutes, but it took an hour to fill in the 2.8 l new gear oil because it seeps away very slowly. I hope this is normal.

Thanks for your support! I may be asking more stupid questions in the next days. 

[semaphore]

for both draining and filling, remove the cap next to the fill for a vent; it will speed things up considerably.

[PEA-JAY]

I don’t bother with the drain plug. I prefer to drain the oil by undoing the two retaining two bolts, withdraw the shaft, bearings, seals and all. Replace the oil seals, o-rings, examine and polish the shaft and put everything back for peace of mind that I don’t have some fish line quietly tearing away at those seals in the lower end!

[marioxp]

I don’t bother with the drain plug. I prefer to drain the oil by undoing the two retaining two bolts, withdraw the shaft, bearings, seals and all. Replace the oil seals, o-rings, examine and polish the shaft and put everything back for peace of mind that I don’t have some fish line quietly tearing away at those seals in the lower end!

How demanding it is to replace oil seals, o-rings and put bearings back, do you need any special tools? Is there maybe a youtube video showing the replacement?

There is no point in changing the oil if you are not going to change oil seals and o-rings. Oil seals and o-rings are the weakest point when they are worn out then water enters the oil.

So I would like to know how to replace them. 

[symphony2]

This one should do you - although a 130 drive, the 120 is the same apart from the way the anode is attached.
youtube.com/watch?v=h1ZEsTJJHFE
or Google for others.

However really not necessary to do if there is no sign of water in the oil. If the oil is clean and clear leave it as it is. The drive and the oil is very lightly stressed and the oil change regime is very conservative.

[sy_Anniina]

I managed to get my drain screw open with a manual impact wrench - a device that translates hammer whack to rotational impact on screw head.

The same device was also useful when opening halyard organizer fastening screws that have sat on deck for 2 decades.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impact_driver

BR,

Tommi
s/y Anniina

[marioxp]

This one should do you - although a 130 drive, the 120 is the same apart from the way the anode is attached.
youtube.com/watch?v=h1ZEsTJJHFE

I had seen this video before. But I don't like their way of bearing assembly, with a hammer!

However really not necessary to do if there is no sign of water in the oil. If the oil is clean and clear leave it as it is. The drive and the oil is very lightly stressed and the oil change regime is very conservative.

During the last service, after only the oil was replaced last year, the serviceman showed me how the water was slowly passing sealing, which is seen to be an oil after the seal of a white and cloudy, this is very little oil cloudy. If you drain all the oil, there’s no way you can see it’s cloudy. The question is what would have happened if I hadn't changed the seals.

[Salty]

………….The old oil went out in a few minutes, but it took an hour to fill in the 2.8 l new gear oil because it seeps away very slowly. I hope this is normal.

……

You can always warm the new oil before pouring it in to the saildrive, it will flow much more readily than when cold.