Reply With QuoteYes they can cavitate but you will not get a clunk, that sounds more like a unit that is not fully engaged into gear.
Hello, new to forum and boats actually. I don't have anything special or fast, just something to have fun on as it's my first boat. I have a 1987 Bayliner Capri 3.0L, that my father and I completely rebuilt. New, gimbal housing, bearing, rebuilt lower unit, re-did the motor, interior, etc.. Ran great last summer. Put it on the lake this summer and when I put pressure on the prop there is a clunking noise. I only get one clunk noise when i come out of the hole shot or when I round corners. Noise almost sounds like there is a gap between the prop and the prop nut, and the prop is slamming againest the nut. Checked nut-tight, tried different prop (to see if prop hub has flat spot)- nothing.
So I called the boat dealership they said it's either the gears in the lower unit are bad (rebuilt last year-so figuring that's not it), or they said it's the clutch bearing or whatever.
My father seems to think it's just cavitating, boats don't cavitate when coming out of hole shot do they?
PLEASE HELP, before I sink a but load of money into it. Thanks Randy in upstate NY
Yes they can cavitate but you will not get a clunk, that sounds more like a unit that is not fully engaged into gear.
Meaning I should lean more towards the clutch dog?
If it feels like a sledge hammer hits the back of the boat it is coming out of gear and jumping back in hence a clutch dog that is not fully engaged. If repaired before damage ( only takes a few times) it may be a cable adjustment. The arm from the unit and the inner transom shift cable need to be set with the proper tools for proper shift.
A quick way to check to see if your clutch dog is bad, Drain the gear oil, if there is metal on the drain plug magneit, then there is a problem in your lower unit, If not, then you need to go through the sink and link on your cables, if they are not set right, it will clunk into gear, there are 3 cables, the intermedit shift cable, and 2 cables coming from the control handle, one being your throttle cable, the other is a shift cable, which is the one with a black plastic truion on it, and thats the one you use to adjust your intermedit cable, that cables needs to be adjusted right, or it will throw off the intermedit cable and not allow it to go into gear correctly, and in time it will cause damage to you drive unit!I would advise you to get a manaul and do it by the book, its not hard to do, but it has to be right!!!!!!!!!!!!
One more thing, if you have power steering, check to make sure that you have all the air, out of your steering system, If you have air in the line, it will cause the drive unit to have what they call dog wag, meaning that your drive unit is going side to side, on take off and it will do it bad in the turns, so just another thing to check!
This sounds eerily familiar! My was doing the same thing and jumped OUT of gear 4th of July. It's in the shop atm, havent heard anything yet!
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