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Transmission

A

actigner

Alan C. Tigner
My manual leads me to believe I have a Borg Warner transmission.
Should it be in gear or in nuetral while sailing or does it
matter? Is the transmission a manual or automatic? I've been
told that leaving a automatic in gear while sailing will cause
damage. The boat is a 382 with a Perkins 4-108
Thanks
 
I don't know much about BW transmissions, but if yours turns out to be a Hurth, then here is some important information that I learned at a boat show. You should place your Hurth tranny in Reverse when sailing with the motor off. This will prevent the prop from rotating the shaft, the transmission components, and most importantly, prevent slipping the clutch. If left in forward gear, the clutch will slip, until eventually the clutch disc becomes glazed and will have to be replaced. You can check this out by manually seeing which way the shaft will rotate in either gear. It will slip one way and lock the other way. Simple enuf!
According to the Hurth expert at the boatshow, other than glazing the disc if left in the wrong gear, the hydraulically shifted Hurth is not hurt when spun by the prop. I don't like the noise and extra wear & tear, so I always try to leave my Hurth tranny in reverse while sailing.
Fair winds....
 
<div>Jim,Did the Hurth representative have anything to say about sailing with the transmission in neutral? Presumably, that would disengage the clutch and prevent slipping. I usually sail with the tranny in neutral to lessen drag and smooth the water flow over the rudder. Thanks.Eric
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<div>Robert,
I think I have a Hurth?? or Hurst?? but it could be a BW! I have always put the shift into reverse to stop the prop from turning. I have also been told that this actually creates LESS drag than allowing the prop to windmill with the boats motion. Apparently the turbulence created around the prop creates less drag if it's fixed than if spinning at a speed less than required to "drive" the hull thru the water. I was told this by a pretty reliable naval architect who spent a number of years designing sailing yachts for a big yacht manufacturer. Not Morgan though! Good luck, Mick
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Well said Jim. The prop can turn if left in neutral with no damage to the tranny.I will be rebuilding my Hurth(HBW-10)tranny this winter and hope to take pictures & have a write up for other owner interest. Cheers!!

 
Robert: I couldn't figure out what I had from the manual, so I climbed in and make a tracing of the label on the transmission--on the port side and impossible to see, of course. It is a hurth and I have a sense that most of the 4-108's came with that. If you have a Yanmar, then I have no idea. You can free wheel or stop the hurth as far as I know. In fact, I have a shaft alternator for when it is freewheeling--although that has drawbacks I won't discuss. Anyway, you can figure out the transmission manufacturer--it may just take some contortions. Good thing to know in case of trouble. Good luck.
 
<div>Terry, I'm curious about your shaft-driven alternator. What's the pulley ratio? Size of alternator? Do you switch it on/off? How much amperage do you get, on average?Please forgive the barrage of questions, but I've been considering adding just such a system, and there's a dearth of published information on the subject. Thanks!

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Eric,
My understanding is that when in neutral, neither disc will drag and the prop will freewheel the transmission without damage. It's noisy, but nothing gets hurt. By the way, I've consistently heard that, contrary to what logic might suggest, your boat will sail more eficiently when the prop is locked.
Fair winds...
 
80 amps, I think. Next time I am on the boat, I will try to remember to get the literature. It was installed when I bought her. You have to really be moving before it turns much under sail. YOu can run it under power, as long as you do not overload the circuits--most 4-108's (I learned, the hard way) have a 60 amp circuit breaker tied into the system to the starter. I ran the alternator too high once when I was trying to quick charge three completely dead batteries. I am not sure I would install one if I had to do it over--would surely start with solar panels first, but...if you were doing lots of sailing in the Trades, it might be a good way to generate. I have never talked to anyone that used one, really.
 
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