Changing Velvet V drive oil

[mjk1040]

Neighbor has a 1989 Santego, with crusaders and Velvet V Drives. Oil was not dextron or type F, looked to be hydraulic oil. I suggested he change it out to dextron. Any one have an issue with that?

[tomschauer]

They should have Dextron. Who knows why they added the hydraulic oil. If it were me I would change it out, run it a bit and change it again.

[bud37]

I have the BW velvet drive combo trans and v drive setup in the Mariner...the factory fill was mobilfluid 424 ,which is a rare as hens teeth hydraulic type oil, kind of looks like 30wt......anyway I called BW and they said I could change it to trans fluid so long as it was filled and flushed with trans fluid at least a couple times, so that is what we did.
Now bear in mind this applies to that trans v drive combo....10-05-005...

[bud37]

Oh to add, if it has the remote drives it could of used 30wt oil.....someone here will chime in that has this model...

[mjk1040]

Thanks guys, pretty much what I suggested to him, I had 1986 VDrives and they had dextron in them, his manual mentioned all of the above types of oils. I suggested Rotella as a engine oil, but he went and bought Mercruiser 20W50, said he couldn't find the 30W Rotella? Oh well as they say you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make'm drink!

[feeez]

Qr Bbpost I have the BW velvet drive combo trans and v drive setup in the Mariner...the factory fill was mobilfluid 424 ,which is a rare as hens teeth hydraulic type oil, kind of looks like 30wt......anyway I called BW and they said I could change it to trans fluid so long as it was filled and flushed with trans fluid at least a couple times, so that is what we did.
Now bear in mind this applies to that trans v drive combo....10-05-005...

I have been thinking about doing this job in the spring. I assume it is just extracted via the dipstick opening, then repeat that process a couple of times.

Fraser

[bud37]

Fraser, here is what we did...suck out the existing oil thru dipstick, take your time try to get as much as you can.....then add trans fluid, then run engine which drives the trans pump thru cooler etc, shut down and suck out again then fill ...run again then suck out and refill....then run and check fluid, if you did good then it should be nice and clear pink, if not repeat.
Actually they say you can pump it out using the bottom hose but I don't like undoing things that don't leak....according to BW the reason for the mobil 424 was better seal life and less leak chances...... :beer good:

Edit Oh to add ,the only reason I did this was I am an idiot...when checking trans fluid, being used to the old velvet drive dipstick with the notch, I thought the stick was in locked but as I found out it was not and pumped some oil into bilge.....lucky that previous people that serviced this boat had a penchant for overfilling things so just a big mess to clean up....woops, all good now...

[feeez]

Qr Bbpost some oil into bilge.....lucky that previous people that serviced this boat had a penchant for overfilling things so just a big mess to clean up....woops, all good now...

Thanks for the response....... on my spring to do list.

Fraser

[bud37]

I know this is an old post, but a little update.....I now have a source for the original factory fil 424 here in Canada, 18.9 L pails, so in the process of changing back to the original for my boat power package......very nice people, unbelievably helpful.......

[tomschauer]

I don't think I would go to the standard hydraulic fluid. The later velvet drives call for dextron II, which is also a hydraulic fluid but has been improved over the years to stand up to more heat etc.