Tickover Rattle/Clatter - Drive Plate?

[Boatman Al]

hi all

 

I have a BMC 1.5, when i first got the boat 6 months ago, i noted a clattering sound when i put her into gear, the sound would vanish once i pushed the throttle into forward. Same with reverse. Its recently gotten louder, not lasting any longer, but definitely louder. Someone has told me its the drive plate.

 

Problem is i have a river cruise planned for end of the month, does the clattering signify a drive plate thats at the end of its life and ready to fail at any point?

 

What kind of price is a drive plate replacement?

[MtB]

Sounds to me like classic symptoms of drive plate failure. A new plate is usually £60 to 100 depending on what make you buy, and from whom. Fitting is usually a short day's work as the gearbox and flywheel housing/adaptor plate has to come off to change it, followed by reassembly. (It bolts onto the flywheel where the clutch would be if it was a vehicle engine.) So cost is however much your marine engineer charges for a day, unless you DIY.

 

Mike

 

P.S. forgot to mention, drive plates are mostly designed so total drive failure is unlikely, they usually just clatter ever louder until you can't stand it and have to get it fixed.

[David Schweizer]

Yes, certainly sounds like it is the drive plate, but Mike's estimate of a short day is a bit pessimistic. I would say a short half day, I had mine (also attached to a BMC1.5) changed a few years ago and it only took Jonathon Hewitt of Union Canal Carriers a couple of hours, and our engine is tightly located inside a stel box!

 

Yes, certainly sounds like it is the drive plate, but Mike's estimate of a short day is a bit pessimistic. I would say a short half day, I had to have mine (also attached to a BMC1.5) changed a few years ago and it only took Jonathon Hewitt of Union Canal Carriers a couple of hours, and our engine is tightly located inside a stel box!

[Djuwenda]

might be worth checking the oil level in your gearbox to start with...

[Bobbybass]

I have a Beta 43.

There is one bolt I can't get to..

I could just get the tip of a finger on it..while winding my other arm around the gearbox and using the full length of a spanner.

After 3 hours...I had turned it a quarter turn !!!

I have now had to resign myself...to completely removing an engine mount..and jacking the engine as high as hell..

 

So....it can sometimes be a s*d !!!!

[MikeV]

...drive plates are mostly designed so total drive failure is unlikely, they usually just clatter ever louder until you can't stand it and have to get it fixed.

Depends on the drive plate. On previous boats, both BMC powered, I had two different drive plates fail both of which resulted in no propulsion. My current Beta engine has a Centa drive plate which should not fail. Probably a bit more expensive though!

[Boatman Al]

someone said to me that it always sound alot worse than it is and could be fine for a while yet, but ive got to take it down the trent and soar and am worried about it failing, which would be disastrous, are BMC drive plates a standard or do i need to check out my gear box manufacturer?