V-Drive Oil Pressure at idle

[vr6mole]

Fired up the boat yesterday for the first time this season via the flush pro.

Noticed that the v-drive oil pressure gauge was reading 0 and did not change if we bumped the RPMs up to ~1200.

Looks to be a brand new pressure sender on the v-drive unit.

Should I be getting some type of reading at idle with the boat in netural or does it actually have to be in gear (and in water for safety) to get a reading from the gauge?

[DavidF]

RE: V-Drive Oil Pressure at idle

I THINK it has to be in gear before you get oil pressure readings. My boat has an idiot light and a label that say something about if light does not go out above 1200 rpms in gear, check.....

[vr6mole]

RE: V-Drive Oil Pressure at idle

I noticed that as well but I am not sure if it specified it must be in gear for the light to go out.

I would think that the system would have oil pressure at idle unless the internal pump is driven off the shaft rotating similar to how a Jeep Transfer case operates.

[bchesley]

RE: V-Drive Oil Pressure at idle

The movement of the gears creates the lube pressure so if you are idling out of gear no pressure. You are fine no worries.......

[DanielC]

RE: V-Drive Oil Pressure at idle

The Walters V-drive boats have two seperate gearboxes. The gearbox attached to the flywheel end of the engine shifts torward, neutral, and reverse. The V-drive is two gears, five or six bearings, and two shafts in a housing, with an oil pump driven off one of the shafts. It is always "in gear".
If your boat is in neutral, the V-drive does not turn, and it's oil pump does not turn. No V-drive oil pressure in neutral.
I would think the PCM V-drives act the same way, but I do not know for sure.

[SuperSquirt]

My PCM 343 showed oil pressure while sitting in the driveway with a Flush-Pro running at idle.

[vr6mole]

My PCM 343 showed oil pressure while sitting in the driveway with a Flush-Pro running at idle.

enough that the red light on the dash turned off?

[SuperSquirt]

Sorry guys, i thought you were asking about engine oil. My bad

[Red57Bird]

I have an 03 SAN and I believe the Walters v-drive is the same. The red light will stay on or maybe flicker until the engine RPMs increase, usually for me at around 900-1,000 rpm. If it stays on when the engine RPMs increase it means there isn't sufficient pressure in the unit to circulate the oil, typically caused by low fluid levels.

[AirTool]

I wonder why they didn't put some logic in the box to monitor pressure and engine speed and let the computer decide when there is a problem. If it needed to be supervised or fail-safe they could have put a green light that stayed on when everything is OK and red comes on with problems.

[saceone]

i own a VW so to me, the less lights on the cluster= the better haha I'm sure vr6mole can confirm

[AirTool]

i own a VW so to me, the less lights on the cluster= the better haha I'm sure vr6mole can confirm

Agree - that was my idea to start. The always on green would only be suspenders for an engineer that was concerned about the red bulb being burned out.

[vr6mole]

I have an 03 SAN and I believe the Walters v-drive is the same. The red light will stay on or maybe flicker until the engine RPMs increase, usually for me at around 900-1,000 rpm. If it stays on when the engine RPMs increase it means there isn't sufficient pressure in the unit to circulate the oil, typically caused by low fluid levels.

this is all while in gear correct?

[Red57Bird]

Yes, while in gear.

[vr6mole]

Yes, while in gear.

thanks!