derekseabird wrote: > Hi > > Has anyone got experience with this part failing? > > Mine has failed after only 1880hrs, is this usual or am I doing > something wrong? > > Any words of wisdom would be welcome > > Thanks > > Derek > > > ------------------------------------
Earnest has a Beta 1903 (43) and it's drive plate became chattery after some tour or other where we hit the bottom a lot / straining against weed. I did not let this fester, so I obtained and fitted a replacement. The old drive plate just needed replacement rubberyplastic inserts and endstops. So this now re-furbished is our spare. I guess this happenened around 2500 engine hours. Have you got and Aquadrive / Pythondrive or some equivilent CVJ coupling between gearbox and shaft?...because I have a theory about these....nanely there is no "give" in the drive train and all takeup from bottom wacking / straining is taken up on the flexible inserts in the drive plate. Earnest has not got a thrust bearing / Aquadrive (not quite enough room in engine bay), so relys on an oversize Centraflex rubbery coupling, which has proved indestructable...but as no thrust bearing the engine mounts have suffered. If doing the drivetrain in Earnest again, I would go for the Centradrive CF ACV (thrust bearing + 1 x rubber coupling + 1 x CVJ) http://www.centa.info/?show=products&c=&nr=31 Which has all the benefits of both systems, taking some of any tortional shock away from the drive plate. Of course in Ireland you have not got to worry about wacking the bottom / weed (though that may have changed, due to no rain and low waterlevels) -- Neil Arlidge - NB Earnest
