Hey everyone?
We're currently cruising in St Lucia where I ran over a partially submerged line. I tried to quickly back off it but it wound itself up in the prop as I was reversing. The engine did not stall. After I got the line untangled, I found that I have no reverse. In fact, when I pull it into reverse it actually propels me forward! I adjusted the reverse clutches 3 flats and tried it to the same result. So my question is.... should I keep tightening the clutches? Or am I just screwed.
I won't be back in the states till June and would HATE to try to cruise all that way without reverse, so please chime in if you have an opinion. Learned or educated guess would be better than what I got right now.
Thanks in advance!
I have my own gearbox issues from crushing coral with my prop in French Polynesia. The boat is now in Tonga and I am on my way back there Oct 20 to try to sail the last 1,500 miles down to New Zealand. I have some parts with me and hope to fix what I believe is most severely wrong with my Paragon before beginning the passage. As I am a bit short of time this will be brief, but it will be a start for you.
If I understand the Paragon gear right the clutch discs are only operative in forward. You have had the lid off your gear and you have seen the long "arms" that move forward and aft on the drive shaft inside the gearbox. When in forward the forward rounded end of these "arms" are forced against the clutch plates and the whole cylindrical planetary gear is forced to rotate together with the shaft as a unit, producing forward rotation of the propeller shaft.
In reverse the gear lever clamps a band around the forward part of the planetary gear and prevents it from rotating. Instead the input shaft from the engine into the gearbox rotates gears inside the planetary cylinder that produce reverse rotation.
The reasons you don't have a reverse may be that you have broken the gears (teeth?) inside the planetary gear. This is severe and expensive. Or you have broken - or, in the best scenario, just slackened the reverse band mechanism.
You should have a manual for the Paragon on board. If not have a member email you the pages on forward and reverse adjustments and try tightening the reverse clamp band adjustment. I don't have access to this right now, so cry for help...
If, by mistake, you have now over-tightened the forward adjustment, back it off, as it may be the reason your shaft moves in forward even when you have shifted into reverse.
In fact, if you are going to have bad luck like this it is better to have the prop get stuck when in forward than reverse as the clutch plates slipping may save the gear from more severe damage. Golden rule when a rope is anywhere in the vicinity of your prop: Get out of gear!
Also check your V drive and oil seals, which are also vulnerable when this kind of thing happens.
Other members, if I am wrong about anything here, please correct me.
Best of luck. I know what you are going through.
So, this is how it turned out. The reverse needed 4 clicks to engage correctly. I can tell its working right by looking at the shafts as the wife shifts the boat. The problem lies with the Kiwi folding prop. Not sure what's going on there but it isn't moving into reverse.
Thanks for the help!
Wayne
SV Journey. Rodney Bay, St Lucia.