Xstar 2nd Transmission in 350 hours...........

OK so i just had to replace my second transmission and drive plate in 350 hours on my 6.0l Xstar. This cant be normal.

It is my first ever boat and we put around 3-3.5k pounds including factory in it.

The mechanic that has fixed it both times says that it is the weight that we put in it but I know so many people that weight their boats heavy and never have transmission problems..

They only thing that seems wierd about the boat is that it "clonks" every time you put it in gear. I know this is normal but it "clonks" alot louder then my neibours xstar.

Does anyone have some info they can help me with as this cant be normal and next time It wont be covered on the warrenty....

Does it idle high?

about 600 rpm i think tht is about normal?

your not jamming on the throttle super hard are you? and do you have a different prop?

You're putting a lot of weight in the boat. My guess is that it is more how you use it. in and out of gear very fast and hard have you ever hit anything that would cause anything to be loose/not aligned properly? Lots of potential details left out.

The hardest use a tranny typically sees is the hard reverse. Other problems crop up due to vibration of the prop/shaft. Also, the tranny temp can be an issue. If too hot, the seals and rings break down. Lots of possibilities but not enough information to determine the cause.

I believe there is an update for the trans oil cooler. Maybe check into that. I was just talking to the mechanic about it last week. We need to get our boat in for it.

I never jam the throttle or reverse it hard for that reason. I do, when I pick up a rider go in and out of gear as to nt yank the rider..

how would I know if the trans is getting too hot?

never hit anything and Im running a 14.25x14.50 prop which was standard when I bought it

the hurth transmissions clunk. just how they are.

Its gotta be something like Evan says, or something out of alignment. If just weighting alone was the problem all our boats would be getting new trannys every year.

Some trans noise is normal, but if it is exceptionally loud I would have the drive plate inspected.

I will second the alignment. IMHO

Dan, when you did your first tranny did you have the damper place replaced/aligned?

The Hurth/ZF HW630 on my friends Mallibu is smooth on all rpm ranges.

Where are you located now? is your mech a certified Hurth/ZF transmission?

is warranty covering this right?

Luciano - what is a damper place?

The mechanic I have taken it to is the mastercraft mechanic for this area not another for 100s of miles.

and the plate has been replaced with the new trans.

Dan, it's pretty unusual to blow 2 trannies like that, you better talk with a Hurth/ZF mech since they know their stuff pretty much better than the dealer's mechs.

The oil cooler update seems like a possibility.

The clonking sound for me seems odd. Something is just not right.

Are you still with Roby?

Regards from Argentina.

You need to change the prop to a 14.25x14.00 running that kind of weight it will help your hole shot and wont work the boat as hard.