V-Drive
Walter V-Drive

In the fall of 2002 my Walter RV10D V-drive developed a problem. One of the bearings disintegrated spreading ground metal throughout the unit - that's bad. My best theory on the cause of the damage is that a yard mechanic decided the way to remove the propeller (that the PO had changed shortly before I bought the boat) was with a hammer. Prop pullers exist for a reason. The pounding damaged the bearing but it didn't show up as a real problem until I had run the unit for 50 or 60 hours. Or maybe the bearing just broke. But if had lasted 23 years before that and the PO was diligent about general maintenance like oil changes from what I can see. Parts diagram
After disassembly and inspection it was determined I needed at least all new bearings, the lower gear, output shaft, and lower rear cover. The upper gear and pinion shaft might also have needed replacement. The housing looked OK but needed careful inspection after a thorough cleaning. The parts I knew I needed were all still available from Walter Machine and would cost about $600 including the standard rebuild kit. The upper parts would bring the cost to about $900. The housing would bring it to $1300. A brand new unit is $1,730. Had I needed all the parts and the housing I think I would have gone for the new unit. Damaged parts

Fortunately this problem developed at the end of the season leaving me time to examine my options. I had talked in detail to the technicians at Walter and they had been very helpful. I told them I might look for a used unit. They said if I found one to call them with the serial number and they could tell me if they had ever serviced it or sold parts for it. Walter maintains records on all the v-drives they sold. If they service a unit or sell parts for it they add that information to the file.

In late January 2003 I located a used RV10D on the Internet thanks to a Google search. The unit had come from a C&C with an Atomic Four. Looking at the drawings and parts lists for the RV10D it looked to me as though the difference between my unit and the A4 unit was the angle housing and the input yoke on the spicer cv joint. I took a chance and bought the unit for $125. When I received it and looked it over everything matched except the cooling water tube housing on the bottom. The casting of that part was different but that would not be a problem for fit. The unit seemed to be in excellent shape internally and I figured at the lest I had a good set of internal parts. I test fit the angle housing and all seemed fine. All it seemed I needed to do was swap the spicer yoke and mount my old angle housing and I was good to go.
Used unit from Louisiana

I took my newfound used unit and thoroughly cleaned it (in a parts washer). Walter Machine said they couldn't sell me any parts for the used unit because it was missing the ID tag with the serial number. I re-used the old gaskets, which were not in bad shape. I swapped out the parts I needed from my old unit (angle housing and input yoke) and got a new seal for the input and new bearings for the spicer. These are all basic off-the-shelf parts that any machine shop can get. It all went together without a hitch. I cleaned up the outside and painted the unit with engine enamel. I filled the unit with the recommended 30-wt oil and worked it through by turning it and inverting it. I drained that, mounted the unit and re-filled with new oil. I ran it for about 2 hours and changed the oil again. It only holds a pint so this is no big deal. The v-drive seems to be performing fine, time will tell if I made a big mistake. Cleaned, painted and ready to install Installed and ready to run

I ran the v-drive without any trouble for 17 years until the Volvo diesel blew a head gasket and I re-powered with an electric drive in 2021. I considered designing the electric drive to use the Walter v-drive but fit would have been more difficult and I needed a 3:1 reduction.

More details on the electric conversion...


Electric drive unit installed in place of diesel and Walter v-drive.

Seal on input shaft of V-drive Face of V-drive adapter plate, V-drive side Face of Volvo Transmission
Engine Page
Stuffing Box Page

The Walter Machine Co. Inc.
84 Cambridge Ave.
Jersey City, NJ
201-656-5654
201-656-0318 Fax
www.waltergear.com

Spicer bearing kit (2 needed)
Dana 5-170X
G200208190126 - SLK
UPC 7 25975 11520 6
Upper Seal
National Federal - Mogul Oil Seals 471765 1.187 x 2.000 x 0.250

Numbers from parts in v-drive SN 33097 
Upper shaft bearings 
  #14
  Timken 17244 outer race
  Timken 17118 inner race
  #14A
  race marked Timken 07204

Lower shaft bearings
  #15   
  NACHI 5304 (replacement sent by Walter)
  15A
  race marked Timken 07204

Output Shaft Seal #8
  WP 15104-LBS marked on seal