I have a Catatlina 36 MKI. This is the end of the first year I've owned it. Just checked the trans fluid and the dipstick doesn't seem to match the manual. Mine has a notch way way waaaaaay down at the bottom of the stick, and that's the only mark there is. The manual says the fill mark is about 1/4 of the way up from the bottom. Well, my notch is basically at the bottom. No where near a 1/4 of the way up. the transmision looks original, a Hurth.
This manual, which appears to be original to the boat judging the age, also says there's 8 qts of oil, which clearly there was not when I changed and refilled. It was about 4 qts.
Are these manuals just rough guides and not really be to trusted? The manual keeps throwing me off and I'm stuck using my common sense (which I think is pretty good, but I hate not being able to read exactly how something should be).
Thanks all,
Preston
4 quarts?? 8 quarts??? Yikes!!!!
I think whatever manual you are using is the wrong one and is waaay off -- on our boat, its a FRACTION of 1 quart. Overfilling is not a good idea.
Check the manual here: www.catalina36.org/sites/default/files/legacy/Hurth%20HBW%20Manual.pdf
at page 24 (section 4.2); it indicates the correct amount is 0.3 liters for the HBW50, i.e. 11 fluid ounces -- a tad less than 1/3 of a US quart.
And the dipstick is illustrated on page 22 (section 3.2). Excerpts pasted below:
Matthew Chachère
s/v ¡Que Chévere!
(Formerly 1985 C36 MKI #466 tall rig fin keel M25)
2006 Catalina Morgan 440 #30.
Homeported in eastern Long Island, NY
If you have Hurth ZF10M transmission, it should take about 12oz of Dextron III. There will probably be an once or two remaining that you can't suck out. Don't overfill above the grove on the dipstick. Rest the dipstick on the tranmission housing, don't screw it in, while taking the fluid reading.
The engine: 4 qts of 15-40W oil designated for Diesel engine use (ie Shell Rotenda)
Paul & Wendy Keyser
"First Light"
Rye NH
2005 C36 MKII #2257
Wing, M35B
I overfilled when I first got the boat, but only because our dipstick was 1/2 the length it should have been. The PO cut it off because the dipstick seemed to be cracking in the middle and he did not want the bottom half falling into the transmission gears!