Blown Drive On ZX and Daytona

[38donzidaytona]

Has any one else had problems with drives going out on 33ZX or 38 Daytona?

I was just told by my dealer that my drive blew because it came out of the water.

I have had Donzi's since 99 and this will be the 3rd drive system I have replaced. If it comes out of the water I get off the gas but I do not know what else I can do.

Thanks

[Bryan Tuvell 33ZX]

38donzidaytona:
What engines and what drives?
I tried to launch a new 33ZX (T500's) in 3's and 4's and couldn't, that was at 75mph GPS too, you must be in some big rough water often. I was reading that you should not pull all the way back on the throttles due to the torque you get reaccelerating upon re-entry, granted I am only in a 26ZX regularly but I assure you we do occassionally get some air and I only throttle back to half and ease the drive back to WOT.
Like I said, this is only what I read, I was only in the 33ZX two hours.
You would be better off with this post for the big guys on OSO.
Good luck to ya and I know your aggravation, keep us posted.
Bryan

[38donzidaytona]

Thanks for the imput. What is the big guys at OSO?

We boat on Lake of the Ozarks and it gets pretty rough but we do not go flying out of the water. I think there has to be another explanation.

[Bryan Tuvell 33ZX]

www.offshoreonly.com (http://www.offshoreonly.com)

click
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then
GENERAL DISCUSSION

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[harbormaster]

Oh Great Bryan. eek!

Send him elsewhere without letting anyone here try to answer his Question. Are we not good enough to answer his question here? Or is it because we all have small cheapy boats? eek!

If everyone with a large Donzi Question goes elsewhere where does that leave us? :confused:

Oh yeah send him to OSO and let the "Big Guys" feed off of him.... :D

[Moody Blu']

When I go to oso I definately feel like the little guy wink :cool:

[Bryan Tuvell 33ZX]

HARBORMASTER, chill out! Lets be honest, how many twin engine HP motor, over 30' performance boat owners are on this site that post?
Plenty on OSO.
I was only trying to help him out.
Give us the count that do.
I would never say a negative on someones boat.
Bryan

[Donzi38]

I have a 38 2001 daytona ( Identical to the yellow one that is on the front of the 2001 brochure)and i just ordered pictures from the Emerald coast poker run were the boat is completely out the water including the drives and I have not had any proplems. I have noticed white dried salt on my port drive latley. I hope I havent just jixed myself. Also I have had a 26zx99,33zx2000,and the daytona2001 and no drive proplems and all I do is jump waves in the gulf.Maybe Ive just been lucky!

[harbormaster]

Sorry Bryan, I was messing with you. I guess I did not put enough smiley faces on my post.

[BS]

38donzidaytona

Where on the Lake of the Ozarks are you. We are at the 6.5 mile marker of the Gravois Arm.

Bill

[Donzigo]

I operate regularly on the inland bays and in the ocean around St. Petersburg, with my Z-33 and Z-25. The 25 is easy to launch; but, the 33 is a beast to launch. So, you must be getting some big swells. It won't lanch on small chop, for sure. I have had no problems with either one of my boats with the Bravos. They do gfet hot, as Madpoodle states; but, drive showers take care of that. I do change the oil often, in that it gets thick after a while. (Just did it this past weekend). I have changed the oil tanks set-up to be on the firewall and high so that I could check it often. I also have visible tubes to moniter the oil. You can extend the oil hoses easily.

I also feel mispalced at OSO.

Good luck with your beautiful yellow Donzi. Which graphics?

Richard

[Sean]

I have a 33ZX with 500EFI's and can get air easily on the Lake of the Ozarks. If I get air or think the boat may launch, I get out of the throttle as soon as possible. I have 4 blade props and have had no problems. The drives and motor mounts were inpected last week and given a clean bill of health. Having heard of others having problems, I thought it a cheap investment to have the drives removed and checked.

Hope you get resolution on the drives and get on the water soon.

[Digger]

No drive problems here (yet) 502's/B1's

--concur with pulling off throttles at onset of launch, and taking it easy on putting them back down upon re-entry.
--concur that driveswhowers are good for long term health, but they do nothing to reduce the torque applied to the drives. Only the throttleman makes that call.
--I also do not believe in performing "holeshots" in a boat that weighs over 10,000 lbs. I believe they are just as injurious to a drive as sudden re-entry at speed. I take my time coming up on plane.

good luck-

[GeneD]

This is a big cause for concern for Mercury.
Last year at the hometown Donzi thingy, I had the pleasure to take a ride on the 38 Daytona from Gators in St. Pete, back to Sarasota. We blew one of those precious XR drives and had to drive back at a significantly reduced speed.
Also, at a couple of the APBA races last year, I know personally of a few race boats running those drives that blew too.
This year however, I haven't heard of anyone blowing an XR.
Now, if you are seeing dried salt on your drive, this is reason to be concerned. It's a no brainer to come to the conclusion that the drive is running hotter than it should. Take the appropriate steps.
I know Donzi owners, we all run the same way, pedal to the metal. We could all take some tips from the racing circuit. They all change the drive oil in the drive after every race. The way some of us drive our boats, we might as well be in a race, ya know?
So in conclusion my dear Donzi afficionados (sic?), yes, there has been a problem with the XR's on the bigger boats, namely the 38 Daytona.

[38donzidaytona]

I am at the 11 mile marker. I to try to get out of the gas when you get air born but on the weekends it is easy to do down there.

I have been talking to some other people and maybe I am just hard on boats. Time for me to move on to a cruiser or something I can't break as easily.

I loved the Donzi's but am sick and tired of spending 4 to 12k a year keeping them together. Especially when I purchase new.

I have only had the 38Daytona 3 months.

[Donzigo]

Gene, what is the proper procedure for the throttleman in a racing scenerio with swells and such, when the boat is apted to launch.

Digger, I agree with you on the "holeshots". I do it with the 25; but, never on the 33.

[blackhawk]

They all change the drive oil in the drive after every race??? Those guys race wide open(as possible) for almost 100 miles. Hell, I bet they rebuild their drives after every race!!!

[Donzi38]

GeneD or 38donzidaytona the 38 daytona you rode in belongs to Sid the owner of gatores and he tried to sell me that one instead of the one I own, the diffrence is mine has air scoops. The one you rode in I am sure doesnt have xr drives only b1.It also is pretty slow and sid has mistreeted it. As for getting rid of a donzi 38 daytona for a cruiser like a searay i sure wouldnt. I am running B1 with lab finshed 30pitch props turning 5250RPMS and I havent had a proplem YET! Its not that I am such a good driver but it may be how you are coming off the gas I guess its like dancing even though i dont dance. Are you going to the Donzi reunion in Oct?

[Formula Jr]

The bigger the boat, and the more powerful the engines; the more finess you need on the throttles. Everything in the drive trains is under load WHILE IN THE WATER. But the second you skip out past the skegs, those whole systems are completely unloaded:spining free up to the rev limits. On Twins and Triples it's even harder to balance where the engines are on a lift-off and entry. Which is a correction for a mistake in racing. If you're in the air, you are slowing down. Same applies to motocross cycles. It wouldn't take too much thought to design some electronics that could detect this condition and throttle back for the landing, then need manual actuation for wot again, cause sometimes you just can't see the one that will really toss you in the air. But that would be fly by wire stuff.... wink Allard? "Electronic system of drive train protection in the event of wave caused unloading of applied torque." by C. Allard et al. :D

[GeneD]

What is the procedure for the Throttle Man on air?
First thing is to throttle back to the idle stop, then when you re-enter the water, the throttle gets slammed into WFO to get your speed back up. Then you can feather back to a comfortable speed. However, in really rough water, the back and forth motion from WFO to the idle stops will continue throughout the entire race. The really slick throttle man will slam the throttles forward just as the drives enter the water. It's not easy and that is why a good throttle man is more valuable than a driver. I've been asked to be throttle man on a couple of teams and had to decline. I'm just not very good at it, and really, one wrong move and poof, there goes a drive or an engine. I just didn't want to be responsible for that.
Yes, they change the drive oil every race. Now, only the Superboats, SuperCats and Super V's race 100 miles. Most everyone else will run a shorter course according to their class. No, not many teams will rebuild their drives, but there are those out there that will disassemble after every race to check for abnormalities.
Donzi38, no...I didn't ride on that one. I rode on the other one. The guy from Gators made it back with no problems. I can't remember their names, though they did give me their card. It was a Poker Run team. I think? Was it the black one with the rainbow type graphics, I think so. But my memory is fuzzy on that.
Another tip for guys that get a lot of air time. Stay away from Hydromotives. We have seen a lot of blades breaking off. Bravo 1's are the way to go.