Volvo 280 Outdrive

[Stan24]

Need help quickly. Have no experience with Volvo drives. What type of fluid (Amzoil preferably), how much and where do you put it in. Amazingly enough, I figured how to get it out. Going to Cambridge this weekend with my 24 Spitfire and have leaky top cap.

[mrfixxall]

Need help quickly. Have no experience with Volvo drives. What type of fluid (Amzoil preferably), how much and where do you put it in. Amazingly enough, I figured how to get it out. Going to Cambridge this weekend with my 24 Spitfire and have leaky top cap.

everybody on the board have their type of oil they use in their volvo drives.

I use 30w in my drive for the last 22 yrs and yet to brake it with the 434 hp that i have.. some people use 80w90 or merc hp lube,the problen with the thicker fluid is the oil pump in the lower half of the unit wont move the thicker oil as fast as the 30w oil..you fill the 280 from the bottom of the drive until it reads on the dipstick, or ir you remove the inspection cover on the back of the drive(two phippip screws there it reads 280) and theirs a allen head plug their,remove it and dump the oil in their and leave it sit for a hour and ck it...it should hold 2.75-3.00 qts of oil..top cap leaking? check the allen bolts to see if their loose or remove the 4 bolts and replace the o-ring but be careful theirs shims their that you have to put back in for the proper shimming of the gears..

[Marlin275]

and have leaky top cap.

There is a tiny rubber gasket that is supposed to be in there.
I lost mine and had that problem.

[f_inscreenname]

I hope you are filling it from the bottom?
I use the Shell Rotella just because that's what I use in the motor but 40weight was in it for years, like 35 years.:wink:

[BigGrizzly]

I had changed to hypoid gear oil since there was an old bulletin on it, and all the new Volvo drives use it and are of the same type. How ever I can not say I have ever herd of a failure do to the oil in that drive. The hypoid gear oil does have a higher shear strength and more of a cushioning effect. So use whatever you like, just not a multi vis oil- I am not going to get into why again, trust me on this, I spent 6 months of my life testing oils for my company.

[Stan24]

Thanks for the assistance. The o-ring is in place, but the previous owner used silicone or some goo to seal the whole top cap. Is this recomended?

[mrfixxall]

Thanks for the assistance. The o-ring is in place, but the previous owner used silicone or some goo to seal the whole top cap. Is this recomended?


No! just the o ring,,was the boat in salt water? could be coroaded..