Draining Trans Oil On Velvet Drives - Looking For Suggestions

midexp

Active Member
Oct 5, 2016
423
Harrison Township, Michigan Lake St.Clair
Boat Info
1999 40' Sundancer
Engines
454 merc
Have a 99 400 DA with BW Velvet Drive transmissions. In the dip stick hole are mesh steel screens that taper down to an opening just small enough to fit the dip stick, so pumping oil out through this hole is not possible.

The trans has drain plugs on the side, but in my boat these are right up against the stinger. There's no way to get a pan under them. I was thinking about using a few "oil proof" bags to collect the oil. What has other done? Again, sucking out through the dip stick/oil fill hole is not an option.

Thanks
 
I use the same manually operated oil extractor as for engine oil changes. Its thin tube sucks fluid out directly from the dip stick tube on the engine or transmission. Easy and no mess.

The kit also came with a few sized tubes from large diameter to small. I'm sure the smallest would fit.

Looks like this...
https://www.amazon.ca/Mityvac-7400-...=en-CA&tag=googcana-20&ref=pd_sl_25pq0rty34_e

As I mentioned, sucking the fluid out through the dip stick opening is not an option because of the metal mesh screen in the hole.
 
As I mentioned, sucking the fluid out through the dip stick opening is not an option because of the metal mesh screen in the hole.

Your point was not missed. If the outer dipstick diameter is the same or larger than the suction tube's outer diameter you'd be good to go...
 
I had a 400 Express with Velvet Drive transmissions. You can get a small diameter tube down the screen. Another option, if it is the same as the ones I had is to remove the part the dipstick goes into. Mine had red plastic handles on a flat metal dipstick. Look at the top of the round tube the dipstick goes into. If there is a slot cut across that tube you can put a flat screwdriver or a spanner wrench in the slot and turn it. That tube that has the mesh is threaded and will screw out of the transmission housing casting. That mesh stops the dipstick from moving around inside the transmission. Once you remove it you can put a larger tube into the transmission.
 
Your point was not missed. If the outer dipstick diameter is the same or larger than the suction tube's outer diameter you'd be good to go...

So you think the dip stick diameter is as large as the hose needed to suck it out? Not sure about your boat, but my dip stick (as well as most) is a thin flat piece of metal. The opening in the metal mesh is slightly larger than that, thus making it impossible to fit a hose through it.
 
I had a 400 Express with Velvet Drive transmissions. You can get a small diameter tube down the screen. Another option, if it is the same as the ones I had is to remove the part the dipstick goes into. Mine had red plastic handles on a flat metal dipstick. Look at the top of the round tube the dipstick goes into. If there is a slot cut across that tube you can put a flat screwdriver or a spanner wrench in the slot and turn it. That tube that has the mesh is threaded and will screw out of the transmission housing casting. That mesh stops the dipstick from moving around inside the transmission. Once you remove it you can put a larger tube into the transmission.

Wow, that'a got to be a small hose. But I hear what you're saying about the slot in the opening. I will look closer at that method. Thanks!
 
I have velvet drives and have done oil changes on them using the tube that you would use on the dipstick for your motor oil not sure what you’re looking at but should slide right in why don’t you try it out and report back let us know how it goes good luck
 
If the access is good ,you can remove the lower trans hose at the trans cooler and suck it out from the hose
velvet-drive-transmission-AS3-71C.JPG
 
Wow, that'a got to be a small hose. But I hear what you're saying about the slot in the opening. I will look closer at that method. Thanks!
It was a small diameter hose that I used. My oil change pump came with a variety of different sized tubes and you just pushed one inside the other until you got to one small enough to fit in there. If you remove the tube with the mesh in it you might be tempted to cut the mesh off but don't. As I said in my post the mesh is there to keep the dipstick in place so it doesn't interfere with anything when gears are changing.
 
It was a small diameter hose that I used. My oil change pump came with a variety of different sized tubes and you just pushed one inside the other until you got to one small enough to fit in there. If you remove the tube with the mesh in it you might be tempted to cut the mesh off but don't. As I said in my post the mesh is there to keep the dipstick in place so it doesn't interfere with anything when gears are changing.

So you just unscrewed the tube the mesh is in? And the mesh stays attached to the tube?
 
I have velvet drives and have done oil changes on them using the tube that you would use on the dipstick for your motor oil not sure what you’re looking at but should slide right in why don’t you try it out and report back let us know how it goes good luck

Thanks. I'm guessing you did not have the metal mesh screen inside the dip stick opening.

If I can unscrew the tube the mesh is attached to, I'll take a picture and post. I don't think most understand what I'm trying to explain. Again, unlike my other boat with Hurst V drives, this VD has a screen inside the trans housing where the dip stick slides through. I tried to pass a tube about 1/4" dia. through and it will not pass through the mesh screen. But SRMARK tells me this tube the screen is attached to will unscrew from my trans housing. I missed that looking at it. I jut hope unscrewing it isn't as hard as the drain plug I stripped.
 
32F52FB2-A3E9-4EBA-B6E6-A87B275A54E1.png
This is what I have on mine and just funnels down very narrow at the bottom the quarter inch should go in
 
I never had to disassemble it like I said once you remove the dipstick you can push the oil extractor tube in there not sure if yours is exactly like this but at least all the ones I’ve seen this is the type of mesh screen it looks like
 
Can you get a hose over the outside of the dipstick tube and clamp it in place?
I had motors that I had to do that on years ago and it worked well.
 
So you just unscrewed the tube the mesh is in? And the mesh stays attached to the tube?
I used a large flat screwdriver and laid it sideways across the slot in the top of the tube. It is a straight thread and it unscrewed easily. The mesh is welded or soldered to the tube and stays attached. Looking at the picture you can see that a small tube can slide through it but can easily get caught in the mesh.
 
I used a large flat screwdriver and laid it sideways across the slot in the top of the tube. It is a straight thread and it unscrewed easily. The mesh is welded or soldered to the tube and stays attached. Looking at the picture you can see that a small tube can slide through it but can easily get caught in the mesh.

Ok I will try to remove the tube. Still ticks me off I can't get the drain plug out. Stay tuned. Thanks to all for the feedback.
 
I never had to disassemble it like I said once you remove the dipstick you can push the oil extractor tube in there not sure if yours is exactly like this but at least all the ones I’ve seen this is the type of mesh screen it looks like

Did you use the typical engine oil extractor with the pump handle (cylinder shape)? I know those have small diameter tubes. But I'd like to use the larger diameter hose to get more oil out. Again I'll work on unscrewing the tube.
 

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