FYI - The problem was the input shaft seal had blown. When we
installed it, we only set it flush with the casing. Even though there
is little fluid pressure at this seal, it still blew. When we pulled
the transmission the seal was completely out, loosely dangling on the
shaft.

We ordered a new part from NAPA and this time drove it in 1/8" deep
using a 2" diameter piece of PVC as a sleve around the shaft(don't
drive it in too far as the shaft key will tare the seal apart). We put
the transmission back in and dropped it in lake after about 3 hours of
total work.

I've since skied behind it five times and it's running perfect (knock
on wood).

-Keith



"Keith" wrote in message . ..
My '79 Correct Craft Mustang suffered some serious slipping this past
weekend. It's running a PCM Ford 302 with a Borg Warner Velvet Drive
transmission.

We had rebuilt the engine and transmission (broken reverse ring)last
year and managed one test ride in Sept. Everything worked great. I
took it for another test ride a week ago and everything was still fine
(drove it about 30 mins).

Was using it this past weekend it ran hot when first starting up. Once
you got it above 3000 RPMs the temp when back to normal. I was
running like a top and I was feeling great. I must have
used it for at least an hour and a half running time with no other
problems. I had it well over 40 mph and must have gone down to idle
and back up to high RPMs at least a dozen times.

Then ... on my third trip out on the lake I had six people in the
boat. It started out running hot again (200 degress) so I brought it
up to plane and the temp went right down to 160 and stayed there, even
when I droped down to 1000 RPMs. After about 10 mins. at 1000 RPMs I
went to bring it up to plane and the transmission slipped big time. I
immediaetly pulled it back and waited a little while. I tried it agian
and it slipped again. I lifted the engine cover and noticed
tranmission fluid in the bildge. I also notice that the tranmssion oil
cooler was shooting out water because the plug was out! I limped home
at about 1000 RPMs.

I put the plug back in (which obviously fixed the temp. problem)
and added transmission fluid. It still slipped. I couldn't see
any leaks around the transmission and the fluid seemed to remain full.

What happened? If there was a problem, why did it take over an hour of
running time for it start slipping?

I still have forward, netural and reverse but it slips if I go over
2000 RPMs in forward.

My first though was that the tranmssion overheated and the fluid
boiled out but I don't know why it would overheat. The missing plug is
in the bottom of the oil cooler so the water passed through it before
it escaped. The cooler wasn't hot at all. The transmission was hot
however.

Unfortunetly, I didn't have time to let the tranmssion completly cool
before I tried it again. I limped to the ramp and took the boat out.

Am I looking at a rebuild or could it be something less expensive?