Re: pinion gear blowout on newer 25/35’s

[Don]

After talking with Joel at Thompson, I found I was misunderstanding what he is describing. I was thinking the pinion gears he spoke of were splitting apart/breaking up, which is usually due to hitting something or perhaps shifting at high RPMs.
But, it seems like the failures Joel is seeing are more like the pinion teeth being wiped off leaving the rest of the pinion intact. If this is the case I am thinking these failures are due to a lack of lube/improper refilling procedures. Joel said these engines came from a boatyard that was mismanaged, and they probably had inexperienced help changing/refilling gearcases.