ZF 280A Trolling Valve adjustment?

[Shawn Keulen]

Have a ZF 280A with trolling valve that is operated by the standard t handle push pull cable. I do salmon trolling on Lake Michigan with the boat which is a 36 Tiara with C series Cummins. I can dead stop the boat with the control and get to about 1.8 knots easy with it, but no matter how easy or patient I am with the cable/control I can´t get much more speed out of it without it making a gear grinding noise or jumping out of troll mode. I guess my problem seems to be just not much range for adjustment. Other motor same setup and I can control from dead stop to around 3 knots no problem..Any thoughts? Read about shim and or spring adjustment on the model 220 possibly the same?

Topic

[Shawn Keulen]

Yes pressure gauges and shaft rpm gauges. My fluid came today so will get it put in hopefully tomorrow. My issue seems to be a bit different than yours. I just don’t really have much adjustment above dead stop.

[Chris Dahl]

I think the chatter could be classified near that sound, deep & low grrrrrrrrrrr that slowly bows out. My gear has done since day one. The chatter does not bother me, and never a trolling issue, but going to try the Mobil 424 and just see if it goes away. The oil swap is pretty much due so might as well see what happens.

Do you have pressure gauges on your trolling valve blocks? Pressure gauges really help tell you where you’re at in the scheme of “trolling” and take some guess work out of that lever you use to adjust speed.

[Shawn Keulen]

Mines not so much a “chatter” more like a gear grinding very much like not using a clutch driving a stick shift type sound

[Chris Dahl]

Also have a 280 ZF, but V drive and run electronic troll valve and electric shift. Have been running Delo 30W in it from new (700 hours) No issues trolling, but do get chatter at least 50% of the time coming down to idle from any RPM over 1600, shift in / out of gear is immediate remedy, or flipping on troll valve is immediate remedy. Chatter does subside on its own after maybe 10-15 seconds. I think I’ll do a quick oil change to the Mobil 424 and see if chatter disappears.

[Tony Athens]

This oil was designed to allow multiple disc type hydraulic clutches used in tractor applications to operate in the “oil shear mode” and allow it do do what needs to be done smoother for that lack of a better engineering term to describe it……..If you read the specs, they are serious as to what it can do..

Hopefully, you’ll see a noticeable improvement during the “slipping mode” or trolling mode as to operation in your particular application and operation..

I am all ears as to how it all works out..

Tony

[Shawn Keulen]

Will be done this week and I have charters pretty much everyday so it will be a good test thanks

[Tony Athens]

Switch your oil to MOBIL Mobilfluid 424………It was developed for this specific issue in other applictions and will address your concerns…………..

But with that said, I want a direct “come back” from your experience so others can be helped too..

Tony

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