Tourist Ship CV Joint Wear Failure Investigation: Impact or "Wear and Tear" Related

Engine and Propeller Sides of the CV Joint were submitted for analysis after multiple post-grounding accident repair procedures failed to permanently restore the assembly to what was considered to be within the normal operating envelope. Instead, excessive vibrations persisted, went away, and returned after several propeller shaft straightening events. The damage would have been covered by the insurance policy had it been shown to be related to an impact event at the time of the grounding accident, but not if it was shown to be related to what the insurance industry classifies as "wear and tear." The repair facilities finally determined that the vibrations originated in the CV joint. The size of the CV joint assembly, from a 150 passenger capacity tourist boat, proved to be a challenge after the client informed the lab that "yes he could hold it in his hand." The non-Hercules individual, must have been under the influence of a surge of adrenaline which ultimately resulted in a significant revision of the quotation for the analysis. The assembly was torn down, de-greased, and inspected. Wear patterns on the cages and balls were documented and analyzed.