CR-2 (Borg-Warner) Series
By Chris, Hale Marine · 40+ years rebuilding Velvet Drive and ZF transmissions
Short answer: The CR-2 is an obsolete Velvet Drive drop-center transmission (1013/1014) with components that can't be swapped with other units. It was mainly used in trawlers with Lehman and Perkins diesels.
The CR-2 is the Velvet Drive drop-center transmission, in part numbers 1013 and 1014. We've had them in 2.1:1 (1013-003) and 3:1 (1014-007). The input shaft sits up high and the output shaft sits lower. On one Chris showed, it was about two inches lower, and he notes the difference depends on the ratio.
These transmissions are obsolete. Some of the components, like the clutches, pump, input shaft seal, neutral safety switch, shift lever housing, selector valve and pressure regulator, are different and can't be swapped one to the other. Chris's advice is that it's best not to deal with them if you can, but there really isn't a good replacement.
Common on trawlers
They were mainly used in trawlers with Lehman and Perkins diesels.
What we've found in them
- Paper clutches. A 1014-005 that looked pretty much original still had its early-80s paper clutches. Paper doesn't stand up as well as bronze in a boat, so we replaced them with bronze.
- Flat selector valve O-rings. On the old cast-iron transmissions, the selector valve O-rings get flat on one side and the fluid passes by. A good O-ring is nice and round and symmetrical.
- Overheating. On a 1014-007 3:1, the clutch drum was overheated, and the reduction planetary teeth were getting shiny and starting to break apart. A good drum is nice and shiny with no problems inside.
- A worn output coupling. On a 1013, the nut had backed off at some point, and the coupling went up and down and wore a groove.
