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stormalong · 12-11-2022, 18:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill O

I believe all the dripless seals need to be burped after a haul out to get the air out otherwise they will overheat w/o water/air trapped by the seal. Luckily it is very easy to do. We have the "high speed fitting" that allows engine water to be injected into the seal and it is still a good idea to burp it before leaving the lift area.

It is not mandatory that you pump water out through the high speed version of the PSS. You can draw water in instead. That is what I do. The hose from the PSS fitting goes to a T fitting after the seacock and before the raw water pump. The hose fitting on the rubbing block is positioned at the top. Turbulence removes the slight amount of air above where the fitting sits.

ItDepends · 12-11-2022, 18:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by jordanbigel

On my shaft seal, both the outer (aft) lip seal and the 2 inner (fwd) lip seals would all have to fail before water enters the boat. Highly unlikely. In 22 years has never happened. I have have had the outer lip seal leak so that water enters the shaft seal and displaces the oil (I ran that way for 3 months before replacing the seals), but never had the 2 inner/fwd lip seals fail or any water enter the boat.

Yes, these cannot be repaired in the water. A flaw, I agree.

What kind of shaft seal is that? I have only ever seen one built like that, and it is a bespoke system from a different boat builder...

Curious minds want to know!

Davidasailor · 12-11-2022, 18:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by MicHughV

Though I've not done this, I read about this idea, where you take a plastic straw, fill it with waterproof grease.....not sure how you would do this, but let's assume you can, maybe with a plastic syringe or something, then squeeze the ends of the straw flat so that you can insert it under the lip of the Volvo seal, between shaft and seal and milk the remaining grease out to inside the seal.
Obviously, you'll have some water come into the boat during this procedure, but with luck, you can place a good dollop of grease in there.
Why do this ?.....to fix a possible leaking seal....

Sure would like to hear if anyone has done this or thinks it's worthy of an idea.

That’s how I grease my Volvo seal annually. The tube of Volvo grease has a nozzle that’s a convenient size to shoot a small amount of grease straight into the end of the plastic straw. I usually do this just before launching each spring, so there’s no problem with water coming in. When I forget and need to do it after launching the water ingress is still minimal. This isn’t really done to fix a leaky seal, it’s just the regular maintenance. There are two lips inside the seal, with the outer lip being water lubricated and the inner one grease lubricated.

jordanbigel · 12-11-2022, 19:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by ItDepends

What kind of shaft seal is that? I have only ever seen one built like that, and it is a bespoke system from a different boat builder...

Curious minds want to know!

Norscott.

https://norscotshaftseal.com

PUDDLE JUMPER II · 12-11-2022, 19:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill O

We have the "high speed fitting" that allows engine water to be injected into the seal and it is still a good idea to burp it before leaving the lift area.

Engine water-- sea water, correct? Where does one plumb the high speed water inlet to -- in order to get cool sea water? Its a tiny 1/4" or 3/8" ID hose--- I wondered where people (you specifically) have it run to?

ItDepends · 12-11-2022, 19:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by jordanbigel

Norscott.

https://norscotshaftseal.com

Thank you for that. They are new to me. Those are the best seals for standard shafts that I have seen. I'd cross an ocean with them--and that's the best endorsement I can give.

ALMOST as good as the shaft seal system that Amel installed on their unique drive systems.

**newhaul** · 12-11-2022, 19:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

I had used the flax type from the beginning. There was no there option. Then some slick Willie sold me on the idea of Teflon packing. It either ran sizzling hot or trying to losen it slightly let too much water in. The next haul out, I went back to the trusty flax.

Thank you for that critique I was considering Teflon but shall stay with flax .
Was considering dripless but with a 3/4 shaft pss is the only option and I can buy a heck of a lot of packing and diesel for the price.
Unless someone has a cheaper option .
Perfect time is now before I install the new engine

**skipperpete** · 12-11-2022, 19:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by jordanbigel

We use something similar, by Norscott - uses standard Parker lip seals (1 in rear 2 in front) but instead of water injection it uses oil (ATF). Never leaks, in 22 years. Have had to replace the seals every 5 or 6 years, and it is a PITA, and there is the risk of "rolling" the edges of the lip seal during installation which prevents it from sealing properly.

https://norscotshaftseal.com

The main advantage of this particular seal is it's low profile design - I tried to fit a PSS but it was too large for the shaft tunnel on my boat which is surprisingly narrow for a 50' boat (and shockingly hard to access!). The Norscott was the only seal that fit.

If I had a larger/wider shaft alley, I would not have chosen the Norscott since it's just so unusual and non-standard. But, having now used it for ages, I would choose it again even if I had the room for a PSS.

And the best feature of your Norscott is that you can have a couple of spare lip seals on the shaft ready for use...... if a leak occurs just remove the circlip and pop out the first seal, cut and remove it then slide in the first reserve and refit the circlip. All done without a haulout.

**newhaul** · 12-11-2022, 19:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by ItDepends

If you think this will "fix" a leaking lipseal I have a bridge in Brooklyn for sale cheap I am sure you'd be interested in as an investment.

Actually that is the correct procedure for the annual greasing of the Volvo shaft seal

**Jim Cate** · 12-11-2022, 19:51

Quote:

Thank you for that critique I was considering Teflon but shall stay with flax .

To the contrary, on our previous boat we had a conventional stuffing box. I replaced the flax with a teflon coated packing and used the special grease that West Marine sold to be used in such affairs. This set up ran cool to the touch and with no static and very little running leakage... for over a decade of full time cruising. Never even needed adjusting once run in. I'd use it again without hesitation in a conventional box.

Jim

Celestialsailor · 12-11-2022, 21:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by ItDepends

If you think this will "fix" a leaking lipseal I have a bridge in Brooklyn for sale cheap I am sure you'd be interested in as an investment.

Oh go suck grease!....

Celestialsailor · 12-11-2022, 21:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

To the contrary, on our previous boat we had a conventional stuffing box. I replaced the flax with a teflon coated packing and used the special grease that West Marine sold to be used in such affairs. This set up ran cool to the touch and with no static and very little running leakage... for over a decade of full time cruising. Never even needed adjusting once run in. I'd use it again without hesitation in a conventional box.
Jim

It was nice that they did not tell me about the grease end of it. I guess in the end, you just run what you're comfortable with.

**newhaul** · 12-11-2022, 21:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

To the contrary, on our previous boat we had a conventional stuffing box. I replaced the flax with a teflon coated packing and used the special grease that West Marine sold to be used in such affairs. This set up ran cool to the touch and with no static and very little running leakage... for over a decade of full time cruising. Never even needed adjusting once run in. I'd use it again without hesitation in a conventional box.

Jim

Thanks for the post . I am considering adding a zirc fitting into the bronze tube on the water side. Like this.

https://www.sailboat-cruising.com/cr...ffing-box.html

Bowdrie · 12-11-2022, 21:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by newhaul

Thanks for the post . I am considering adding a zirc fitting into the bronze tube on the water side. Like this.

https://www.sailboat-cruising.com/cr...ffing-box.html

That's the situation I talked about in post #25.
Fill the tube with grease.
Be a happy camper.