Dripless shaft seal.

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by Stranded Mariner

I am planning to install a dripless seal on my new boat. Any brand names you could recommend? Thanks

This is the most common and EZ to get at most suppliers.

PYI Inc. Max-Prop PSS Shaft Seal Seaview Radar Mounts R&D

BTW - FYI one NEVER uses a lubricant on the shaft or seals other then a liquid dish soap.

[irwinsailor]

That looks like mine.

[Stranded Mariner]

Originally Posted by delmarrey

This is the most common and EZ to get at most suppliers.

PYI Inc. Max-Prop PSS Shaft Seal Seaview Radar Mounts R&D

BTW - FYI one NEVER uses a lubricant on the shaft or seals other then a liquid dish soap.

Thanks for that! I will check it out.

[Zach]

I've been fooling around with an idea that you guys might get a kick out of.

Glass in a short wall in the bilge under the shaft log, and make a "sump." A flax packing drips, and so long as the drip is contained... and doesn't make it to the real bilge, putting a tiny bilge pump in the sump would attain the same "Dusty bilge" at relatively little cost.

[Seeratlas]

I want to second the comment of the fellow above who observed that when these seals fail, they can do so severely. There was a recent writeup (last couple of months) where a skipper almost lost his boat because of this, and I have heard of at least 3 other instances where competent sailors ended up removing them and going back to the old stuffing box type. If I remember correctly, original alignment and setup are CRITICAL, as are maintenance of those original settings.This can be hard to do where engines are NOT bolted securely to the floors etc.

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by Seeratlas

IIf I remember correctly, original alignment and setup are CRITICAL, as are maintenance of those original settings.This can be hard to do where engines are NOT bolted securely to the floors etc.

And that's the key! Boats are like airplanes in that they go out into a space that is un-populated where maintenance and professionalism is important.

Any motor not properly bolted down with the proper sized mounts should not even leave the dock except to get to the yard for repairs!

[MidLandOne]

Regarding the comments about the flooding risk from failure of "dripless" type seals, this risk does not generally apply to those that use lip seals. A lip seal cannot fail catastrophically.

In our own case we have a lip seal based shaft seal which has a metal bearing behind it on the water side. With the boat in the water the lip seal can even be removed out of its housing and the water that comes into the boat with the shaft stationary is only that which can get past the clearance bearing, so just a dribble. Furthermore it is partly grease lubed and if the grease is pressed up the lip seal can be removed and there is no leakage at all with the shaft stationary and only a dribble with the shaft running.

Not much point me mentioning the particular make as it is not available internationally, but I would be sure that there are other manufacturers who make similar lip seal based shaft seals (but I have not looked).

[RaptorDance]

I've been with a lot of folks with these shaft seals.

The few failures have been due to improper installation.

The coupling is held in place with set screws. Each screw is designed to be backed up with a second screw to insure that the first one is locked into place.

In every case of failure that I've seen, the second, locking screw was omitted... Eventually the first screws loosened and .....

Blue Loctite can be used for even further security.

[Seeratlas]

Ok, lets make this easy.
Google-
"dripless seal failure boat"

seer

Originally Posted by RaptorDance

I've been with a lot of folks with these shaft seals.

The few failures have been due to improper installation.

The coupling is held in place with set screws. Each screw is designed to be backed up with a second screw to insure that the first one is locked into place.

In every case of failure that I've seen, the second, locking screw was omitted... Eventually the first screws loosened and .....

Blue Loctite can be used for even further security.

[blahman]

Originally Posted by Zach

Glass in a short wall in the bilge under the shaft log, and make a "sump." A flax packing drips, and so long as the drip is contained... and doesn't make it to the real bilge, putting a tiny bilge pump in the sump would attain the same "Dusty bilge" at relatively little cost.

I've been planning to do something similar to this for a while. I have a full keel and an especially low sump section in my bilge. After I install my dripless seal and get the boat dry, I'm going to mount a bucket with a bilge pump in the bottom of it down in my bilge sump. I'll have a hose from my chain locker and icebox running into it, so theoretically I'll have a dry bilge.

On the note!

Is it possible to install a dripless PSS while the boat is in the water? I don't need to for another six months but would love to stop the water coming in and get my bilge sparkly.

Thanks for your time!
Aaron N.

[senormechanico]

Is it possible to install a dripless PSS while the boat is in the water? I don't need to for another six months but would love to stop the water coming in and get my bilge sparkly.

Thanks for your time!
Aaron N.


I did it on a LN35, but I suppose it would depend on your bilge's accessibility and the amount you can slide the shaft away from the transmission. You need to get the old parts off and the new parts over the shaft all the while water is coming in. It could get nerve wracking, and there's no going back once you start!

Steve B.

[Pura Vida]

The PSS on my C&C has worked flawlessly for four years now. Before the purchase I searched for examples of failures and made a call on a couple of different boards searching for any individual who had personally experienced a failure on their own boat. One person replied that he had problems with his that caused some minor flooding. (It scared the crap out of him at the time.) Almost evey one I know has converted to a PSS and repor they are pleased with it.

Certainly these, like all boat components will fail. Like Del mentioned, the installation is key. The one person I exchanged emails with installed his on an existing, and worn, shaft. His problem occured when the rotor slid up the shaft allowing water to pass the seal. It was fixed when he slid the rotor back onto the flange and tightened it back down. Despite doing most of the work on my boat myself this is one part I had replaced by the yard. At the same time I had the shaft and the prop replaced. (The previous owner had neglected the stuffing box and it failed after a day of sailing.)

The unknown threat may come when these have been in the marketplace long enough for people to "forget" about them. I check mine every time I start the engine, but that is easy on a small boat. Larger boats with deeper bilges may create an "out of site, out of mind" attitude.

pv

[Sailorguy]

We have had excellent service from a dripless lip seal made by Tides Marine; over 7k sea miles w/ no problems. They wear at some point and need to be serviced by replacing the seal; a spare is carried ready to go forward of the one in use on the shaft. Replacement is easily made in the water. Before this we used a PYI brand seal w/ excellent results. The lipseal has a water injection port which takes some of the returned cooling water">engine cooling water and routes it by the seal and out through the cutlass bearing for the purpose of lubricating and cooling the seal;a side benefit is added lubrication of the cutlass bearing (added life span). With water injection it is especially critical to make sure the vented loop on the cooling water return loop is sufficiently elevated and functioning or water siphoning can occur and back up into the engine via the exhaust.

Steve

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by Sailorguy

. With water injection it is especially critical to make sure the vented loop on the cooling water return loop is sufficiently elevated and functioning or water siphoning can occur and back up into the engine via the exhaust.

I T'd mine right into the existing loupe for the exhaust cooler line just out of sight at the top of the picture.

[Seeratlas]

That's a nice installation Del

seer