Volvo dripless seal - how to service?

[mixmaster]

I have a Volvo dripless shaft seal/rubber stuffing box. I realise that I'm supposed to put some grease in it and to make sure that water gets inside after it's launched.

How do I exactly accomplish both greasing and ensuring water is inside the gland?

Thank you as always.

 

[bobgoode]

Put grease in a straw...mcdonaldds....carefully put end of straw under lip between shatf and seal...squeeze starw to insert grease....idea from some other forumite and it works.

Burp gland by putting both hands under shaft and pulling upwards then release. Water will squirt out, job done. Repeat if fussy.

 

[davidwf]

Get a tube of the volvo blue grease, squeeze the seal to make a gap and squirt 1cm worth of grease into the seal.

When you launch burp it by sqeezing the seal again you will hear a hiss as air goes followed by some water. Let go and thats it all done.

 

[nedmin]

The best and safest way is to get a plastic bag,a bank coin bag is ideal. Cut off the corner about 1/2inch. Put a cubic cm of grease in the bag.Squeeze the seal with thumb and forefinger so that seal comes away from the shaft. Insert the bag to allow the cut off corner to go in about an inch. Work the grease to go into the seal by sliding your fingers towards the seal lip.When you have put some grease in bring it out about 1/2inch and press some more in. If you work the grease in as you pull the bag out you will get grease over the lip seals.Thats the way Volvo recommend. Personally I wouldnt push the metal nozzle of a tube up the seal as you could damage the lips as it needs to go a fair way in .I would do as the manufacturer recommends.

 

[mixmaster]

Thank you. Sounds simple enough.
I shall find out on Wednesday!

 

[mixmaster]

Just occured to me. The grease that you use. I have 2 kinds, the kind that was sold to me to re-lubricate the gearing inside my maxprop and regular white marine grease. Any of those will do?

 

[samwise]

How can I get a straw without going to MacDonalds?

 

[Skyva_2]

Should be the blue Volvo grease, not expensive. Others might serve but no guarantee.

 

[brianhumber]

The seal is in fact several lip seals one after another in a comon rubber housing. The outboard lip is lubricated when turning by a microfilm of water thus preventing rubber/shaft contact. If this lip is in good condition then the inboard seals do not get water and thus if not lubricated with grease would wear very quickly. The grease provides the film of boundary layer lubrication seperating rubber and shaft when new for these lips when the seal is new.

These are a good design, the lips can wear down a surprising amount by the time mine needed replacement last I had had the yacht since 1995 and it looked like the seal was the original 21 year one.

Brian

 

[cmedsailor]

If the boat is out of the water (which will be at some point) simply undo the screws, move the seal down the shaft, put a lot of grease and then back. Good as new.

 

[jerryat]

>>The seal is in fact several lip seals one after another in a comon rubber housing. ...... <<

That is incorrect unless they have very recently changed the design. There are just two lip seals. The inner one is grease lubricated, the outer one water lubricated. That's why it's essential to 'burp' the seal to ensure water has reached the outer seal.

 

[misterg]

[ QUOTE ]
If the boat is out of the water (which will be at some point) simply undo the screws, move the seal down the shaft, put a lot of grease and then back. Good as new.

[/ QUOTE ]

I believe this will only succeed in clogging the water lubricated bearing within the seal with grease and prevent water reaching the inner lip seal, thus ensuring that neither are cooled or lubricated properly. At the same time, it does nothing for the outer lip seal (which needs to be greased), or the 'reservoir' of grease between the lip seals.

YMMV.

Andy

Edit: Inner & outer opposite sense to JerryAT.

 

[misterg]

I knew I\'d kept this for a reason....

10 minutes in the shed....

My old volvo seal. (Sea is on the left of the photo, engine on the right).

You need to get the grease between the inner and outer seals. You also need to make sure that water can get through the bearing, as far as the inner seal.

The lips on both the inner and outer seals were noticeably longer on the new part.

Hope this helps.

Andy

 

[Bajansailor]

Re: I knew I\'d kept this for a reason....

As the saying goes, 'a picture is worth a thousand words' - thank you for posting this halved shaft seal.
Brilliant! It is all much clearer in my mind now re how they operate, and I am sure that pretty much everybody else on here will agree with me on this.
I shall be greasing tomorrow, and burping sometime in the next 2 weeks when we re-launch.

 

[wotayottie]

[ QUOTE ]
How can I get a straw without going to MacDonalds?

[/ QUOTE ]

Not only can you get the straw from MacD but they also sell grease in large portions. Yuk!

 

[mldpt]

sounds dead easy does'nt it, but when you are stood on your head in the dark not so easy, mine is fairly accessable and i struggle ,but some boats i have seen its almost impossible. Good luck anyway and happy sailing.
Mike

 

[Squeaky]

misterg;

Thanks very much for taking the trouble to post the image.

Would I be right in thinking that the two inboard seals are "O" rings. If so, could these not be changed from time to time if there were any problems?

That, of course, assumes that one could find the appropriate sized rings.

Cheers

Squeaky

 

[Tranona]

misterg;

Thanks very much for taking the trouble to post the image.

Would I be right in thinking that the two inboard seals are "O" rings. If so, could these not be changed from time to time if there were any problems?

That, of course, assumes that one could find the appropriate sized rings.

Cheers

Squeaky

No, not O rings. They are lip seals and are part of the rubber moulding, just as is the fluted rubber bearing. So not replaceable. When they eventually wear, which can be a very long time, you replace the complete moulding. If you want a similar type of seal with replaceable seals then you need to look at the Tides Marine or Vetus shaft seals which do have replaceable lip seals (but they are not o rings) in a metal housing.

 

[jakeroyd]

I use a cheap syringe from eBay.
mine are about 2cm dia and graduated do you van measure your 1cc.
the end of the syringe is about 2mm where you would fit the needle etc.
I sqeeze the seal as others have said and work the 'spout' in at the top of the shaft where it develops it's gap.

good fun filling the syringe with blue grease.

 

[ghostlymoron]

I believe you can lift the seals using the clip on a BIC pen which will slip under without damaging the lips. This will burp it and provide an entry point for your MacDonalds straw.