Dripless shaft seals

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robertj

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I am replacing my stuffing box arrangent with a drip less shaft seal of some sort.
Tidesmarine, pss to name a couple of candidates.
Anyone have either and what are their views of them, or an alternative system.
Thanks
 
I've got a PSS on my C&C 26.
Been on there trouble free for 10 years.
I lake sail and the boat is on a mooring during the summer. As I'm in Alberta, Canada the season is short, but it's been trouble free, I've not had to do a thing!
 
In light of the discussion on the Esper refit thread in the liveaboard fora how about a poll of those who have PSS seals fitted. Time fitted and frequency of problems.
 
In light of the discussion on the Esper refit thread in the liveaboard fora how about a poll of those who have PSS seals fitted. Time fitted and frequency of problems.
 
macd said:
Pretty well all of them are covered on Vyv Cox's website - well worth reading: http://coxengineering.sharepoint.com/Pages/Sternglands.aspx

The Volvo seal is probably the simplest (and, amazingly, the cheapest) and has had many satisfied users on this forum. Unfortunately it's available in only a small range of sizes.
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The volvo lipseal needs a clean shaft surface and the correct combination of shaft and stern tube size.. It also requires burping on each grounding, so it could be a pain on a drying mooring.

I had issues with the shaft and the stern tube size so I fitted a PSS (face seal) on my 25' when I reconned the engine 4yrs ago.
It has a vent tube led high up the coaming that avoids the need to burp to vent the air. It has been flawless.
 
I've had a couple of lip-seals (but not the Volvo) and, for the last 18 years a PSS seal.
I found the lip-seals reliable, in that they never leaked, but always failed after about 4 seasons and needed servicing.
My PSS is an early model, without the relief-tube - like the Volvo seal it needs burping after drying out and, occasionally when it overheats.
As the Esper thread reveals it needs fitting the right way round but, apart from that performs flawlessly.

There was an obsessional on this site, some time ago, trying to prove all bellow seals were the work of the devil and liable to sudden disintegration - in fairness I don't think it was Squeaky. He appeared to become quite incoherent with rage when he could find no-one to agree with him.

So be aware, like anchors, stern seals appear to have the habit of provoking highly impassioned, unscientific behaviour.
 
I have a Volvo lip seal and it has worked flawlessly for 9 seasons now. It has to be 'burped' at the start of the season but that it very easy to do..
 
charles_reed said:
So be aware, like anchors, stern seals appear to have the habit of provoking highly impassioned, unscientific behaviour.
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Hence my suggestion of having a poll so we could have a more scientific view.

This could also include other types of stern seals so at to help the less technical members of the fora.
 
Look at the Radice seal - similar to the Volvo seal but with integral greaser and water connection, so no burping needed. Simple and efficient.
 
Look at the Radice seal - similar to the Volvo seal but with integral greaser and water connection, so no burping needed. Simple and efficient.

+2
 
Seems a good idea and improvement on Volvo if you ever dry out but check sizes. I considered fitting one but will stick with my old style packed gland for now.
RJD393 said:
Look at the Radice seal - similar to the Volvo seal but with integral greaser and water connection, so no burping needed. Simple and efficient.

+2
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I recently fitted a Lasdrop Gen 2 seal. Very impressed. The advantage of this one is that it uses a stainless spring to maintain pressure on the sealing face rather than the compression of rubber bellows which can lose strength over time.
 
I'm researching the incidence of incidents involving PSS Shaft Seals, interrogating real marine engineers 'wot knows their stuff'.....

One of these, who races an S&S 40 he's refurb'd, drew my attention to the new-to-this country 'Michigan' shaft seals. He reckons - so I paid attention - that they are streets ahead of the alternatives..... and he has used the alternatives. And fixed 'em.

michigan.jpg
 
My Volvo seal has now done 700 hours without leaking a drop. Just a squirt of blue grease and a burp at the start of the season. It's so simple I can't understand why anyone would consider anything else.
 
KAM said:
My Volvo seal has now done 700 hours without leaking a drop. Just a squirt of blue grease and a burp at the start of the season. It's so simple I can't understand why anyone would consider anything else.
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Agree. I changed a Volvo seal for a Halyard Marine seal, then wished I hadn't. Today, though, I'd go for the Radice seal, perhaps a slight improvement on the Volvo seal.
 
On Vyv Cox's website the Tidesmarine pics and comments are mine. I shall change this winter as the Tides is dependent on a pressurised water feed. Lose the water intake due to a blockage or impeller failure and the Tides will be ruined very very quickly. It does work well if you are happy with that risk.
 
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