Esper Refit 35 - PSS Dripless Seal; dimmable LED lights

demonboy

demonboy

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 Oct 2004
Messages
2,237
Location
Indonesia
www.youtube.com
I was off ill for three days this week so there's not much in the way of photographs, and the video clip is a short one. In it I remove the stuffing box...

20141002-PA020035.jpg


...and take a look at my new Dripless Seal.

20141002-PA020033.jpg


Would be interested in any feedback on that, if you use one.

Also the sparky has plumbed in our new dimmer switch for the saloon LEDs. Very sexy (though I don't know how long it will last). There's a clip of it in action in the video update.

20141003-PA030068.jpg


Link to video and blog entry here: http://followtheboat.com/2014/10/05/esper-refit-week-35
 
demonboy said:
...and take a look at my new Dripless Seal.

20141002-PA020033.jpg


Would be interested in any feedback on that, if you use one.
Click to expand...

Had one installed in 2009. Another one of my better decisions.
Best thing since sliced bread.
Used to check and have to pump out the bilges below the engine after every outing.
Now, check on the engine once in a blue moon and never - ever had water in there since the dripless seal was installed.
 
PSS an excellent choice. Mine is around ten years old now, never a moment's problem. However, take note of the instruction to wet it before starting from new or after a long layup, and wash it thoroughly with fresh water, especially between the faces, when hauling out. The rotating stainless steel face was found to be pitted after sitting all winter in salty conditions.
 
Mine is at least 8 years old. I will replace the bellows and clips this year. It did giver me a fright one day 6 months ago when motoring in and it started to leak a lot spraying water out at the rate of a gallon + per minute. The top tube had either hardened or pulled back slightly when I readjusted that the spraying stopped. As a precaution on the advice of another user I moved the collar back about 3 mm increasing the preload on the bellows.

Normal dripless service has been resumed.

Boss bit of kit.
 
demonboy said:
Three out of three positives is encouraging, thanks. Hope to get the shaft back in today before installing it.
Click to expand...

Good afternoon:

Sorry to spoil your percentages but my experience with the PSS seal was nothing short of disastrous and only my refusal of an invite for a meal with my friend saved my yacht from sinking. Please see post 39 on this link for details: http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?289854-PSS-Shaft-Seal-problems&highlight=squeaky

I had a long and involved exchange of e-mails with the manufactures who refused to accept any responsibility beyond providing a replacement after the original failed. The second one also failed. There are photos around someplace but you can't find them I will post you a few of them on request.

If you have a PSS which is working, congratulations but if not I would find another make as my experience with these people was anything but reassuring.

Cheers

Squeaky
 
I'm not sure that the cause of your problems was ever resolved but the one thing that seems to stand out is that the seal you bought looks like nobody else's PSS seal. Your photos in post #52 show this well.
 
vyv_cox said:
I'm not sure that the cause of your problems was ever resolved but the one thing that seems to stand out is that the seal you bought looks like nobody else's PSS seal. Your photos in post #52 show this well.
Click to expand...
Good evening:

If the two seals I was sold were not "like nobody else's PSS seal" I am sure that either the dealer in France or PYI in the US would have been pretty quick to point this out rather than to engage in a long exchange of e-mails trying to avoid providing a valid explanation.

At one time I refused to believe that the units were anything but cheap fakes however after sending the units to France for their perusal I had to accept that they were in fact the real item.

Why the heck they refused to "fess up " and provide a valid explanation I have no idea but I do know that I will never use anything they sell in future and whenever possible I will do my best to remind people of the difficulty the use of the PSS seals caused me and the lack of professionalism and ethics shown by the European distributors and PYI in America.

No, I am afraid that any claim that the items I had were not the real item does not stand up to scrutiny.

If the seals you have work for you, congratulations but keep in mind that they can fail catastrophically.

Cheers

Squeaky
 
I have recently been discussing PSS seals with a surveyor in Falmouth, he's had to do reports on 3 which have failed in the last couple of weeks, petrolium products damage the 'rubber causing fails, incorrect fitting of the S/S ring, shaft should be either have 2 shallow holes for the grub screws or the shaft should have 2 flats ground off, these seals should be checked very often, they are not 'fit and forget!! pm me if any further info reqd
 
halb said:
I have recently been discussing PSS seals with a surveyor in Falmouth, he's had to do reports on 3 which have failed in the last couple of weeks, petrolium products damage the 'rubber causing fails, incorrect fitting of the S/S ring, shaft should be either have 2 shallow holes for the grub screws or the shaft should have 2 flats ground off, these seals should be checked very often, they are not 'fit and forget!! pm me if any further info reqd
Click to expand...

If there is a way of fitting things wrongly then some people can be relied upon to do it. There is no necessity to indent or grind the shaft as the grub screws have hardened tips that drive their way in. My PSS has been installed for many years, it has been untouched for about five years apart from pre-season and end of season flushing, operates perfectly. PSS is perhaps the most widely fitted original equipment shaft seal in the world, for good reason.
 
vyv_cox said:
If there is a way of fitting things wrongly then some people can be relied upon to do it.
Click to expand...

Good evening:

I admire your belief that you are the clever one and that those of us for whom the PSS has failed as of a lessor species however I remain of the opinion that my second seal was installed correctly as I fitted it myself and had a person whose engineering skills I trust check every step I took.

Of course that is no proof that either of us are equal to your level so I guess we will just have to go on believing that those like yourself who are happy with their PSS seals are of a more highly evolved species.

Of course, we have no indication that you installed your own seal so maybe you were just lucky to have employed someone with unique skills who could do the job perfectly. In the meantime my recommendation is to be very very leery of the PSS seals and the company that makes them.

Cheers

Squeaky
 
Squeaky said:
Good evening:

I admire your belief that you are the clever one and that those of us for whom the PSS has failed as of a lessor species however I remain of the opinion that my second seal was installed correctly as I fitted it myself and had a person whose engineering skills I trust check every step I took.

Of course that is no proof that either of us are equal to your level so I guess we will just have to go on believing that those like yourself who are happy with their PSS seals are of a more highly evolved species.

Of course, we have no indication that you installed your own seal so maybe you were just lucky to have employed someone with unique skills who could do the job perfectly. In the meantime my recommendation is to be very very leery of the PSS seals and the company that makes them.

Cheers

Squeaky
Click to expand...

No claims to be superior to any other person trained in engineering skills. I do claim to be able to read and follow simple installation instructions. As for soaking the bellows in hydrocarbons, as in the earlier post, again read the instructions.
 
vyv_cox said:
No claims to be superior to any other person trained in engineering skills. I do claim to be able to read and follow simple installation instructions. As for soaking the bellows in hydrocarbons, as in the earlier post, again read the instructions.
Click to expand...

Of course I've yet to RTFM, which is quite normal for me, but with such an important fitting you can be sure I'll have read it 20 times before installation. Any further tips on installation gratefully received, though I know this is well documented on youtube. PYI do a good job with their installation videos.
 
demonboy said:
Of course I've yet to RTFM, which is quite normal for me, but with such an important fitting you can be sure I'll have read it 20 times before installation. Any further tips on installation gratefully received, though I know this is well documented on youtube. PYI do a good job with their installation videos.
Click to expand...

I found the only tricky part is getting the rotating stainless steel collar onto the shaft without damaging the O-ring seals in its bore. A small chamfer on the end of the shaft will help, plus some detergent to act as a lubricant. Mark the shaft with a pencil when the seal faces touch, then push the rotating collar along to the required displacement. Don't be vigorous in pushing the coller, one day you might want to turn it round to use the other face.

Your new shaft should be very easy but it is worth cleaning up old ones to make sure there are no nicks that might damage the O-rings.
 
Bearing in mind the above, there will be lot of old grease in the stern tube which should be carefully removed.

All stern gear needs an eye kept on it and all seals have their good and bad points. My PSS has been very good the past 8 years. I fitted it myself and I am not a notably painstaking technician, so you should be ok.

Squeaky tells a troubling tale which I followed with my best attention at the time. I think the original components have been lost, so I guess we will never now know what lay at the bottom of it.
 
I originally fitted a dripless seal which kept the water out. But then changed it to a stuffing box with a strong short hose attachment to give the shaft more support.
 
doug748 said:
Squeaky tells a troubling tale which I followed with my best attention at the time. I think the original components have been lost, so I guess we will never now know what lay at the bottom of it.
Click to expand...

Good morning:

I have received a PM from a member requesting access to the photos of the two seals which I was supplied with and which ultimately failed so catastrophically.

I have uploaded all the photos I have to OneDrive and this link should give anyone interested access to them - https://onedrive.live.com/redir?res...72&authkey=!APlpgRbMbjLDnHc&ithint=folder,JPG

I have uploaded all the material from the folder including some duplicates and if anyone thinks it would of interest I might even copy and upload all the e-mails between myself and Seaview and PYI. Will take a bit of effort but it will be worthwhile if it helps anyone dealing with PSS seals.

I hope these photos will indicate that the problem was not one of faulty installation as certain members seem keen to propose.

Cheers

Squeaky
 
I also have a PSS seal and it has been in faultless operation for 5 years now.

In Squeaky's original post it looked to me that the bellows were fired the wrong way round. the end of the bellows that should go on the carbon rotor was fitted to the stern tube and the stern tube end fitted to the carbon rotor. In the pics it can be seen that the bellows end that should fit the carbon rotor is shorted than the bellows end that should fit on the the stern tube. This allowed the clips that was fitted onto the rotor to over hang the inner end of the carbon rotor thus damaging the bellows by cutting into the bellows end causing the failure.
 
There's an article in preparation for one of the magazines, and I'd appreciate contributors with 'experiences' with the PSS Shaft Seal to make contact by PM.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top