Grease on my PSS shaft seal - should I worry?

[rwoofer]

Just installed my new PSS shaft seal today. Since the literature has strong warnings about not getting grease on the rubber boot, I meticulously cleaned the engine bay.

Unfortunately all my good work was undone, because as I pushed the propshaft back in, it pushed a whole load of grease (previous unit was a packing box and greaser) into the stern gland. Took it all apart, washed the rubber boot in soapy water, tried to stuff a rag up the stern tube to clear up the grease. On go no.2 it pushed another smaller amount of grease through. As it was now 7:30pm I really didn't have the time or energy to clear the mess up again.

So does it really matter if you get a little bit of grease on it? Ought I to rip everything out again to clean up? Or will the salt water eventually wash any remaining grease away.

 

[boatmike]

Depends on the grade of grease. Some degrade the rubber. I would tend to clean it out I am afraid. No, salt water wont wash it away!

 

[oldharry]

[ QUOTE ]
... the literature has strong warnings about not getting grease on the rubber boot,

[/ QUOTE ]

If the literature has strong warnings about grease, then the makers know there is a problem. Why not ask them? Some grades of grease will attack some grades of rubber.

As to cleaning grease out of the stern tube, thread a line down the tube, and tie lumps of rag to it to pull the grease out. You may have to do it quite a few times! Also it might well be more effective to do it from the inboard end if you can, as most of the grease is at the top of the tube anyway.