Shaft seal b******d on volvo dpd outdrives, advice please!

FalconSteve

FalconSteve

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Hi all,

I removed my props today so that I could replace the ring anode on my Falcon 27. I found that I had a wadge of nylon netting wrapped around the shaft (foremost prop location). The oil seal looked visibly damaged and I could see a ring of 'milk' around the inner flange. Removing the out-drive dipstick confirmed I had mayonnaise instead of oil.

Now, I need to remove said oil seal and replace it clearly, my question is how? Also now that I have drained the gear oil completely would I flush the system before adding new oil?

I can see there is a collar at the base of the drive where the shaft exits the gear box, if I remove it will that allow me to withdraw the shafts and then remove the oils seal?

Thanks for any help,

Steve
 
FalconSteve said:
Hi all,

I removed my props today so that I could replace the ring anode on my Falcon 27. I found that I had a wadge of nylon netting wrapped around the shaft (foremost prop location). The oil seal looked visibly damaged and I could see a ring of 'milk' around the inner flange. Removing the out-drive dipstick confirmed I had mayonnaise instead of oil.

Now, I need to remove said oil seal and replace it clearly, my question is how? Also now that I have drained the gear oil completely would I flush the system before adding new oil?

I can see there is a collar at the base of the drive where the shaft exits the gear box, if I remove it will that allow me to withdraw the shafts and then remove the oils seal?

Thanks for any help,

Steve
Click to expand...

Hi Steve... dont worry, its a relativly easy job !!.. i,ve done mine about 5 times over the years... the secret is (if its your 1st time) take your time...ring anode off, 2 allen bolts off, (3/8" if memory serves), the the whole driveshaft assembly pulls out ...there are 2 seals in the kit and 1 is a double "READ THE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY" that come in the packet...VOLVOPAUL can go into detail but PM me if you need any more info..
 
Alternatively, you takes off your outdrive and gives it either to VolvoPaul or a very nice man on Romney Marsh that sorts it all out for you :)
 
As stated very easy, just make sure you put the seals in the correct way and use a plastic bag as a condom when sliding the bearing housing over the outer shaft as the serrations can roll the inner seal lips the wrong way and you will have water in the drive all over again. To rinse it I use diesel, remove the 4 bolts holding the top cover (don't lose any shims that are on top of the bearing, fit new O ring under the cover) and fill with diesel, it will run out the bottom. When its clean inspect the gears in the lower section, especially the small one as this works the hardest.
 
While its out,do check all your rubberware...may as well do it all in one go and save yourself a bit of work next season.
 
Hi all,

Thanks for your replies, I have ordered the seals kit from RK Marine to pick up on Friday morning, quite pricey at £53.00 odd. Cheers for the link to the manual Gary, seeing the parts disassembled helps me understand the process. Thanks for the positive comments about the straightforwardness of the task Steve and Spannerman, I feel able to attempt it after hearing it shouldn't pose too much of a nightmare for me, I'll keep your pm offer close to the top of my 'panic stations' plan Steve, I will most definitely pay close attention to the instructions, and thanks for the plastic bag tip. Rinse with diesel, great idea, that was one thing I really didn't know how to think about.

I suppose the only thing with the rubber gear, is should I put the gimp mask on as well? The eye holes are quite small on mine and I can't help thinking it will restrict my movement, but if the forumites suggest it then it must be right :D.

Seriously though, I changed the bellows when I bought her last year and they still seem very supple. I think I read on another thread that 2 seasons of use was realistically achievable, anyone have a view about this?

I will let you all know how I got on after Friday.

Thanks for the advice
 
Bellows should be fine for two seasons if supple and undamaged by wormies or barnacles.
I change them on FP every second season, which seems to work well.
 
FalconSteve said:
Hi all,

Thanks for your replies, I have ordered the seals kit from RK Marine to pick up on Friday morning, quite pricey at £53.00 odd. Cheers for the link to the manual Gary, seeing the parts disassembled helps me understand the process. Thanks for the positive comments about the straightforwardness of the task Steve and Spannerman, I feel able to attempt it after hearing it shouldn't pose too much of a nightmare for me, I'll keep your pm offer close to the top of my 'panic stations' plan Steve, I will most definitely pay close attention to the instructions, and thanks for the plastic bag tip. Rinse with diesel, great idea, that was one thing I really didn't know how to think about.

I suppose the only thing with the rubber gear, is should I put the gimp mask on as well? The eye holes are quite small on mine and I can't help thinking it will restrict my movement, but if the forumites suggest it then it must be right :D.

Seriously though, I changed the bellows when I bought her last year and they still seem very supple. I think I read on another thread that 2 seasons of use was realistically achievable, anyone have a view about this?

I will let you all know how I got on after Friday.

Thanks for the advice
Click to expand...

Hi Steve...just a variation on the "plastic bag" of spannermans, i use a wide electrical tape and wind it around the threads of the shaft (like you were bandaging your arm etc), then i put gease on the tape just in case of any contact with the seal lips..there is a special tool for taping the seals in but i use a socket..and make sure you only fit them to the correct depth (see instructions) because if you go to deep you cant get them back without damage...
 
FalconSteve said:
Hi all,

Thanks for your replies, I have ordered the seals kit from RK Marine to pick up on Friday morning, quite pricey at £53.00 odd. Cheers for the link to the manual Gary, seeing the parts disassembled helps me understand the process. Thanks for the positive comments about the straightforwardness of the task Steve and Spannerman, I feel able to attempt it after hearing it shouldn't pose too much of a nightmare for me, I'll keep your pm offer close to the top of my 'panic stations' plan Steve, I will most definitely pay close attention to the instructions, and thanks for the plastic bag tip. Rinse with diesel, great idea, that was one thing I really didn't know how to think about.

I suppose the only thing with the rubber gear, is should I put the gimp mask on as well? The eye holes are quite small on mine and I can't help thinking it will restrict my movement, but if the forumites suggest it then it must be right :D.

Seriously though, I changed the bellows when I bought her last year and they still seem very supple. I think I read on another thread that 2 seasons of use was realistically achievable, anyone have a view about this?

I will let you all know how I got on after Friday.

Thanks for the advice
Click to expand...

Hi steve , where is boat out of the water?
 
Dear all,

OK, so following some advice from the forum I felt confident enough to take the task on, I completed the job today and I've taken soem photos to show you all how I went about it. I hope it is helpful for the next person who has the mayo in the outdrive and not on the salad problem :)

First we have the old seal, which had been damaged by nylon fishing net. The netting had wrapped tightly around the prop and worked it's way under the mating surface of the seal. When I had removed the netting a ring of milky looking liquid surrounded the prop at the joint. Removing the gear oil dipstick confirmed my fears that the oil was contaminated with water.

IMG_20130426_120355_zps2842ccee.jpg


The second picture shows the outer gear cover halfway off, it is a push fit with 2 o rings into the out drive housing. It is a very tight fit and I spent some time encouraging it out by using a damaged chisel as a drift to tap with a hammer from the rear. I found that tapping at the top and then the bottom was the way to go as it kept the cover parallel with the housing.

IMG_20130426_121941_zpsc39f613b.jpg


Once it freed off the two prop shafts separated at the same time. The next picture shows the forward prop shaft and the cover removed from the inner (aft) prop shaft which remained attached to the housing throughout the job. I needed to change the oil seals in both these pieces to make the repair.
IMG_20130426_122053_zps4202df10.jpg


The next picture shows the inner prop shaft in the out drive.
IMG_20130426_122110_zps9a80d5a6.jpg


The next shot is of the cover with the 2 seals removed, cleaned and ready to receive the new seals. As advised by Steve Hill of this parish I ensured that the seals were installed correctly. The seals are the same volvo part number and are inserted 'back to back' with the steel spring ring facing away from each other. I didn't have a drift suitable for the job so I utilized an old flat steel wallpaper scrapper. The key to success here is to push the seal into the housing absolutely square, so I aligned the grease soaked seal into position and placed the blade of scrapper flat on top of that, then I used a hammer to hit the scrapper blade exactly in the centre of the seal's location. The seal is quite a tight fit so reasonable striking force was necessary to push the seal into the housing. Once the first seal was flush with the surface of the housing I repeated with the second seal and moved on to the outer prop shaft. The seals are different in this piece so I looked carefully when I removed the old ones to see the correct orientation and order of insertion. The process used was identical to the housing process.

IMG_20130426_123751_zpsc4af4a8e.jpg


Now comes the reassembly phase. Steve Hill advised me to wrap electrical tape around the prop shafts where the props are held to avoid damaging the rubber of the new seals. The next photo shows the tape in place . Note the outer prop shaft has already been pushed over the inner in this photo, as has the cover, but the tape was obviously applied before I began and then smothered in marine grease. Both new seals slid over the tape with ease and I will remember this trick for the next time. The cover had new o rings fitted before reassembly and proved just as tight to put back on as it did to take off. The damaged chisel was utilized once more to sit across the bolt holes and gentle taps from the hammer alternating top and bottom. Once the cover was close enough for the bolts to bite into the housing I used these to draw the housing to its final resting place. Once again I alternated top and bottom bolts a quarter turn.

IMG_20130426_132207_zps7eab3b3c.jpg


So there we have it, after rinsing the out drive internals with diesel (thanks to spannerman for the tip) I will fill her up with gear oil and check next year to see if the seals are doing the job. I would also like to thank Gary for the out drive manual link, this really helped me to see that I was safe to apply pressure to prise the cover off the out drive housing. The cover is really tight and I'm sure I would have lost my nerve if I couldn't see that it was safe.
 
Looking at your first pic the large outer seal is in the wrong place it's too close to the end of the housing , I hope you pressed it in further than that when you resealed the unit, did you change the injera as well and check the wider one was in first the right way around. Replace two o rings on housing too. Well done for having a go, I was at shamrock yesterday but didn't see you in the main yard .
 
Hi Paul,

That was a pity to miss you yesterday, Merlin is in the top corner of the yard (near the tarmac car park end), I have been looking forward to meeting you for almost a year now! I will check the position of the seals when I get there this morning, I am pretty sure that I pushed them fully in and I checked there was no visible gap to the bearing. When you say the injera, do you mean the outer shaft to inner shaft seals? If so yes and I made sure that I checked the orientation of the old one as I removed it. I've learned the o ring lesson from the heat exchanger issue, when I tried to reuse the old ones, I won't be doing that again!

Let me know if you are around shamrock quay next week and if I'm down I'll come and find you, I really appreciate the advice you give me.

Steve
 
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