Shaft seal - what kind?

adrungil

adrungil

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Newbie to the engines, thus seeking assistance on the seal in below picture:

- anybody knows what kind of seal it is?
- any links/advice how to take care of it?
- do i need to put greese inside/"burp" before/after launching back to the water?

Boat is 76 built Swedish Linjett 30. Image of shaft seal
[image]http://www.piranija.eu/photo/convert.php?type=2&dir=426c6f677569&name=7368616674207365616c2e4a5047[/image]
 
Hello and welcome.

I don't know what make of seal that is. It is not a Volvo type seal that needs burping. The question is - what is in the tube feeding the seal. It could be grease but if so then there will be a greaser on the other end of the tube that you turn now and agian and when you moor (the grease impregnates a packing material and makes it waterproof). Some seals are water lubricted and have a water feed but I wouldn't expect a water feed to be made a that material but from a radiator hose type material that is more secure.

So have a look for a greaser. If it is empty then unscrew it and fill from the bottom with waterproof grease so as not to have lots of air in it - air isn't very waterproof!

Here's a picture of a stern gland lying on its side for sale on ebay
 
My stern gland is like that one. Mine has a pair of lipseals inside and is lubricated with grease via the plastic tube as explained by the previous poster. My friend's boat has a similar one that is lubricated by oil from a reservoir.
 
Hi and thanks for prompt reply.

Believe the tube that goes into seal is not greaser - it comes from the small plastic jar (abt 100 ml) abt 1-1.5 meter above seal (and above water line). It has a cap with german text - not sure if it could be true, but googling for that text led me to "break fluid"..?
 
The seal clearly operates to the left of the clear plastic pipe. There's what looks like grease in a line at right angles to the shaft.
Clear plastic pipe will not take the pressure exerted by a greaser.
looking at the bit attached to the plastic pipe there's a nut on it so there is probably a seal made up of rings of teflon impregnated asbestos or similar. This should be grease lubricated from a highish pressure screw operated greaser. I don't like the nut seeming to press up against the shaft coupling. It will make replacing the seal rings very difficult.
As I've said before, I bought a Stopelo stainless steel. graphite ring seal in 2000 and its still working now. I bought it in Dunkirk but just Google the word.
I dont like the use of beer hose in a safety critical area particularly with only one jubilee clip.
 
I just found this article about Sterngear . If you look down the page it refers to stern glands with oil bottle tell tales to warn of leaks. Learn something everyday at this lark!

If it says brake fluid then perhaps you should try that and see what happens - if it sits there and doesn't all run away then perhaps it is a tell tale. If the tube is for lubricant then brake fluid will be too thin and will get used up quickly in which case something thicker might be required. Or it might disappear because the lip seals are worn. Oh dear we seem to have raised more questions than you started with /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
 
Hard to be certain but I would say that seal contains either O rings or lip seals.
If you follow the clear hose coming from the gland you will find it plumbed into the engines raw water circuit this provides a flow of water to cool / lubricate the gland.
The hose between the gland and stern tube is in poor condition and is swelling due to oil contamination I would strongly suggest that you replace this before you launch the boat.
The shaft coupling appears to be touching the gland, going astern will increase this contact, if the gland is not dogged to the stern tube this contact could cause the gland to rotate and come away from the connecting hose.
 
thanks for the link - will have a night reading. Guess worth trying the fluid, but would guess it might run out (?) while boat on shore (without water "pressure" from outside). Anycase - thanks for answers, so I know I don't need to put any grease inside the rubber and can go ahead in putting back the second jubilee clip in the forward part of rubber (the one which was broken and can be seen around the "gland" on the pic).
 
Support the view that it is oil lubricated lip seals. I assume the engine is solidly mounted as there is no room for any movement.

If you do decide to replace it then I think a Volvo seal would fit the space very well and would be shorter than the one you have. However, if it works and you can figure out what lubricant to use no real need to change. BTW don't think it would be brake fluid as the properties of that are very different from that required to just lubricate lip seals, although it would do the job. However it is Hygroscopic, that is it absorbs water which although would not affect lubrication much could lead to rust if there are any ferrous parts involved. Think what happens to anti lock braking distribution blocks if you don't change your brake fluid regularly.
 
Looks exactly like an old Halyard seal. It is oil lubricated, has a lip seal in the front end and two in the rear end.

Easy to service - just undo the shaft coupling, slide the shaft back, undo the jubilee clip in the stern hose and slide the seal assembly off the shaft. Change the lip seals making sure the rearmost one (at least) has a stainless steel spring - ask for "niton" seals - the front seal is fitted lip towards the rear, the forward one of the rear seals is fitted lip towards the front and finally the rear seal is fitted lip towards the rear (water side). Make sure the shaft is not scored and is clean, lubricate with a little light oil and carefully slide the assembly back onto the shaft and reconnect the hoses and coupling. It does look as if you could do with a new stern hose as well this time - make it a little shorter so the seals does not rub against the coupling.
hammer.gif
Artificial Intelligence is no match for Natural Stupidity.
 
thanks - i think will share the view that it has to be oil.

the cap on the reservoir says "NUR BREMSFLUSSIGKEIT SAE J1703a VERWENDEN. FAG SHAFFER", but it very well may be that it's simply taken from old car's scrapyard....
 
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