Stern bearing question

[pappaecho]

My Evasion 32 has been owned by me for 7 years. I have just discovered a remote grease nipple, which lubricates the stern bearing, which consists of a bellows arrangement, which fits round the stern tube, and a bearing which fits round the shaft.
The nylon tube is yellowish in colour due to the whitish grease within. The question is how many strokes of the grease gun, and how often. Obviously 7 years without is not correct!

 

[ianat182]

You could try one pump before you start motoring and see whether there is any drip from the gland when you get back, then a pump before leaving the boat anyway and pump on the return next time. I do one turn on my remote greaser and a half when I leave her on the mooring as part of my regular routine,checking the raw water filter for weed ingress so I start clean. There may be an item on VYV COX'S website for your type of sterngear.

ianat182

 

[pappaecho]

Thanks for your reply. The stern gland no not leak period. Last winter about 1 gallon from Oct to March on a mooring.
Problem was the bearing snatched and twisted off the boot from the stern tube. No real problem in putting back, but clearly the bearing needs a burst of grease but I am unsure as to how much. I guess i will give it one pump and then look at the bearing, so ensure that grease is coming out!

 

[Tranona]

sounds like it is time to strip and repack if it is the conventional stuffing box. Unless your clamp to the stern tube was loose, there is no reason why it would snatch if it was in good condition.

 

[Spyro]

You may find after 7 years the grease has gone hard or firm and you wont get any down the tube anyway.

 

[Neil_Y]

It's very like;y that the grease is there simply to stop water dripping from the gland, this is common on many yacht stern glands.

The bearing will almost certainly be water lubricated and in this case you have to be careful you don't put too much grease in as it will cause the bearing to run hot and possibly seize. It could also be a white metal bearing that might need grease (these can run on grease as they are thin and made of a soft metal which conducts heat efficiently)

Grease is a poor conductor of heat and it can block channels in bearings that allow cooling/lubricatung water to circulate.

I'd suggest taking some photos and see if people on the forum can identify the system, as until you know what you are dealing with you won't know the best way to service/or maintain it.