vyv_cox
Well-Known Member
There is an O-ring beneath the rotating stainless steel collar of a PSS. According to Sod's Law this would exactly coincide with the worn groove on the shaft!
Stern Glands - Deep Sea Seals or Traditional Type
- Thread starter oliverkinchin
- Start date
There is an O-ring beneath the rotating stainless steel collar of a PSS. According to Sod's Law this would exactly coincide with the worn groove on the shaft!
john_morris_uk
Well-Known Member
It's a while since I had my s/s collar off, but I seem to remember two 'O' rings. Also, my experience is the the amount of compression you apply to the bellows isn't hyper critical so hopefully you could get round any wear 'rings'. I suppose you could also vary the position of the bellows on the stern tube if you had enough tube sticking out to play with?
Grumpybear
Well-Known Member
I found (too late) Keypart much cheaper than TNorris.
macd
Well-Known Member
You're right, thanks. Some time ago I'd searched the Keypart site without success. Now I know why: to Keypart they're not shaft seals but "rubber stuffing box"
vyv_cox
Well-Known Member
Similarly, I have not taken mine off for a very long time, at least six years. As I typed it I thought to myself 'is there one O-ring or two?' but couldn't remember. I haven't seen many stern tubes where there was such a luxury but my comment was somewhat tongue in cheek anyway.
Topcat47
Well-Known Member
I swapped a DSS for a PSS this year as the free ends of the jubilee clips on the DSS picked up the throttle cable, twisted it round the shaft and damaged the gearbox seal. First real problem with a DSS in all the years I've had the boat although I had replaced it twice, once when I bought the boat and last year, when I did a top-end overhaul and replaced the engine mountings, but it was a big one and the PSS doesn't have the rotating clips as it uses allen screws.
Gallant Spirit
Well-Known Member
PSS fitted recently and pleased with it so far, a little quieter when sailing as well..
GHA
Well-Known Member
Personally long distance I'd stick with the stuffing box and get a bag of ptfe packing from asap. Drip free and you can fix it yourself a thousand miles from the nearest boatyard.
Malish
Well-Known Member
If you are thinking about going the PSS route, check very carefully that you have enough space to fit it. I was going to fit one on a R32 but there was not enough space between the end of the gearbox and the deadwood to easily fit it in an uncompressed state (it would fit once in its operational, compressed state). Seemed like the most professional route to fix it would be to slide the engine forward to create some fitting space. At that point I elected to fit a Volvo which is much shorter and fitted without issue. The stern tube might be too small for the Volvo seal, I just sourced a 'spacer' of some silicone hose. Never regretted fitting the Volvo and on changing boat (to an R34) that was the first thing I fitted in place of a leaky
Halyard.
Halyard.
NormanS
Well-Known Member
+1. But I can see that for some modern flat bottomed bilgeless glorified dinghys, even an occasional drip can be a niusance.
cliff
Well-Known Member
Funny you should say that because I have a Halyard seal and have replaced the 3 internal seals 3 times - I even did it last time while the boat was afloat. or are we talking a different Halyard seal? - Mine is a big chunk of brass fitted with 2 rear seals one forward seal and a bush in the middle Gravity fed with oil.
Tranona
Well-Known Member
Yes, Halyard sold two different types of seal. First the Deep Sea Seal which they dropped and is now made (in modified form) in Australia. Suspect that is the one referred to as once they fail (either the bellows or the faces) they are not repairable. They then made the type you have for a short time, but don't think it made much impression on the market against the well established competitors.
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rgarside
Well-Known Member
I don't have good experience of Deep Sea seals [this is the one http://www.deepseaseals.com/assets/DSS_brochure_web.pdf]. Worked well for one season, then leaked more and more. Leaked while not rotating, and even more when rotating.
Currently using a PSS seal which seems much better engineered, and is working well so far [3 seasons].\
Currently using a PSS seal which seems much better engineered, and is working well so far [3 seasons].\
robmcg
Well-Known Member
To add to the mix, there is now the BW shaft seal aswell. Designed I believe for blue water. No idea about them but they can be found below for reference if anyone is interested.
http://www.vectamarine.com/blue-water-shaft-seal.html
Rob
http://www.vectamarine.com/blue-water-shaft-seal.html
Rob
Tranona
Well-Known Member
Apart from the "safety" feature, same basic design principle as the Tides Marine and Vetus seals.
cliff
Well-Known Member
That explains it - I personally would not like to change the Halyard I have - easy to overhaul, even afloat - no need for expensive lifts or 12 hours against a wall or on a drying grid.
vyv_cox
Well-Known Member
Something odd about the choice of metal for the body, 'Admiralty bronze'. This alloy is a 70/30 brass with about 1% tin, far from ideal for a submerged marine application. 70/30 brass is not normally cast, it is far more malleable than the usual 60/40 casting alloy and is mostly used for sheet and tubes.
Jamesuk
Well-Known Member
oliverkinchin
Well-Known Member
Thank you all again for the information you have kindly bestowed. Based on such good useful information and further research I have decided and to go for the PSS. I always find it remarkable how much information there is on these subjects. With all of the links and information offered on this forum I am much better informed. I am sure there will be more questions as I come to install the new seal in Winter and I will update you all on how the process turns out.
Thank you and happy sailing for the rest of the season.
Thank you and happy sailing for the rest of the season.
rogerthebodger
Well-Known Member
I have a PSS seal on my boat 4 years now and very happy.
There was a thread a little while ago where the OP of that thread was very unhappy and the bellows were cut into by the worm drive clips and failed (cut through the rubber at the carbon element.
I compared the pictures he posted with a spare I have and it looked to me that the bellows had been fitted the wrong way round. The part that should have fitted on the the stern tube was fitted on the carbon element. This end of the bellows is longer that the end that should fit the carbon element and thus allowed the worm drive clips to clamp too far away from the carbon inner end thus cutting into the rubber bellows. This may not have been a problem if the worm drive clips had been fitted with the full width of both clips on the carbon element spigot but due IMHO to careless fitting that bellows were damaged with potential catastrophic results.
So pls ensure the PSS seal is fitted correctly
There was a thread a little while ago where the OP of that thread was very unhappy and the bellows were cut into by the worm drive clips and failed (cut through the rubber at the carbon element.
I compared the pictures he posted with a spare I have and it looked to me that the bellows had been fitted the wrong way round. The part that should have fitted on the the stern tube was fitted on the carbon element. This end of the bellows is longer that the end that should fit the carbon element and thus allowed the worm drive clips to clamp too far away from the carbon inner end thus cutting into the rubber bellows. This may not have been a problem if the worm drive clips had been fitted with the full width of both clips on the carbon element spigot but due IMHO to careless fitting that bellows were damaged with potential catastrophic results.
So pls ensure the PSS seal is fitted correctly
