elioti
Well-Known Member
Hi, am after some advice please re a grp nelson 34. Was pumping grease in stern tube of my vessel and the stern tube split! So, after an engine lift out, managed to get it out, with help from v.large stilsons and a sledge hammer! probably been there 40 years! Some advice on sealing the new one back in. as said old one was a tight fit and presume new one will be. Is 5ft long and 2 inches wide, probably glasses in when boat built. Have been around various boatyards with conflictind advice r.e. sealing it in hull. Area where shaft through hull about 10 inchs of glass surrounding it. then at bottom end bronze bearing held in by cap that screws to end of tube, other end stuffing box cap screwed to shaft. Did not wish to use 291 sikaflex around whole of shaft as would never get it out again should i need to. Anyway, is such a tight fit any sealant would probably push of as a push tube through. One friend said push tube in, do up end cap and sikaflex around that? Is that enough, or my idea, push shaft through, put sikaflex around shaft then do up end bearing bit then more sika flex? There is no way of glassing it in if i wanted due to it being a fairly tight fit anyway! Some guy at an engineering place said the key is to seal it, dont worry about getting it out again! Also, r.e. the end screw on bit that holds bush/bearing in, what stops water leaking between thread, should i use ptfe tape, will this create a boundary between shaft and cap thus make anode protection for this end cap useless? If just sealed around end cap with sikaflex, then worried water will travel through the threads as suggested then between tube and hull into boat. Advice appreciated. Have been told about arbosill, cover the tube in that but as said is tight fit in hull so not sure if would work! Hope you can see what i mean, and perhaps a solution! Tried asking local proffesionals, and as said dont seems to know or contradict each other! Many thanks
