Volvo dripless seal - how to service?

[Plevier]

I wouldn't like to stick anything like a pen clip into it.
I find that if I flatten the end of the straw, I can insert it just by gently squeezing the body of the seal with fingertips from each side and simultaneously gently lifting upwards. Then let go, and as you run your fingers down the straw it produces enough pressure to squeeze the grease in.
That's how I burp it too. I have plenty of practise as it's on a drying mooring!
I'm using the VP grease but i can't believe it's critical. I also have a cartridge of this http://www.exxonmobil.com/MarineLub...ry-machinery_greases_mobilgrease-xhp-222.aspx in a gun for my Kiwiprop and I reckon it's identical.
There are other greases to the same spec that are red or brown, I think the blue is just a marketing additive!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BLUE-LITH...ssories_Car_Care_Cleaning&hash=item19d621a5e0
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LITHIUM-C...ssories_Car_Care_Cleaning&hash=item1c26c58f18
One blue one red same supplier same spec!

 

[[2574]]

A search has resulted in this one year old thread about greasing a Volvo shaft seal with lots of very helpful advice and comment. But nobody above says whether the boat must be ashore to achieve this. Can it be done whilst floating? I imagine that the water pressure would prevent the insertion of a grease filled straw under the rubber seal?

Rob

 

[morgandlm]

It's not a problem to get grease in using the straw technique when the boat is in the water.
Morgan

 

[Mistroma]

+1 For straw. Ignore all stuff about removing it, Bic pen bits, metal spouts etc. Just flatten the end of the straw after filling and it's easy to slip under the outer seal. You don't push it in very far as the grease should end up just behind the first seal from inboard end. I've always applied the grease pre-launch but can't see why it wouldn't work afloat, though you might get a dribble of water.

I mentioned this trick to someone last year and he said that he didn't know it required any lubrication. I said he was lucky if he'd only "burped" it and never added grease. Then he asked me what I meant by burping. He said that he'd launched and then had to motor most of the way across Biscay so I assumed it would be full of water by that time. I went below to demonstrate and we both heard a lot of air hissing out before water finally appeared. He'd done over 600nm with a lot of time on engine and the seal completely dry so I was amazed it was still working. Def. not a good idea.

 

[Timesail]

Re: I knew I\'d kept this for a reason....

misterg thanks for the cutaway photo. Just serviced my stuffing box, ( Volvo dripless ) IN THE WATER so it can be done with very little water intrusion 3 or 4 drops using the straw method. Put grease inside of the straw push it against the shaft sliding it under the outer lip and back to the outer seal then squeeze the grease out wile pulling the straw slowly out. Look at the cutaway photo that misrerg provided it makes it all clear of what I am saying. So servicing in the water is not a problem.

 

[reeac]

How can I get a straw without going to MacDonalds?

I understand your feelings. ...you'd never get me in one either. I looked around supermarkets for straws but they only ever had the fiddly small diameter ones. Eventually I nicked an NHS one during a hospital visit ...just right.

 

[englishrobs]

Utterly useful thread, many thanks. Picture is v helpful, now I've just got to squirm my way into the engine bay to be able to get at it.

 

[Mistroma]

Utterly useful thread, many thanks. Picture is v helpful, now I've just got to squirm my way into the engine bay to be able to get at it.

It had not even occurred to me that the straw method would only work ashore. I've done it afloat several times. The recommended procedure with a tube of grease causes a lot of water to flood out and pushes most of the grease back out as well.

I used to slide the flattened straw just inside the outer cover exactly where indicated in the instructions. Later, after replacing the seal, I pushed the straw further inside the cover. I measured the distance to reach between the inner and outer seals shown in the picture and squeeze in 1cm3 grease.

I usually check a few weeks after the initial post-launch burping and the seal rarely had any trapped air. I found quite a lot of air after trying to lubricate between the seals and ended up burping every couple of weeks. I decided that it must be due to the new seal and it might settle down. It was exactly the same the following year. Air was probably being sucked in by low pressure inside the tube when the boat was moving rapidly.

I returned to my original lubrication method where the straw only reached just inside the outer part of the cover. Everything returned to normal. I do still check mid-season and sometimes get a small amount of air, but nothing worth worrying about.

 

[KAM]

Does anyone have any record of hours run before changing the seal. I think Volvo state a life of 1000 hours. Mine is beyond that now but never leaks a drop. Trying to decide if it's worth changing yet.

 

[Plum]

Does anyone have any record of hours run before changing the seal. I think Volvo state a life of 1000 hours. Mine is beyond that now but never leaks a drop. Trying to decide if it's worth changing yet.

This has come up before with wildly differing views. Mine got to 1000 hours at 15 years old and was not leaking but changed it for peace of mind while the boat was out of the water anyway.

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[Mistroma]

Does anyone have any record of hours run before changing the seal. I think Volvo state a life of 1000 hours. Mine is beyond that now but never leaks a drop. Trying to decide if it's worth changing yet.

I think they also quoted 5 years. My Volvo seal was replaced on 4th May 2015 after 6 years use.

886.7 engine hours
6,289.6 nm covered
1,270 hours total rotation (prop. free wheels when sailing and must count to some extent)

However, we tend to have the engine on in neutral at moderate revs. when lifting and lowering the anchor. This adds quite a few hours on engine without the prop. turning and can double engine hours on short trips even in dead calm.

I would settle for our change being carried out close to 1,000 hours with prop. rotating.

No sign of any drips from the original seal and little if any wear evident on seals after removal. I still have it on board and wouldn't hesitate to refit it if the current one failed and I couldn't get hold of a new one. I'd swap for a new one at next scheduled lift.

Now another 4 years on, 1915.5 engine hours and 12,807 nm covered.

1,028 engine hours
6,517 nm covered
1,580 hours total rotation (approx.)

I'm guessing that prop. has been turning for another 1,300 hours at most and 4 years service life. I don't intend to swap it again for another couple of years.

I do grease annually and check for trapped air regularly. Frequency of checks is increased if any air does hiss out. Engine isn't run at very high revs. too often and not much vibration on shaft.

 

[RivalRedwing]

I don't believe this thread has flagged it yet so:

http://coxeng.co.uk/stern-gear/stern-glands/

Plenty of useful info on a variety of stern glands, including a sectioned Volvo seal

 

[KAM]

Mines 10 years and 1000 hours. It looks like new and has never leaked a drop. Seems to be a very nice piece of design. Has anyone ever had one leak. I assume that the mode of failure would be fairly benign.

 

[RivalRedwing]

I have heard reports of mature Volvo seals showing failure of the rubber (cracks) forward of the clamping area. Were a seal to fail there then benign might not be the word ;-)

 

[ghostlymoron]

For something as cheap as a Volvo seal, I'd replace at manufacturer's recommended interval to avoid nasty surprises. £12 pa doesn't seem too bad for something so vital. (I've never actually had one)

 

[colind3782]

I monitor my seal as the propshaft and engine are so very slightly out of alignment due to the position of the engine mounts but it doesn't seem to be much of a problem and I reckon to change it after 5-7 years.

 

[mystery]

All,

Looking for some help!

I have greased my Volvo drip-less seals the past couple years when on the hard and then burped upon returning to water, no issues, until today!

I did a short haul to change zinc anodes, clean/inspect the bottom, and to grease the drip-less

Upon return to the water, one of my two volvo drip-less was leaking pretty good.

Is it possible to insert the straw too far in and get grease where it doesnt belong? Which may cause water to come in?

I have tried using several straws to remove the grease. And burped about a dozen times. Does grease need to be present to keep water from coming in or that is the job of the water lubricated bearing section?

Can someone please confirm on this picture, exactly where the grease needs to go? The red, blue, green arrow, or somewhere else? And if possible, how many mm or CM or inches or whatever I should be inserting the straw? I seem to remember someone telling me how far to put the straw in and I marked the straw the past two years but forgot this year.

Thank you in advance!!!

 

[Catalina36]

All,

Looking for some help!

I have greased my Volvo drip-less seals the past couple years when on the hard and then burped upon returning to water, no issues, until today!

I did a short haul to change zinc anodes, clean/inspect the bottom, and to grease the drip-less

Upon return to the water, one of my two volvo drip-less was leaking pretty good.

Is it possible to insert the straw too far in and get grease where it doesnt belong? Which may cause water to come in?

I have tried using several straws to remove the grease. And burped about a dozen times. Does grease need to be present to keep water from coming in or that is the job of the water lubricated bearing section?

Can someone please confirm on this picture, exactly where the grease needs to go? The red, blue, green arrow, or somewhere else? And if possible, how many mm or CM or inches or whatever I should be inserting the straw? I seem to remember someone telling me how far to put the straw in and I marked the straw the past two years but forgot this year.

Thank you in advance!!!

The grease doesn't keep the water out, the rubber seal does. The grease is just to lubricate the seal as the shaft turns. If it's leaking the seal is damaged. Grease won't stop it leaking unfortunately. You're going to have to come out and change the seal.

 

[mystery]

The grease doesn't keep the water out, the rubber seal does. The grease is just to lubricate the seal as the shaft turns. If it's leaking the seal is damaged. Grease won't stop it leaking unfortunately. You're going to have to come out and change the seal.

Thanks, I really think I pushed the straw too far this time. I used quite a few straws to remove the grease and burped it a few dozen times and it stopped leaking. It was not leaking prior to me inserting the straw. So do you think I permanently damaged it or got some grease temporarily too far in where the water seal is?

Also, any idea where the grease needs to go based on the attachment I posed with the arrows? And would be awesome if someone can tell me how many millimetres or centimetres I should be inserting the straw.

Thank you.

 

[Catalina36]

Thanks, I really think I pushed the straw too far this time. I used quite a few straws to remove the grease and burped it a few dozen times and it stopped leaking. It was not leaking prior to me inserting the straw. So do you think I permanently damaged it or got some grease temporarily too far in where the water seal is?

Also, any idea where the grease needs to go based on the attachment I posed with the arrows? And would be awesome if someone can tell me how many millimetres or centimetres I should be inserting the straw.

Thank you.

I can only say that I have one of these seals and I grease it a bit every year because it says I should, though I've never felt that I actually get the grease anywhere near where it's supposed to be. It's basically water-lubricated anyway, I think the grease is just a distraction. It's been there 9 years now so I should have replaced it 4 years ago but it's still not leaking. I've never shoved a straw or anything else in it because it's a fragile rubber seal about 5 thou thick. If it's damaged there's no cure but to replace it I'm afraid, and for that you have to come out. If it comes to that. others have recommended an alternative seal which has a grease tube built in. I'll be using one next time.

https://www.sillette.co.uk/lake-catalogue-2020.pdf