Volvo shaft seal first time installation

Roberto

Roberto

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 Jul 2001
Messages
5,848
Location
Lorient/Paris
sybrancaleone.blogspot.com
I currently have one of those graphite ring shaft seal and want to install a volvo one.

The shaft is in perfect conditions, so is the stern tube whose outside diameter exactly fits the volvo seal. So everything seems fine.

As when I launch the boat it has to be at high water, and I barely have 15 minutes to leave the launching spot before touching the ground, how do these seals behave when installed for the first time ? And of course after having been "burped" with the boat in the water.

Shall I expect them to drip a little, say for half an hour/ one hour while the boat is motoring, and then stop dripping ? Like if they had to be run in?

Or even just a few drops when in the water mean something is wrong and it is better to revert to the old seal?

I ask because in case it keeps on leaking I will have to cope with my bilge pump for three days (weekend in the middle) before being able to lift the boat again /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

thanks
 
I have only limited experience, having installed one just once, but I didn't watch it closely after launching. However, I never noticed any "running in" leaks but then it was just a replacement of a previous Volvo seal of unknown age on a 20 yearo old boat.
I do remember that the instructions required you to be careful with the seal, protecting it from any sharp bits on the shaft before it gets to the correct location. And give it a wee spot of the special grease.

Derek
 
burp once in the water and it should keep bone dry for years.

I've had three boats with these and you can basically forget about them.

Had an old one that needed replacing and the worst it did was drip.

Ian
 
Make sure that you use the collar that comes with it when you first install it as per instructions and grease the seal. Burp it as soon as you can after the boat is launched before you put the engine into gear. Water should dribble out and stop as soon as you release pressure and it should not drip. Nothing else to do except burp it any time you dry out.
 
The instructions say to burp the seal, then put a spot of grease on the bearing surfaces. It's a lot drier, however, to put the grease on, then burp. (The seal, I mean....!)

Once burped, no water should come in.
 
These seals are brilliant. The only problem I had was that when I tightened the band fixing it to the stern-tube the first time it distorted the rubber slightly and I had to check it was sitting tidily on the prop-shaft as I re-tightened it. It is said that they never fail catastrophically, but only drip after much use.
 
Would agree with others that these are very good, almost too good if you are manufacturer. Mine is 20 years old having run for 4,000 hours at c 750 revs and just giving a few drips when underway now so I suspect replacement is finally coming up.

I am surprised the product is still on the market, it is far too well designed and reliable compared with most marine market products.

Brian
 
Always reccommended- spin off bonus is that this forces you eyeball the seal and see any surface defects are present before season starts.
If you do not then you may have dry rubber to shaft contact and the seal wears rapidly until water comes to restore the microfilm hydraulic fluid boundry layer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

ianc1200
Sureseal shaft seal.
2
Replies
20
Views
507
ianc1200
ianc1200

Share this page

Top