Volvo shaft seal lubrication

[samwise]

Is there a sovereign remedy for getting that nasty blue Volvo grease into the rubber engine shaft seal? Ours is about a year old and I find it hard to prise the rubber off the shift far enough to introduce the grease. Clearly I don't want to distort the seal, but it seems impossible to do it directly from the tube, even if the top is flattened a bit. I have heard of, but have not yet tried one possible solution using a small polythene freezer bag with the corner cut off. Any advance on that one? Also, should the seal be lubed after every haul out or more frequently?

 

[StugeronSteve]

Has your tube of grease not got a pointy end, like the tubes of polystyrene cement for building airfix kits?

I shut the sea cock, pinch the seal to open the lip a little, stick the pointy end of the tube in and run it around the shaft. Then open the cock, burp the seal and job done!

 

[cpedw]

I's my understanding, and I can't remember where I picked up this snippet, that the grease is just an interim lubrication measure for when the boat is relaunched after a spell ashore. Seawater is the lubricant for all normal operations. So you should only be applying the grease in the dry, and in my experience it's a bit hit and miss even then. But burping it straight after launching should compensate for any shortcomings in applying the grease.
Which does leave me wondering why we are told to do the grease thing in the first place...

Derek

 

[chamac]

Get an old plastic toothpaste tube and clean it out. Cut off the flat end. Fill with grease. You can push the flat end between the shaft and the seal and squeeze. Job done.

 

[jerryat]

>> I's my understanding, and I can't remember where I picked up this snippet, that the grease is just an interim lubrication measure for when the boat is relaunched after a spell ashore. Seawater is the lubricant for all normal operations. <<

Definitely NOT!!! You are totally wrong! There are two seals inside the Volvo gland, the aft one is lubricated by sea/fresh water (hence the need to 'burp') and the forward one by grease. Clearly the water never reaches the forward seal, except when burping, so if you do not lubricate that seal it will rapidly wear. In short, it MUST be lubricated.

Our solution, posted on the forums several times, is to take a sturdy (i.e. not a 'sandwich' type) polythene bag and cut a corner from it about 75mm long each side. Fill the corner with grease (Volvo recommend one cc but you will need at least double this amount because of waste) then cut off the corner to give a slot about 6mm wide. Fold/roll the sides/end of the 'bag' together to form a seal (bit like you would doing icing on a cake), pince the Volvo seal upwards as hard as you need, insert the 6mm wide corned as far in as you can, and roll/squeeze the bag to force the grease into the slot.

Takes far longer to explain here than to do, but it WORKS and doesn't damage the seal in any way. Whatever you do, don't neglect to do this on launching. In our experience, it is not necessary to repeat this after drying out, though 'burping' the thing is.

 

[achwilan]

The trick I imagined after some unsucessfull attempts to get enough grease in the right place uses a thick long nylon needle the fishermen sometimes use to mend nets: I sharpened and carved its extremity in a curved form (kind of micro spoon) in order to carry the grease under the seals lips without damaging them.

 

[Shanty]

Agree with jerryat - its a double lip seal. If you run it without grease, you will destroy it.

I use a disposable syringe to inject grease into the seal - don't need a needle, just squeeze the seal to open a gap, poke the tip of the syringe into the gap & inject. To squeeze the seal, I use a pair of slip joint pliers.

 

[samwise]

As usual, the Forum delivers. Thanks for all your advice.

 

[jerryat]

>> To squeeze the seal, I use a pair of slip joint pliers. <<

Yep! That's exactly what I use too!! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[nedmin]

I wouldnt push anything up the seal as you may damage the lip seal,the only thing I would use is the corner of a polythene bag as suggested by Volvo.Push in about an inch,work the grease about 1cu.cm, in by pressing the grease into the seal,as you press slowly pull the bag out.the way to get the grease in is hold the shaft with 1st. finger and thumb ie grip it,grip tightly and move the grip towards the seal.If you squeeze the seal with 1st finger and thumb with other hand you can easily get the corner of the bag into the seal at 90deg.to finger and thumb,This is the best seal since sliced bread and will give years of service if looked after.

 

[Skyva_2]

Totally concur with nedmin and others. A respected forumite had his new boat delivered with an ungreased seal, result was a scored shaft which needed replacement. But the seal did not leak!

A simple and very effective piece of kit.

 

[Scomber]

I have one of these seals.I use the plastic bag trick - no problems.
What about life span of the seal?
So far I haven't replaced it. Just hope I don't get a catastrophic sudden failure!!
Comments please!

 

[Mudplugger]

I am reasonably certain that when you purchase the Volvo seal, they provide you with a red plastic grease applicator, shaped to sit over the shaft and slide into the seal, it has a slot in it to allow the nozzle of the tube to insert the sillicon grease.....HTH, plastic bag/ icing sugar technique sounds a tad messy!

 

[achwilan]

I suppose this ring is designed to protect the seal lips while mounting/dismounting the shaft. I wasn't truly satisfied with its greasing capabilities; that's why I devised my carved needle (not thicker than the ring, so it doesn't hurt the lips).

 

[philip_stevens]

The red plastic thing is for initial installation to protect the lip seals. The slot is to allow it to be removed when all else has been coupled.

To insert the grease, the lip has to be pinched and the grease sachet - with a corner cut off - is inserted in the "pinch lifted" area between seal and shaft and x amount of cc's of grease squeezed in.

The actual amount of grease to be inserted and instructions on how to do it, come with the new seal - I have a pdf copy of the instructions.

 

[jerryat]

[ QUOTE ]
I am reasonably certain that when you purchase the Volvo seal, they provide you with a red plastic grease applicator, shaped to sit over the shaft and slide into the seal, it has a slot in it to allow the nozzle of the tube to insert the sillicon grease.....HTH, plastic bag/ icing sugar technique sounds a tad messy!

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry, the red bit of plastic you describe has nothing to do with greasing. It is provided to be inserted into the seal end of the Volvo seal BEFORE the gland is slid over the propshaft and is to prevent damage to the seals by the shaft. The 'slot' is solely to allow the plastic ring to be opened up enough to clip over the shaft and is nothing to do with inserting a nozzle or anything else!!

Believe me, the plastic bag method, if done even reasonably competently, is the best way to avoid any CHANCE of damaging the seals!!

 

[nedmin]

Had twin engines on previous boat,lasted 10yrs and no probs.this is in the silty waters of Trent ,Ouse and Humber as well as continent.Present boat seal has lasted 6yrs. no probs. approx 1300hrs.