Volvo Shaft Seal

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pauln

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I have just moved my boat to berth which means it sits in soft mud for a couple of hours either side of low water. It is fitted with a Volvo Shaft Seal, the type that have to be be bleed to let air out and water in if they dry out. I wondered if anyone had experience of these in a mud berth and if they found it necessary to bleed them each time or if the mud stopped the water draining out.
 
Great piece of kit, but I would certainly burp it each time.

We are always afloat (DV), but I seem to recall that FullCircle, of this parish, found the Volvo seal was not so good in a mud berth on the East Coast. Look up his previous posts.
 
My boat was a bilge keeler, so it sat on the mud at each tide but the seal was then above the mud in fresh air, if you see what I mean. Burped it each time and no probs for six years.

If you forget to burp it and motor away, and then remember to do it, the burped water is very hot!
 
Volvo seals are not designed for this sort of repetitive shenanigan.
To burp mine, I have to move the aft cabin mattress, 2m x 1.3m, lift the locker cover, strain to do it in the dark at a funny angle, which spills some water into the bilges (again).
Utter rubbish and fundamentally unsuitable.

Buy a Tides Marine seal, which has a water feed from your engine cooling circuit, so no more burping. After all, if the engine isnt turning the shaft, you dont need it, and the shaft will turn with the engine. Of course if you allow the shaft to rotate without the engine on, then you will have to rethink that strategy.

I have seen a sketch of a Volvo seal with a water inlet spigot in it, which you could try if you dont mind potentially screwing up an expensive Volvo seal.

I have a spare Volvo seal to try it out on, but dont guarantee it seals any more!
 
I'm sure just keeping it well greased will be sufficient but you can add a breather pipe to the top of the prop tube. Beneteau do this as standard to eliminate need to burp.
Most prop tubes are relatively short so water will push out the air as soon as the shaft starts to turn and the boat is moving.
These seals would be much more tollerant of silt than other types of dripless seals in my opinion.
 
>>These seals would be much more tollerant of silt than other types of dripless seals in my opinion. <<

Agreed! There was a guy on here the other day who was very proud to announce that he never bothered to 'burp' his Volvo shaft seal.

I wonder if he realises that as the inner seal wears away as a result, he only has the inner, greased, seal keeping the water out!! The sort of thing that would keep me awake at night I'm afraid!
 
RTMA_100.jpg


The Radice looks like a Volvo shaft seal with a greasing point and a water feed.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I'm sure just keeping it well greased will be sufficient but you can add a breather pipe to the top of the prop tube. Beneteau do this as standard to eliminate need to burp.

[/ QUOTE ]Thats the set up on my Beneteau.... it works well, and I don't need to 'burp' at all...

You can just see it on this picture
volvo.jpg
 
Are you sure this is a breather pipe?? as on my and friends Bens this tube is taken to a raw water inlet???

I don't see how this lets air out of the seal .............. but then again I don't really understand hydraulics, so would love to have the explanation as to how it works.

Alan.
 
Well..... I hope so!

The pipe rise from the seal, and goes to a water inlet, all of which are below the water line.... hence the air is automatically removed from the seal, and replaced by water....

The only thing stopping raw water (from down the cutlass bearing) displacing the air, is that the air has nowhere to go (it would normally be removed by 'burping' the seal).... this pipe provides a path....
 
I had a Volvo shaft seal on a boat which sat on the mud for half of every tide & I burped it every time I went out.It gave no problems & the guy who bought the boat from me continued without any problems 5 years on.It did have easy access though.If you grease it each year it will last a long time.It is considered as one of Volvo's most efficient & cost effective products.
 
Hey Morgana, on your Beneteau, does this "burp" pipe go to a sea cock or just to open air?

A similar arrangement on my 311 goes to a sea cock and through hull fitting........... or am I confusing 2 pipes?
 
Here is the Tides Marine seal....


seriesone.jpg



I will have it connected to the engine water inlet just after the pump, to produce about 4l/min flow.
 
looks too complicated, my bene is the same as above, spigot on the prop shaft fi glass, pipe goes to thru hull fitting with sea cock, it burps itself, i blow thru it when i lift out to make sure no crustaceaens in there.
stu
 
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