langstonelayabout
Well-known member
Where can I buy the grease for my Volvo dripless stern gland please? (Or can I use a McDonald's straw full of another companies' grease?
Many thanks
Many thanks
Volvo Stern Gland Grease
- Thread starter langstonelayabout
- Start date
Noahsdad
New member
I get mine on line from key part with free delivery.
Not bought any for a while though found theirs the cheapest at the time.
Not bought any for a while though found theirs the cheapest at the time.
l'escargot
New member
Keypart sell it: http://www.keypart.com/stock/v828250
Pinnacle
Well-known member
I have used trailer bearing grease inserted with the straw technique. Works for me.
CPD
Well-known member
Be very careful using any old grease in this application. One of the key factors with greases, is compatibility with what they are lubricating. If it is rubber, and if the grease is mineral oil based, then the rubber MAY swell over time. In this application, that could clearly cause issues. There are many types of rubbers, and not all will cause a problem, but I would stick firmly with Volvo's spec in this case.
wazza
Member
Silly question this may be but, do you 'push' the grease in from the outside or inside the boat.?
Andrew G
New member
No question is silly (but some here may disagree . . .).
From the inside.
It is critcal to not damage the lips of the seal as they make contact with the shaft and both the lips and the shaft wear to an "agreeable" state. You fill a thin, fine drinking straw with the grease, fold one end over and gently poke the other end between the shaft and the seal (burping it helps - see PS below) so that it is just into the seal (I guess 10mm??). Then you slide your fingers down the straw exuding grease into the seal as you gently move the trapped end around the shaft/seal so the whole of the seal gets a treatment. With practice it is quite easy - if you can get to it of course. A Macas straw may be too big - I use one from a small tetra drink pack - what ever suits you. Andrew
PS I assume you know how to burp the seal each time the boat goes back into the water - squeeze the seal at its sides, just aft of the shaft, between thumb and fore-finger, until a little dribble of water comes out between the seal and the shaft.
From the inside.
It is critcal to not damage the lips of the seal as they make contact with the shaft and both the lips and the shaft wear to an "agreeable" state. You fill a thin, fine drinking straw with the grease, fold one end over and gently poke the other end between the shaft and the seal (burping it helps - see PS below) so that it is just into the seal (I guess 10mm??). Then you slide your fingers down the straw exuding grease into the seal as you gently move the trapped end around the shaft/seal so the whole of the seal gets a treatment. With practice it is quite easy - if you can get to it of course. A Macas straw may be too big - I use one from a small tetra drink pack - what ever suits you. Andrew
PS I assume you know how to burp the seal each time the boat goes back into the water - squeeze the seal at its sides, just aft of the shaft, between thumb and fore-finger, until a little dribble of water comes out between the seal and the shaft.
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wazza
Member
Thank you... Yes I do know about 'burping' it when she's back in the water. I wonder if one of those plastic syringes would do the job too? Otherwise I'll use a straw as you have. A lot of grease??
Andrew G
New member
The beauty of the straw is that it only uses a small amount of grease and that it reaches the right spots. A syringe, or anything mechanical would be too thick and risk stretching or damaging the seal. Straws have been used for years. When you have finished there might be the slighest sign of grease under the seal on the shaft - more than this is not needed or desirable. Cheers, Andrew
Plevier
Active member
VP say about 1ml so not a lot. I prefer a straw to a syringe as you can flatten the end and minimise the distortion of the seal lip.
awol
Well-known member
If you have finished the tube of grease that came with the seal it is time to buy a new one!
AllanG
Well-known member
RK Marine (Volvo dealer) sell the grease, and they told me 1ml of grease is about the size of a sugar cube, so not much........I also use a straw........hope this helps.
Plevier
Active member
Yes, I guess a sugar cube must be around 1cm x 1cm x 1cm....
It's probably more than one strawful actually but I haven't calculated that.
Re the type of grease, I'm pretty certain it's what's known as a lithium complex grease, those are the ones that usually come in a variety of bright colours. That's what the Mobil stuff that Kiwiprop supplies is and it seems indistinguishable from the VP stuff.
e.g. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BLUE-LITH...ssories_Car_Care_Cleaning&hash=item19d621a5e0 if you like blue or http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LITHIUM-C...ssories_Car_Care_Cleaning&hash=item1c26c58f18 if you prefer red!
Mistroma
Well-known member
I imagine that drinking straws come in a variety of sizes. However, I seem to remember working out that I needed around 3.5 - 4cm grease to get ~1cc in the straws I keep specifically for greasing the Volvo gland. You might need an entire straw full of grease for 1cc if you use extremely thin ones (3mm diameter?).
l'escargot
New member
I think they might be getting their cc's and ml's mixed up. The average medicine spoon holds 5ml. That is a lot less than 5 cubes of sugar - a sugar cube is usually regarded as half a teaspoon....
AllanG
Well-known member
Possibly....but I'm not an expert on the intracacies of the size of sugar cube, and really don't give a damn! :sleeping:
ghostlymoron
Well-known member
How do you get the grease into the straw?
AllanG
Well-known member
The grease is supplied in a tube that has a nozzle, so you just insert the nozzle into the straw and squeeze the grease in....it's very easy to do, especially if you use a large diameter straw, such as one from McDonalds!
l'escargot
New member
It is probably relevant if you are offering advice and have the quantities significantly wrong... Watch out next time you have to take any medication
rotrax
Well-known member
I have a tin of generic " Red Rubber Grease " that I have used for many years assembling brake hydraulic components.
As the seal should not allow water to the area lubricated, and even if it did, the grease would emulsify and still, in concert with the water, keep the lips lubricated, I shall use this when the little tube is gone.
The 500cc tin is by Morris, my favourite lube company, and cost about 3 quid when I got it.
The drinking straw tip works well. I suffer from having my Volvo seal at full stretch fingertip length down the hull.
I have to evacuate my lungs, reach down, insert the straw, press out the grease and hope I dont pass out before its in................................
As the seal should not allow water to the area lubricated, and even if it did, the grease would emulsify and still, in concert with the water, keep the lips lubricated, I shall use this when the little tube is gone.
The 500cc tin is by Morris, my favourite lube company, and cost about 3 quid when I got it.
The drinking straw tip works well. I suffer from having my Volvo seal at full stretch fingertip length down the hull.
I have to evacuate my lungs, reach down, insert the straw, press out the grease and hope I dont pass out before its in................................
