Volvo stern gland

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bene

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I want to fit a volvo rubber stern gland to my first 29. Problem is the stern tube is 40mm but the gland is 42mm. How can I make up the difference. Would it be suitable to stretch a piece of bike inner tube over the stern tube. What do you think.
 
The Volvo gland is more than just a gland, it's also a cutless bearing which locates the forward end of the prop shaft. It therefore needs to be a very firm fit in the stern tube.

Are you sure you have the correct Volvo gland for your boat? there should be one which is designed to fit the stern tube exactly.

How does the new gland compare to the old worn one (assuming you are just doing a straight replacement)?
 
bene said:
I want to fit a volvo rubber stern gland to my first 29. Problem is the stern tube is 40mm but the gland is 42mm. How can I make up the difference. Would it be suitable to stretch a piece of bike inner tube over the stern tube. What do you think.
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Depends on the material of the stern tube. If it is grp and clean, you can build it up with glass tape and epoxy. If your measurements are correct you only need to ncrease the wall thickness by 1mm. The clamp on the Volvo gland is pretty substantial and will probably take up a bit of slack - plus some polysuphide sealant to ensure no leaks.
 
Iv'e just done the same thing. I used epoxy and woven tape. I used some peel ply (well taffeta actually) to get a super smooth finish. Because the finer tape is thin, it's really easy to build up to the exact diameter. I'd double check your 42mm though. That's what I thought the diameter was when I had the adaptor machined for my 32mm tube, but it was too loose for my liking. That's why I built mine up with the epoxy to 44mm and it now fits perfectly.
 
bene said:
I want to fit a volvo rubber stern gland to my first 29. Problem is the stern tube is 40mm but the gland is 42mm. How can I make up the difference. Would it be suitable to stretch a piece of bike inner tube over the stern tube. What do you think.
Click to expand...

I had a similar mismatch with the diameter on a Gibsea 96, the tube, like yours 2mm too small. I turned a piece of S/S tube to the correct OD and epoxied it in place. I polished the ID of the tube with a simple flap wheel to give a space for the adhesive. It worked a treat.
 
Have you thought about the PSS type shaft seal or any other? They make one that fits shafts from 1 1/2" to 1 5/8" which is about 38mm to 41mm, perfect for what you need.

The volvo seal has quite a small tollerance +0.5mm -0.3mm. I don't think I'd want to bodge the fitting of such a vital piece of equipment. PSS might be more expensive but money well spent if it springs a leak!

Your First 29, is that a lift keel and do you dry out often? You have to bleed the air from the volvo seal each time you dry out, which can be a pain if access is difficult.
 
You will find that the PSS seal sizes are achieved through the use of various sized tubular spacers which fit between the main rubber body of the PSS and the stern tube. The UK importer (Aquafax as I recall) is happy to sell them separately and they are a near perfect fit for a Volvo seal too to adjust sizing. I have taken this route on two occasions and not suffered leaks or other problems.
 
RivalRedwing said:
You will find that the PSS seal sizes are achieved through the use of various sized tubular spacers which fit between the main rubber body of the PSS and the stern tube. The UK importer (Aquafax as I recall) is happy to sell them separately and they are a near perfect fit for a Volvo seal too to adjust sizing. I have taken this route on two occasions and not suffered leaks or other problems.
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That is really usefull information. I was unaware of that. Thank you.
 
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