saltymike
New Member
Just in the midst of fitting new engine and am considering replacing the old lip-seal type (unknown make) prop shaft seal - any advice on the best one?
Thanks
Thanks
Which is the best prop shaft seal?
- Thread starter saltymike
- Start date
Wunja
Well-Known Member
Volvo
(I'm learning brevety from Sailorman)
(I'm learning brevety from Sailorman)
pmyatt
Well-Known Member
PSS
Tranona
Well-Known Member
Volvo
Compact, reliable simple, and cheap (in comparison)
BTW you say you already have lip seals - is it a Volvo? (there are very few others, particularly older types). Easy to recognise, just a heavy one piece rubber moulding about 110mm long, clamped to the stern tube and tapered at the gearbox endIf Volvo then straightforward replacement. If other design you may find you can just replace the seals.
Compact, reliable simple, and cheap (in comparison)
BTW you say you already have lip seals - is it a Volvo? (there are very few others, particularly older types). Easy to recognise, just a heavy one piece rubber moulding about 110mm long, clamped to the stern tube and tapered at the gearbox endIf Volvo then straightforward replacement. If other design you may find you can just replace the seals.
Last edited:
macd
Well-Known Member
The replies so far sum it up: either PSS or Volvo. I fitted a PSS five years ago and am delighted with it, 1000 engine hours later. This is no reflection on the Volvo of which I've no direct experience. Maybe there's someone out there who's lived with both?
saltymike
New Member
Thanks for opinions all.
The seal fitted is rather non standard - it's a bronze collar with what looks like a conventional 'O' ring (oil seal) pressed into it. The whole thing is held onto the stern tube with a rubber tube and jubilee clips, a bit like the PSS seal but with an oil seal in a housing. I think I'll take it apart and investigate the oil seal - hopefully it's a stock part from my local bearing shop.
The seal fitted is rather non standard - it's a bronze collar with what looks like a conventional 'O' ring (oil seal) pressed into it. The whole thing is held onto the stern tube with a rubber tube and jubilee clips, a bit like the PSS seal but with an oil seal in a housing. I think I'll take it apart and investigate the oil seal - hopefully it's a stock part from my local bearing shop.
brianhumber
Well-Known Member
Shaft Seals
Volvo - It is simple and the lip seals are more robust than PSS faces in muddy/sandy esturies in my exprience. PSS is a nice bit of engineering but the PSS I had many moons ago did not like the sand and mud at Newhaven and Littlehampton so got replaced with grease packing.
Volvo has 3 lip edge seals lubricated by water. After 15 plus years I decided to replace mine on Ronhilda two years ago and as expected found bit of wear down on the shaft in way of the lips. Not a problem to position the new seal couple of mms along and place new lips on unworn part of shaft - Simples as the Merkat saying goes.
The rubber lips must get lubricated to provide boundary layer seal with either water or the supplied grease, they will melt if run dry. It is vital to ensure the chambers between lips are full of water or fill them with the supplied grease. However in my exprience as long as the water gets to all lips grease is not necessary - I never use it myself.
Brian
Volvo - It is simple and the lip seals are more robust than PSS faces in muddy/sandy esturies in my exprience. PSS is a nice bit of engineering but the PSS I had many moons ago did not like the sand and mud at Newhaven and Littlehampton so got replaced with grease packing.
Volvo has 3 lip edge seals lubricated by water. After 15 plus years I decided to replace mine on Ronhilda two years ago and as expected found bit of wear down on the shaft in way of the lips. Not a problem to position the new seal couple of mms along and place new lips on unworn part of shaft - Simples as the Merkat saying goes.
The rubber lips must get lubricated to provide boundary layer seal with either water or the supplied grease, they will melt if run dry. It is vital to ensure the chambers between lips are full of water or fill them with the supplied grease. However in my exprience as long as the water gets to all lips grease is not necessary - I never use it myself.
Brian
samwise
Well-Known Member
Volvo is the best. Only problem is that you will have to nick a fat drinking straw from MacDonalds to get the seal lube in!
