Wots my stern seal?

[pcatterall]

I thought my 'new boat' had a conventional stuffing box ( this is a mid 70s Neptunian with a 4108 installed.
I had seen a copper pipe coming from the gland to the engine room and assumed that there would be a greasing point there.
Investigated today and find that the copper pipe goes onto the raw water side of the cooling system. I noticed that there should be stop valve at the gland end but the lever has broken off ( I guess that I can drill out and refit something there)
What is this system? how does it work and what maintenance does it require?
Thanks as usual.

 

[PCUK]

The water feed is to constantly flush the bearings through and is not part of the stern gland.

 

[sarabande]

Vyv Cox has an excellent website with all the answers on stuffing glands and stern gear.

http://coxengineering.co.uk/Sterngear.aspx

 

[SAMYL]

Could be an Aquaseal which can have a water feed to lubricate the mating surfaces and flood the gland/tube and cutlass bearing. There is no stuffing box or greaser.

The seal is between the revolving bronze ring (held in a rubber slieve on the shaft) rotating against a bronze disk on the stern tube.

A really excellent seal requiring the minimum amount of maintenance.

 

[pcatterall]

I think I will have to post a photo! but it sounds like it must be the Aquaseal type. Would the raw water be drawn in then pumped out via my raw water system or is my raw water ( or at least a small part of it) being pumped out via the bearings. Is that small broken valve to stop the chance of sea water getting in to the boat. I guess that it has been left open otherwise the bearings would be in a bad state by now?

 

[vyv_cox]

I don't think I know Aquaseal, so I would like to see a photo and include it on the website, if that's OK?

 

[pcatterall]

Yes VYV, I did look throughyour very useful site I'm sure mine must be a bog standard one of some kind and thats its just my ignorance!!
The engine was taken out quite recently though so perhaps there is something a bit more up to date installed.
Photos coming but not till I return from hols though!

 

[alant]

Yes VYV, I did look throughyour very useful site I'm sure mine must be a bog standard one of some kind and thats its just my ignorance!!
The engine was taken out quite recently though so perhaps there is something a bit more up to date installed.
Photos coming but not till I return from hols though!

"I'm sure mine must be a bog standard one"

Thats called a sphincter!