stern tube corrosion prevention,

I know that most members own fiberglass boats but anayway:

How do you prevent corrosion in a steel sterntube?

What is the best practice?

Singleprop wrote:
I know that most members own fiberglass boats but anayway:

How do you prevent corrosion in a steel sterntube?

What is the best practice?

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*Even us fiberglass guys sometimes have stainless or bronze stern tubes.

Mine's stainless and I've been advised that it's a bitc* to get out so keeping it good is my best solution.* I'm hoping bonding will keep her...but eventually it may rust through.

My guess it's about the same for you but maybe there's a trick*for a steel boat I don't know of.

Don't know how much this helps the stern tube, but my shafts are bonded through carbon brushes attached to a copper strap. *The strap has spring tension that holds the brushes in contact with the shafts. *The brushes have to be replaced when worn.

I dont know/see how you can protect the tube as its usually encased in, wood, cement, fiberglass, in the keel.* I asked and they said if they could not slide the old tube out, then they would slip/slide a new tube inside of the old tube? However, if its incased in cement/fiberglass you would not know if it did fail until is started to leak/drip?*
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Phil Fill wrote:I dont know/see how you can protect the tube as its usually encased in, wood, cement, fiberglass, in the keel.* I asked and they said if they could not slide the old tube out, then they would slip/slide a new tube inside of the old tube? However, if its incased in cement/fiberglass you would not know if it did fail until is started to leak/drip?*

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*By bonding and pulling out the shaft and cleaning any muck that settles in there are the two I'm paying close attention to.

Slipping a new tube in may not always be possible because of close tolerances...the old one*may have to come out.

And yes, when they fail, a lot of owners have unaccounted for leaks that are only narrowed down to the shaft tube when all other sources have been elininated or when on the hard and water is noticed coming out the rear cutlass bearing from bilge water seeping back into the keel area.

Mine is coated with what appears to be epoxy maybe 1/16" thick, near the shaft seal a dime sized portion of the epoxy was filed off exposing the SS tube. A connection to
the bonding system is made there. The bonding wire is held in place by a hose clamp.
Steve W.

I had mine replaced 3 years ago with stainless, (you're right, finding the source of leaks into the bilge was a bit**). I have heard of f/glass being a preferred solution today.