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11-24-2021, 11:04 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
City: Eastsound
Vessel Name: Audrey Grace
Vessel Model: 2003 Camano 31
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 215
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Dripless shaft seal?
Is there a recommended interval to change the shaft seal? 2003 Camano, 1600 hours. Volvo manual says "replace propeller shaft seal" at 500 hours. I don't believe ours has ever been done, but not sure it needs to be done every 500 hours (at least I don't know anyone who does that). It's not dripping and performing flawlessly so hesitant to do anything, but I will have the boat out of the water this winter so maybe replace as a preventative measure?
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11-25-2021, 01:10 AM
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#2
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Moderator Emeritus
City: Au Gres, MI
Vessel Name: Black Dog
Vessel Model: Formula 41PC
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 17,963
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What brand is it? Some have a recommended change at 6 ot 7 years. Need to check manufacturer’s specs.
__________________
Boat Nut:
If you are one there is no explanation necessary.
If you aren’t one, there is no explanation possible.
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11-25-2021, 10:32 AM
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#3
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Member
City: Upper Chesapeake Bay
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 7
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"Volvo manual says "replace propeller shaft seal" at 500 hours"
I believe the manual is talking about the shaft seal on the back of the transmission where the prop shaft flange bolts to the prop shaft.
Greg
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11-25-2021, 08:31 PM
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#4
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Guru
City: Chattanooga
Vessel Model: Helmsman Trawler 38E
Join Date: Oct 2020
Posts: 851
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jhance
Is there a recommended interval to change the shaft seal? 2003 Camano, 1600 hours. Volvo manual says "replace propeller shaft seal" at 500 hours. I don't believe ours has ever been done, but not sure it needs to be done every 500 hours (at least I don't know anyone who does that). It's not dripping and performing flawlessly so hesitant to do anything, but I will have the boat out of the water this winter so maybe replace as a preventative measure?
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I had Tides Marine shaft seals on a previous 2006 boat. One started leaking in 2018. I replaced both of them. The recommended interval at that time for those shaft seals was six years for Tides Marine.
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11-26-2021, 11:49 AM
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#5
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Guru
City: North Charleston, SC
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 4,772
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Mine started leaking at about 20 years and 5K hours.
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11-27-2021, 10:10 AM
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#6
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Veteran Member
City: Puget Sound Region
Vessel Name: WakeRobin
Join Date: Feb 2021
Posts: 32
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I changed out the original Tides Marine seal at 1,200 hours in favor of PSS. Reason I went with PSS is my experience with previous boats w/ PSS seals over thousands of hours of runtime.
__________________
Tim
Camano 31 #262
WakeRobin
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11-27-2021, 11:24 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
City: San Francisco
Vessel Name: Couple’s Retreat
Vessel Model: 2019 North Pacific 45
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 414
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TStiles
I changed out the original Tides Marine seal at 1,200 hours in favor of PSS. Reason I went with PSS is my experience with previous boats w/ PSS seals over thousands of hours of runtime.
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Me too. The tides seal is very small. Swapped to pss seal and prefer it.
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11-27-2021, 01:15 PM
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#8
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Guru
City: Duvall, Wa. USA
Vessel Name: Beach Music II
Vessel Model: 2003 Mainship 430 Trawler
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 931
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Our Camano had a PSS seal. Nine years and 1800 hours and no leaks. Our current (and last) boat has Tides seals. At 17 years and 2000 hours with no leaks I replaced them just because they were old.
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11-28-2021, 07:45 AM
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#9
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Guru
City: South Florida
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,002
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BayBum
"Volvo manual says "replace propeller shaft seal" at 500 hours"
I believe the manual is talking about the shaft seal on the back of the transmission where the prop shaft flange bolts to the prop shaft.
Greg
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What Greg says
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11-28-2021, 08:30 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
City: Long Valley
Vessel Name: No Worries
Vessel Model: Beneteau ST44
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 141
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Make sure you grease the seal.
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11-28-2021, 10:39 AM
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#11
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Guru
City: Nanaimo
Vessel Name: former owner of "Pilitak"
Vessel Model: Nordic Tug 37
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 1,632
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PSS seals (manufacturer's recommendations) state that the seal needs replacement at 6 years (this from memory so it may be 7). This is because the rubber bellows is under constant compression and needs to hold a slight pressure between the carbon and stainless metal parts. Over time, the rubber slowly loses it's ability to maintain this compression and pressure, also depending on what it has been exposed to (diesel, oil, ozone, etc.) chemicals can cause it to degrade. There could be other issues developing over time as well such as damage to the bellows, loosening or rusty clamps, abnormal carbon disc wear, etc.
For a slightly higher cost, they now offer an upgraded bellows (as well as the standard) where the recommended replacement is 10 years instead of 6.
Many people have gone well past the OEM recommendations successfully. However, with each passing year the risk goes up. Having a failure on one of these could be a big problem, even if only emotionally.
On my purchase survey, because there was no record of when the shaft seal had been replaced (and it looked in very good condition with no leaks) he recommended replacement. My insurance company as a condition of insurance REQUIRED that I change it reasonably soon. At the time the boat was about 15 years old so I also preventatively changed the cutlass bearings, rudder seal, and serviced the prop. The shaft was good.
So for me, why risk an unexpected, possibly major failure (possibly at a remote location), possibly with denied insurance coverage, to extend past the OEM's recommendations to save a little money?? Just my thoughts.
__________________
Tom
Nanaimo, BC
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11-28-2021, 01:28 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
City: Eastsound
Vessel Name: Audrey Grace
Vessel Model: 2003 Camano 31
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 215
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All good points. I hesitate a little because "it ain't broke" and appears to be in great condition with no leaks. Sometimes you start messing with things and create new issues for yourself.
Quote:
Originally Posted by firehoser75
PSS seals (manufacturer's recommendations) state that the seal needs replacement at 6 years (this from memory so it may be 7). This is because the rubber bellows is under constant compression and needs to hold a slight pressure between the carbon and stainless metal parts. Over time, the rubber slowly loses it's ability to maintain this compression and pressure, also depending on what it has been exposed to (diesel, oil, ozone, etc.) chemicals can cause it to degrade. There could be other issues developing over time as well such as damage to the bellows, loosening or rusty clamps, abnormal carbon disc wear, etc.
For a slightly higher cost, they now offer an upgraded bellows (as well as the standard) where the recommended replacement is 10 years instead of 6.
Many people have gone well past the OEM recommendations successfully. However, with each passing year the risk goes up. Having a failure on one of these could be a big problem, even if only emotionally.
On my purchase survey, because there was no record of when the shaft seal had been replaced (and it looked in very good condition with no leaks) he recommended replacement. My insurance company as a condition of insurance REQUIRED that I change it reasonably soon. At the time the boat was about 15 years old so I also preventatively changed the cutlass bearings, rudder seal, and serviced the prop. The shaft was good.
So for me, why risk an unexpected, possibly major failure (possibly at a remote location), possibly with denied insurance coverage, to extend past the OEM's recommendations to save a little money?? Just my thoughts.
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11-28-2021, 02:24 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
City: Solomons MD.
Vessel Name: Sun Runner
Vessel Model: 1985 Mainship 34 Trawler MK III
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 488
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" If it ain't broke, don't fix it " doesn't apply to maintenance items. If it has a rubber bellows, or anything that wears, that's a maintenance item..
My .02 cents...
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11-28-2021, 04:11 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
City: Eastsound
Vessel Name: Audrey Grace
Vessel Model: 2003 Camano 31
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 215
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See pic for my seal. I have a manual for a Tides Marine seal, but not sure if that's what I have as mine looks different (are the bellows under the blue sleeve?). Not sure what exactly I have or if it's original.
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11-28-2021, 04:51 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
City: Long Valley
Vessel Name: No Worries
Vessel Model: Beneteau ST44
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 141
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jhance
See pic for my seal. I have a manual for a Tides Marine seal, but not sure if that's what I have as mine looks different (are the bellows under the blue sleeve?). Not sure what exactly I have or if it's original.
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Thats definitely not a volve seal.
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11-28-2021, 05:03 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
City: San Francisco
Vessel Name: Couple’s Retreat
Vessel Model: 2019 North Pacific 45
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 414
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It’s a tides marine with a spare seal inside black ring.
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11-28-2021, 05:15 PM
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#17
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Guru
City: Green Turtle Bay
Vessel Name: GOTCHA
Vessel Model: Hatteras 58 LRC
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 772
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If it starts dripping then it time to change it
Our have been installed for going on 10 years and still doing fine.
__________________
Captain F. Lee - R.P.E.
USCG 200 GT Master
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11-28-2021, 05:54 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
City: San Francisco
Vessel Name: Couple’s Retreat
Vessel Model: 2019 North Pacific 45
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 414
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fgarriso
If it starts dripping then it time to change it
Our have been installed for going on 10 years and still doing fine.
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I wouldn’t wait that long.
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11-28-2021, 06:09 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
City: Eastsound
Vessel Name: Audrey Grace
Vessel Model: 2003 Camano 31
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 215
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From the manual, it says the spare seal should be in a little container just forward of the seal unit, but I don't think I have one on there unless that black thing around the shaft IS the spare seal container? Are you saying the front part opens and there is a spare seal in there? If so, I should be good just putting in the spare seal? Hauling out in winter so I have the option to do more if needed (including maybe replacing the cutlass bearing and rudder shaft packing (19 year old boat).
Quote:
Originally Posted by jimdavi
It’s a tides marine with a spare seal inside black ring.
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11-28-2021, 06:41 PM
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#20
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Guru
City: Green Turtle Bay
Vessel Name: GOTCHA
Vessel Model: Hatteras 58 LRC
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 772
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jimdavi
I wouldn’t wait that long.
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OK you win, change it JUST before it starts to leak
__________________
Captain F. Lee - R.P.E.
USCG 200 GT Master
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