Suggestions on dripless shaft seal maintenance

[Seasquirt]

I would like know how to maintain dripless bearings on the shafts. Thank you

[DougSea]

Good write up at PMY

http://www.powerandmotoryacht.com/refit ... haft-seals

What seal do you have?

(And welcome to AOG!)

[Seasquirt]

Thank you very much - I shall follow your suggestion. Not sure how to describe: dripless with bellows is all I can tell.
Andy

[jleonard]

I have a lip seal style, not the bellows type so I can't give you specifics..
However a friend of mine who has the bellows type ignored his for about 10 years and one day discovered it was leaking so badly that it had already leaked enough to fill his bilge and reach the alternator.
The bellows had split.
Then he only fixed the seal and the next season as he was leaving for vacation the alternator quit. Rusted badly.
Then the next year his starter went. Rusted.
Then the fiollowing year, yes as he was headed out for two weeks his tranny crapped out. Rusted inside.

The moral of the story...check your bellows and seal.

[RobS]

Thank you very much - I shall follow your suggestion. Not sure how to describe: dripless with bellows is all I can tell.
Andy

Black corrugated boot similar to an automotive cv boot is likely the PSS. It would have a collar on the shaft similar looking to a shaft zinc.
Blue smooth (original style) or blue corrugated (newer articulating style) boot with a black housing and no shaft collar is the tides marine lip seal setup.

[Seasquirt]

Your response is much appreciated. Thank you

[RobS]

Haven't read the linked article yet but checking the band clamps and cooling water supply are very important. And be sure the cooling water is taken high in the raw water loop, for example not from a zinc port on the underside of a tranny cooler, otherwise it is likely to suffer blockage due to debris like zinc particles.

[ScubaPete]

That explains why my water supply comes directly off of the pressure side of the raw water pump, eliminates zinc debris from blocking the water flow.

[RobS]

That explains why my water supply comes directly off of the pressure side of the raw water pump, eliminates zinc debris from blocking the water flow.

And it's grabbing the raw water at it's coolest point, even better..

[Seasquirt]

Great suggestions, many thanks
Andy