SureSeal® shaft seals

[LarryOwen]

My 2002 28TE (330B Cummins) uses Tidesmarine SureSeal® self-aligning shaft seals. Tidesmarine says "if the shaft seal is not leaking, don't change the lip seal. These assemblies are designed to operate "drip free" for 2500 engine hours or 2 years, whichever comes first." I have only 700 hours on the engine, but the boat has been used for seven seasons (May through October, mostly on the Chesapeake Bay). There is no sign of dripping from the seal. Question: do I worry about replacing the seals, or (as my marina mechanic recommends) "keep using it until it leaks."

[Russell]

I would not change it until it starts to leak. It will not be a catastrophic failure, just a small leak that gets larger over time.