Dripless Seal

[MARGEEZ]

Static Dripless Seal leak...

PSS (manufacturer)

We have a static (at rest) dripless seal leak....(in ICW/salt)

Is it OK to 'clean' (place clean cloth inside to wipe out any 'growth' or debris) OR should one wait for a haul out (which we have on the schedule for Oct 2015)?

 

[rcknecht]

deleted, better response is below

 

[trit21]

Please read the post and understand what type of seal he has before commenting. PSS is a SS collar pushed up against a carbon puck and hold the bellows. There is no extra seal. I don't understand why people are so paranoid about shaft seals.

It is fine to push the carbon face back and insert a rag (or even sandpaper 400 grit) to clean the SS collar and carbon puck. Fold sandpaper in half to accomplish that. While you are pushing the carbon face back, it should be fairly stiff and no push back very easily. Reason is that the SS collar is supposed to be set 3/4"-1" of compression of the bellows to provide a seal force against the SS collar and the carbon puck. If is pushed back fairly easily then you may have to set the SS collar.

Remove both top set screws, loosen both of the bottom set screws and pull ss collar forward until the seal leaks and it is just touching the carbon face. Mark this spot and proceed to push the SS collar either 3/4"-1" (depending on the size of your shaft look it up on PSS website) and lock in both set screws and then the locking set screws.

Note: Use new bottom cup point set screws to hold the SS collar on the shaft, otherwise it will just slip again.

Don't be afraid of shaft seals, I just don't understand why people will only do this when they haul. How are you gonna know if it leaks it you do it on the hard?

 

[MARGEEZ]

Thank you!
(We have been told by many NOT to do anything with the seals until on the hard or we may sink our boat...and a haul out is about 3 hrs away...)

 

[trit21]

As long as you are handy with tools you will not sink the boat. PSS shaft seal work on pressure between the SS collar and the carbon puck. At worst case, you can tighten the SS collar against the puck until you can get the boat hauled AS LONG AS YOU HAVE ROOM TO WORK. It does take some umph <SP> to create the necessary load between the two but as long as you can do that the leak will be a small drip, not a gushing of water.

Where are you on East Coast of FL?

 

[MARGEEZ]

Yacht Harbor Marina (Hammock Beach Resort)

Thank you!!