Dripless shaft seal
- Thread starter Chris-380
- Start date
ZZ13
Well-Known Member
You have the old style Tides Strong Seal. They modified the design to the Sure Seal version around 2002. That black thing is the carrier for a spare seal so you can replace the seal without removing the shaft. After 20 years in there the spare seal is probably not any good. tides recommends to change the seal at 5 years and replace the entire thing at ten years. Most just run it until any dripping bothers them. So a lot of owners get 15-20 years out of it.
firecadet613
Well-Known Member
- May 10, 2007
- 5,253
- Boat Info
- SOLD - 2007 Four Winns V358
- Engines
- Twin VP 5.7GXi V-Drive / ZF63s
I just bought a new Tides assembly that'll I'll swap in soon...had a bent shaft and will replace the whole assembly vs just the seal.
I did some searching on here and found plenty of info... pretty easy to do if you have access.
I did some searching on here and found plenty of info... pretty easy to do if you have access.
Chris-380
Well-Known Member
Thank you
We have access to a a trailer, so we could probably pull the boat and change. I just don’t see much info on how to pull the shafts, so any advice on this would be great, I am pretty sure they are original.
We have access to a a trailer, so we could probably pull the boat and change. I just don’t see much info on how to pull the shafts, so any advice on this would be great, I am pretty sure they are original.
Ricochet
Active Member
It’s certainly worth trying the new seal already mounted on your shaft. I used my shaft mounted spare after 9 or 10 years with no issue, there should be no deterioration of the spare seal in a fresh water installation.
firecadet613
Well-Known Member
- May 10, 2007
- 5,253
- Boat Info
- SOLD - 2007 Four Winns V358
- Engines
- Twin VP 5.7GXi V-Drive / ZF63s
I forgot to ask, are they leaking? If not, I'd let it be.
You'll have to pull the props in order to pull the shafts. Since I had it done in February and I'm in indoor cold storage, I let the marina do it. They even had to dig a nice little trench below my boat to get the shaft out.
Last edited:
Chris-380
Well-Known Member
I get a little water in my bilge, I think it is coming from the starboard shaft seal. I might get 1-1.5 gallons over the weekend depending on how much I run. Doesn’t leak at all at idle or off. I need to get someone to operate and climb down and see what I can see down there. My marina doesn’t seem to know much about them....
firecadet613
Well-Known Member
- May 10, 2007
- 5,253
- Boat Info
- SOLD - 2007 Four Winns V358
- Engines
- Twin VP 5.7GXi V-Drive / ZF63s
I had some bilge water that I traced to mine. Went and looked at it while underway and saw a wobble at the housing.... turned out to be a slightly bent shaft.
Chris-380
Well-Known Member
That’s the next thing on my list. My wife won’t operate this boat, so I need one of my dock mates to come out with me. Hoping it’s something simple.
firecadet613
Well-Known Member
- May 10, 2007
- 5,253
- Boat Info
- SOLD - 2007 Four Winns V358
- Engines
- Twin VP 5.7GXi V-Drive / ZF63s
See, V-Drives are soooo much fun compared to outdrives! I keep telling myself that in the long run it's easier and cheaper with V-Drives...
Chris-380
Well-Known Member
I love v drives, it would be hard to go back to I/o’s
firecadet613
Well-Known Member
- May 10, 2007
- 5,253
- Boat Info
- SOLD - 2007 Four Winns V358
- Engines
- Twin VP 5.7GXi V-Drive / ZF63s
I'm a fan...let me get back to you after I get both cutlass bearings, one dripless seal assembly and shaft back in. Definitely a learning curve after having 5 boats with outdrives....but she does handle nicely!
if you can’t find a friend to drive it for you, put something under the dripless that would clearly indicate the direction of water once it gets wet. I like the blue shop towels because they turn dark once they get wet but just about anything will do
I did it on my Sundancer and doing it again on my Sedan Bridge. The Sundancer was much more difficult as everything is under the engine. Regardless, here are the steps I used -
- Haul the boat.
- Disconnect the seal cooling hose. Plan to modify with crossover cooling and duel supply seal housing.
- Remove the propeller
- Remove the shaft/coupling nut
- disconnect the coupling from gear and slide forward an inch or so.
- Remove coupling from shaft; I made a plate puller but that went with the boat when sold.
- pull the shaft back and remove the spare seal/cover and remove flex joint/seal housing assembly.
- Clean inside and outside of log.
- At this point I would pull the shafts and send them out for inspection / polishing. Include props and couplings. Money well spent. And, install new cutlass bearings.
- Measure OD of log tube and OD of shaft then order the appropriate Tides Sure Seal replacement assembly and spare seal. You can order directly from Tides Marine. Order the dual water injection feature https://www.tidesmarine.com/sureseal/overview then simply install a hose between the port and starboard seal assemblies for the second interface.
- Use the Tides installation tool when sliding the shaft through the seals.
- On the Prop and coupler; The shop should have dyed and lapped the props and couplers to the shafts so don't mix up parts. Fit up the props and couplers without the keys to the shaft and mark where that point is on the shaft. Then install them with the keys and ensure they install to that mark you made. This ensures the key is not interfering with the shaft to prop/coupler mate. This is where you need to verify coupler alignment (another process) and ensure the shaft centers in the log.
- On the tides seal assembly - don't tighten the clamps until the installation of the shaft is complete and before tightening the clamps rotate the bellows a bit around the shaft log until the assembly finds it's "happy spot" and is centered about the shaft. This will help prevent wear of the Delrin bearings in the seal assembly.
- Also if there is a wear mark (groove) on the shaft from the seal lip and it did not polish out then adjust the bellows either in or out on the shaft log so the new seal lip isn't in that groove.
Last edited:
firecadet613
Well-Known Member
- May 10, 2007
- 5,253
- Boat Info
- SOLD - 2007 Four Winns V358
- Engines
- Twin VP 5.7GXi V-Drive / ZF63s
@ttmott question for you.
I think I have this figured out, after watching quite a few videos and doing some searches. With my v-drives I have very limited access.
So, I believe my best course of action is to put the new Tides assembly in place (but not secured), with the protective sleeve over the new seal. Slide the shaft in and hook it up, secure the Tides assembly then remove the protective sleeve? My access is so limited, to replace the seal, I have to remove the entire assembly (can't get a screwdriver in there to open up the seal housing with it in place).
Sorry for the threadjack @Chris-380!
I think I have this figured out, after watching quite a few videos and doing some searches. With my v-drives I have very limited access.
So, I believe my best course of action is to put the new Tides assembly in place (but not secured), with the protective sleeve over the new seal. Slide the shaft in and hook it up, secure the Tides assembly then remove the protective sleeve? My access is so limited, to replace the seal, I have to remove the entire assembly (can't get a screwdriver in there to open up the seal housing with it in place).
Sorry for the threadjack @Chris-380!
Chris-380
Well-Known Member
No hijack at all, this will be very helpful. If you have links for the videos you have found, please share those too
Misterhelms
Active Member
How often do you need to replace the drive shaft seals? PO says they were done on my boat in 2016.
Chris-380
Well-Known Member
From what I have read, seal every 5 years, entire assembly 10 years. Mine is original. I think most last 20 years
Correct. There is definitely a way to change the seal with everything installed not to say it is easy; but I think you need to figure out a way. I did it in the Bahamas on my Sundancer when some fishing line got wrapped around the shaft and up into the log and seal. I swear it was a 4 hour rolfing session in a steam room then three G&T's afterwards but I was able to get it done.
