[C320-list] Dripless shaft???

[Jeff Hare]

Agreed Joe.   

What caused me to switch back from the PSS (unvented) to conventional stuffing box with GFO was that they both helped achieve the same goal of a no water coming in through the prop shaft.  I found the PSS (unvented) to be more work, slightly less dry because of the burping process and I was tired of the graphite mist/dust staining the bilge. 

PYI sent me a new vented PSS Shaft seal graphite block for free and encouraged me to replace the old one because they had documented failures with the unvented model.  I didn't really want to deal with venting hoses and the like (not that they are terribly risky), just felt it was unnecessarily complicated when I could get the job done better with GFO and the maintenance is easier with fewer failure points. 

So for me, it wasn't that I didn't trust PSS or was afraid of it, it just didn't do the job quite as well as GFO does.  I was quite happy with my PSS when I had it.  I'm just happier now.  :)

-Jeff Hare 

-----Original Message-----
From: C320-list <c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com> On Behalf Of Joe Luciano
Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2018 11:24 PM
To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Dripless shaft???

I’m a pretty conservative guy.  When these dripless shaft seals first came out 20+ years ago, lots of skepticism.  There is relative risk to everything we do on a sailboat.  Hoses can come off thru hull valves, bilge pumps may not work, you name it.  These shaft seals work just like a pump mechanical seal in various industrial settings that I am very familiar with.  Many of these same pump seals on water pumps that spin much faster than our sailboat props last more than 15 years.  When they start to fail, they typically drip….Unless you are carving a fish filet over the top of your bellows, it isn’t likely to just crack and open up to let the sea in.  It’s a very tried and true design with a good history.  And there comes a point where you simply replace the bellows after many years in service.  Folks on the reader list shouldn’t be scared of a dripless shaft seal in this day and age.  But, there is a risk to walking down the dock and climbing on your boat.  Conservatism is generally a good thing.

Joe Luciano
Second Wind #1044

 
> On Jun 26, 2018, at 6:03 PM, Rod Boer <rod.boer1 at verizon.net> wrote:
> 
> Scott,
> 
> I installed a dripless shaft on my 2000 C320.  I used it for a couple of years but I worked for a company that demanded 99.99% reliability and if things go wrong there has to be a mechanism to handle it. I starting thinking what would I do if the bellows developed a significant crack while I was out in the ocean. I couldn't find a good answer so I went back to the conventional solution with a stuffing box.
> 
> Rod Boer
> Odyssey #688
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: C320-list [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Scott Westwood
> Sent: Sunday, June 24, 2018 5:47 PM
> To: Catalina List <c320-list at catalina320.com>
> Subject: [C320-list] Dripless shaft???
> 
> Has anybody installed a drip-less shaft on their C320?  Just asking but the admiral is asking about getting rid of the water in the bilge and I have to ask.
> Mainly the price and any experiences from those who have done it? Thanks, Scott Westwood scottwestwood at bellsouth.net H (919)-362-8538    C (919)-618-7185
>