inside shower
- Thread starter espin
- Start date
Probably not what you're after, but for emergency use - read cold days! - we have a set up:
Take up the saloon carpet, slide the main hatch fully back into its garage, fasten a shower cutain to the deckhead (we've 4 eye-loops screwed up there to slot twos/steel rails into) around the mainhatch opening, hang a solar shower, topped-up with hot water from the kettle off the boom so that it hangs into the main hatch opening. After enjoying a warm shower out of the wind and rain, take down the solar shower, curtain and rails, wipe down the floor and galley/cooker fronts and pump out the bilges.
It's not a patch on the two-person 'wet room' on our friends 45' catamaran, but it beats the hell out of the cockpit on a wet and windy day!
BobnLesley
Spring Fever.
Take up the saloon carpet, slide the main hatch fully back into its garage, fasten a shower cutain to the deckhead (we've 4 eye-loops screwed up there to slot twos/steel rails into) around the mainhatch opening, hang a solar shower, topped-up with hot water from the kettle off the boom so that it hangs into the main hatch opening. After enjoying a warm shower out of the wind and rain, take down the solar shower, curtain and rails, wipe down the floor and galley/cooker fronts and pump out the bilges.
It's not a patch on the two-person 'wet room' on our friends 45' catamaran, but it beats the hell out of the cockpit on a wet and windy day!
BobnLesley
Spring Fever.
Spring Fever's fitted with an MD6A engine, a traditional gearbox and a fixed thee-blade prop on the end of a 25mm/1" shaft.
The stern bearings that we've used are the white-plastic jobs (I can't remember what the materials called) that are supposedly 'self-lubricating'; these are OK, but need replacing every other year and after six years, the shaft shows significant wear at the bearing face and might well need replacing next time around: To be fair, the shaft/bearing are probably worked quite hard, as we might well average 200+ engine hours each year.
Now when in conversation in the bar last night - always the best place to be! - with a chap from the Netherlands, who I believe to be a seriously good engineer - the 68' steel ketch he's designed, built from scratch and lived on for the last fifteen years is testament to that - gave me some interesting points/advice:
To work effectively, these self-lubricating bearings still need some sea-water to help cool them, so should at the very least have a few grooves filed into them to ease the water's path into/out of the propellor tube.
Even these grooves don't help much as the propellor's action causes a low-pressure area in the water immediately astern of the bearing, as a result most of the water which has percolated into the stern tube whilst sat on anchor will be sucked out in the first 1/2 hour's motoring and not replaced until the engine next stops.
He suggests active sea-water lubrication: - fit a 6mm/1/4" T junction into the flexible engine cooling water pipe just before the point where it injects into the exhaust and tap a 6mm/1/4" connection into the propellor tube where it emerges into the engine bay, then install a hose between these new connections, which will then take a proportion of the expended engine cooling water and force it out via the propellor bearing. Any comments/opinions? Whilst I can see the logic of the lubrication, my biggest concern is that this modification might build up sufficient water pressure within the propellor tube, to force the injected seawater forward too, past the the forward oil/water seals and into the oil filled shaft seal?
Peter's other (and preferred) suggestion was to install a shaft bearing about 8mm shorter than the carrier boss and preferably of bronze, with a lipped oil seal installed astern of it, make the tap-in to the propellor tube as noted above, but connect this to a remote oil-filled header tank (as with the existing oil-illed shaft seal ahead of it) and then fill the whole propellor tube with oil. Any comments/opinions? My concern with this idea is that unless the shaft alignment is perfect (whilst Peter's undoubtably is, I doubt I could manage it) then the 'lash' in the propellor shaft would quickly destroy the new oil-seal at the stern leaving me with a bigger/more regular maintenance task than I have now; my own preference would be to use the nylon self-lubricating material still, that way, if the seal fails I am not obliged to haul out for a replacement immediately.
Has anyone made/tried/considered any of these suggestions?
BobnLesley
Spring Fever.
The stern bearings that we've used are the white-plastic jobs (I can't remember what the materials called) that are supposedly 'self-lubricating'; these are OK, but need replacing every other year and after six years, the shaft shows significant wear at the bearing face and might well need replacing next time around: To be fair, the shaft/bearing are probably worked quite hard, as we might well average 200+ engine hours each year.
Now when in conversation in the bar last night - always the best place to be! - with a chap from the Netherlands, who I believe to be a seriously good engineer - the 68' steel ketch he's designed, built from scratch and lived on for the last fifteen years is testament to that - gave me some interesting points/advice:
To work effectively, these self-lubricating bearings still need some sea-water to help cool them, so should at the very least have a few grooves filed into them to ease the water's path into/out of the propellor tube.
Even these grooves don't help much as the propellor's action causes a low-pressure area in the water immediately astern of the bearing, as a result most of the water which has percolated into the stern tube whilst sat on anchor will be sucked out in the first 1/2 hour's motoring and not replaced until the engine next stops.
He suggests active sea-water lubrication: - fit a 6mm/1/4" T junction into the flexible engine cooling water pipe just before the point where it injects into the exhaust and tap a 6mm/1/4" connection into the propellor tube where it emerges into the engine bay, then install a hose between these new connections, which will then take a proportion of the expended engine cooling water and force it out via the propellor bearing. Any comments/opinions? Whilst I can see the logic of the lubrication, my biggest concern is that this modification might build up sufficient water pressure within the propellor tube, to force the injected seawater forward too, past the the forward oil/water seals and into the oil filled shaft seal?
Peter's other (and preferred) suggestion was to install a shaft bearing about 8mm shorter than the carrier boss and preferably of bronze, with a lipped oil seal installed astern of it, make the tap-in to the propellor tube as noted above, but connect this to a remote oil-filled header tank (as with the existing oil-illed shaft seal ahead of it) and then fill the whole propellor tube with oil. Any comments/opinions? My concern with this idea is that unless the shaft alignment is perfect (whilst Peter's undoubtably is, I doubt I could manage it) then the 'lash' in the propellor shaft would quickly destroy the new oil-seal at the stern leaving me with a bigger/more regular maintenance task than I have now; my own preference would be to use the nylon self-lubricating material still, that way, if the seal fails I am not obliged to haul out for a replacement immediately.
Has anyone made/tried/considered any of these suggestions?
BobnLesley
Spring Fever.
You could fit a PSS shaft seal (PYI Inc. | PSS Shaft Seal) and kill two
birds with one stone. A virtually maintenance free shaft seal plus water
bleed into the stern tube from the cooling water tap off. I had this system
for many years before I sold my VEGA but believe it's still performing well.
Ray.
From: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com [mailto:AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
Of Bob Carlisle
Sent: Monday, January 25, 2010 10:08 AM
To: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [AlbinVega] Propellor shaft bearing - lubrication?
Spring Fever's fitted with an MD6A engine, a traditional gearbox and a fixed
thee-blade prop on the end of a 25mm/1" shaft.
The stern bearings that we've used are the white-plastic jobs (I can't
remember what the materials called) that are supposedly 'self-lubricating';
these are OK, but need replacing every other year and after six years, the
shaft shows significant wear at the bearing face and might well need
replacing next time around: To be fair, the shaft/bearing are probably
worked quite hard, as we might well average 200+ engine hours each year.
Now when in conversation in the bar last night - always the best place to
be! - with a chap from the Netherlands, who I believe to be a seriously good
engineer - the 68' steel ketch he's designed, built from scratch and lived
on for the last fifteen years is testament to that - gave me some
interesting points/advice:
To work effectively, these self-lubricating bearings still need some
sea-water to help cool them, so should at the very least have a few grooves
filed into them to ease the water's path into/out of the propellor tube.
Even these grooves don't help much as the propellor's action causes a
low-pressure area in the water immediately astern of the bearing, as a
result most of the water which has percolated into the stern tube whilst sat
on anchor will be sucked out in the first 1/2 hour's motoring and not
replaced until the engine next stops.
He suggests active sea-water lubrication: - fit a 6mm/1/4" T junction into
the flexible engine cooling water pipe just before the point where it
injects into the exhaust and tap a 6mm/1/4" connection into the propellor
tube where it emerges into the engine bay, then install a hose between these
new connections, which will then take a proportion of the expended engine
cooling water and force it out via the propellor bearing. Any
comments/opinions? Whilst I can see the logic of the lubrication, my biggest
concern is that this modification might build up sufficient water pressure
within the propellor tube, to force the injected seawater forward too, past
the the forward oil/water seals and into the oil filled shaft seal?
Peter's other (and preferred) suggestion was to install a shaft bearing
about 8mm shorter than the carrier boss and preferably of bronze, with a
lipped oil seal installed astern of it, make the tap-in to the propellor
tube as noted above, but connect this to a remote oil-filled header tank (as
with the existing oil-illed shaft seal ahead of it) and then fill the whole
propellor tube with oil. Any comments/opinions? My concern with this idea is
that unless the shaft alignment is perfect (whilst Peter's undoubtably is, I
doubt I could manage it) then the 'lash' in the propellor shaft would
quickly destroy the new oil-seal at the stern leaving me with a bigger/more
regular maintenance task than I have now; my own preference would be to use
the nylon self-lubricating material still, that way, if the seal fails I am
not obliged to haul out for a replacement immediately.
Has anyone made/tried/considered any of these suggestions?
BobnLesley
Spring Fever.
--
Gall y neges e-bost hon, ac unrhyw atodiadau a anfonwyd gyda hi,
gynnwys deunydd cyfrinachol ac wedi eu bwriadu i'w defnyddio'n unig
gan y sawl y cawsant eu cyfeirio ato (atynt). Os ydych wedi derbyn y
neges e-bost hon trwy gamgymeriad, rhowch wybod i'r anfonwr ar
unwaith a dil?wch y neges. Os na fwriadwyd anfon y neges atoch chi,
rhaid i chi beidio ? defnyddio, cadw neu ddatgelu unrhyw wybodaeth a
gynhwysir ynddi. Mae unrhyw farn neu safbwynt yn eiddo i'r sawl a'i
hanfonodd yn unig ac nid yw o anghenraid yn cynrychioli barn
Prifysgol Bangor. Nid yw Prifysgol Bangor yn gwarantu
bod y neges e-bost hon neu unrhyw atodiadau yn rhydd rhag firysau neu
100% yn ddiogel. Oni bai fod hyn wedi ei ddatgan yn uniongyrchol yn
nhestun yr e-bost, nid bwriad y neges e-bost hon yw ffurfio contract
rhwymol - mae rhestr o lofnodwyr awdurdodedig ar gael o Swyddfa
Cyllid Prifysgol Bangor. www.bangor.ac.uk
This email and any attachments may contain confidential material and
is solely for the use of the intended recipient(s). If you have
received this email in error, please notify the sender immediately
and delete this email. If you are not the intended recipient(s), you
must not use, retain or disclose any information contained in this
email. Any views or opinions are solely those of the sender and do
not necessarily represent those of the Bangor University.
Bangor University does not guarantee that this email or
any attachments are free from viruses or 100% secure. Unless
expressly stated in the body of the text of the email, this email is
not intended to form a binding contract - a list of authorised
signatories is available from the Bangor University Finance
Office. www.bangor.ac.uk
birds with one stone. A virtually maintenance free shaft seal plus water
bleed into the stern tube from the cooling water tap off. I had this system
for many years before I sold my VEGA but believe it's still performing well.
Ray.
From: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com [mailto:AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
Of Bob Carlisle
Sent: Monday, January 25, 2010 10:08 AM
To: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [AlbinVega] Propellor shaft bearing - lubrication?
Spring Fever's fitted with an MD6A engine, a traditional gearbox and a fixed
thee-blade prop on the end of a 25mm/1" shaft.
The stern bearings that we've used are the white-plastic jobs (I can't
remember what the materials called) that are supposedly 'self-lubricating';
these are OK, but need replacing every other year and after six years, the
shaft shows significant wear at the bearing face and might well need
replacing next time around: To be fair, the shaft/bearing are probably
worked quite hard, as we might well average 200+ engine hours each year.
Now when in conversation in the bar last night - always the best place to
be! - with a chap from the Netherlands, who I believe to be a seriously good
engineer - the 68' steel ketch he's designed, built from scratch and lived
on for the last fifteen years is testament to that - gave me some
interesting points/advice:
To work effectively, these self-lubricating bearings still need some
sea-water to help cool them, so should at the very least have a few grooves
filed into them to ease the water's path into/out of the propellor tube.
Even these grooves don't help much as the propellor's action causes a
low-pressure area in the water immediately astern of the bearing, as a
result most of the water which has percolated into the stern tube whilst sat
on anchor will be sucked out in the first 1/2 hour's motoring and not
replaced until the engine next stops.
He suggests active sea-water lubrication: - fit a 6mm/1/4" T junction into
the flexible engine cooling water pipe just before the point where it
injects into the exhaust and tap a 6mm/1/4" connection into the propellor
tube where it emerges into the engine bay, then install a hose between these
new connections, which will then take a proportion of the expended engine
cooling water and force it out via the propellor bearing. Any
comments/opinions? Whilst I can see the logic of the lubrication, my biggest
concern is that this modification might build up sufficient water pressure
within the propellor tube, to force the injected seawater forward too, past
the the forward oil/water seals and into the oil filled shaft seal?
Peter's other (and preferred) suggestion was to install a shaft bearing
about 8mm shorter than the carrier boss and preferably of bronze, with a
lipped oil seal installed astern of it, make the tap-in to the propellor
tube as noted above, but connect this to a remote oil-filled header tank (as
with the existing oil-illed shaft seal ahead of it) and then fill the whole
propellor tube with oil. Any comments/opinions? My concern with this idea is
that unless the shaft alignment is perfect (whilst Peter's undoubtably is, I
doubt I could manage it) then the 'lash' in the propellor shaft would
quickly destroy the new oil-seal at the stern leaving me with a bigger/more
regular maintenance task than I have now; my own preference would be to use
the nylon self-lubricating material still, that way, if the seal fails I am
not obliged to haul out for a replacement immediately.
Has anyone made/tried/considered any of these suggestions?
BobnLesley
Spring Fever.
--
Gall y neges e-bost hon, ac unrhyw atodiadau a anfonwyd gyda hi,
gynnwys deunydd cyfrinachol ac wedi eu bwriadu i'w defnyddio'n unig
gan y sawl y cawsant eu cyfeirio ato (atynt). Os ydych wedi derbyn y
neges e-bost hon trwy gamgymeriad, rhowch wybod i'r anfonwr ar
unwaith a dil?wch y neges. Os na fwriadwyd anfon y neges atoch chi,
rhaid i chi beidio ? defnyddio, cadw neu ddatgelu unrhyw wybodaeth a
gynhwysir ynddi. Mae unrhyw farn neu safbwynt yn eiddo i'r sawl a'i
hanfonodd yn unig ac nid yw o anghenraid yn cynrychioli barn
Prifysgol Bangor. Nid yw Prifysgol Bangor yn gwarantu
bod y neges e-bost hon neu unrhyw atodiadau yn rhydd rhag firysau neu
100% yn ddiogel. Oni bai fod hyn wedi ei ddatgan yn uniongyrchol yn
nhestun yr e-bost, nid bwriad y neges e-bost hon yw ffurfio contract
rhwymol - mae rhestr o lofnodwyr awdurdodedig ar gael o Swyddfa
Cyllid Prifysgol Bangor. www.bangor.ac.uk
This email and any attachments may contain confidential material and
is solely for the use of the intended recipient(s). If you have
received this email in error, please notify the sender immediately
and delete this email. If you are not the intended recipient(s), you
must not use, retain or disclose any information contained in this
email. Any views or opinions are solely those of the sender and do
not necessarily represent those of the Bangor University.
Bangor University does not guarantee that this email or
any attachments are free from viruses or 100% secure. Unless
expressly stated in the body of the text of the email, this email is
not intended to form a binding contract - a list of authorised
signatories is available from the Bangor University Finance
Office. www.bangor.ac.uk
Bob,
I've never tried either of those ideas, but I'm with you. Stick with something simple.
On another note, where did you find, and how did you install, a standard transmission/prop to the MD6A?
Jack
I've never tried either of those ideas, but I'm with you. Stick with something simple.
On another note, where did you find, and how did you install, a standard transmission/prop to the MD6A?
Jack
I,ve used the bushing supplied by Steve Birch and have had quite good results. No apparent wear after 400 hours. Some sort of synthetic material. Colin, Isis V-703
...where did you find, and how did you install, a standard transmission/ prop to the MD6A?
Sorry Jack, I don't know as I didn't do the upgrade. Spring Fever is perhaps the only Vega whose engine (1971) is older than the hull (1973). As it was explained to me: In about 1996 one of the previous owners was overhauling Spring Fever's engine, whilst a friend of his was replacing an MD6A complete with prop-shaft and a 'normal' gearbox in his own yacht (don't know what make/model) as it was knackered. He gave this engine to Jim to 'strip down for any useful spares', but when he started to, he discovered that this supposedly U/S engine was actually in better condition than Spring Fever's own, so he overhauled it instead and fitted it into SF, so I've never had the 'experience' of a combi. gearbox; SF's still a pig to reverse, but at least I can put the prop into neutral whenever we pick up one of the thousands of discarded fishing nets and bag-fish which inhabit the Med.
BobnLesley
Sorry Jack, I don't know as I didn't do the upgrade. Spring Fever is perhaps the only Vega whose engine (1971) is older than the hull (1973). As it was explained to me: In about 1996 one of the previous owners was overhauling Spring Fever's engine, whilst a friend of his was replacing an MD6A complete with prop-shaft and a 'normal' gearbox in his own yacht (don't know what make/model) as it was knackered. He gave this engine to Jim to 'strip down for any useful spares', but when he started to, he discovered that this supposedly U/S engine was actually in better condition than Spring Fever's own, so he overhauled it instead and fitted it into SF, so I've never had the 'experience' of a combi. gearbox; SF's still a pig to reverse, but at least I can put the prop into neutral whenever we pick up one of the thousands of discarded fishing nets and bag-fish which inhabit the Med.
BobnLesley
I also have the gearbox, installed by PO.I believe it was an option that could be purchased from Volvo.
Supposed to be a 2:1 reduction, but somehow, I'd love to know how, he ended up with the original combi reduction of 1.4:1.Try marine parts express on the web (if I have the name right), they have a lot of old parts for the engine.rb
Supposed to be a 2:1 reduction, but somehow, I'd love to know how, he ended up with the original combi reduction of 1.4:1.Try marine parts express on the web (if I have the name right), they have a lot of old parts for the engine.rb
Amazing as it may sound, I can never quite find neutral, or the right rpms, with the combi. Well, I'll just have to keep practicing!