PIY PSS shaft seal for H 27

[Chuck Fort]

Has anybody put a PIY PSS shaft seal on a Hunter 27, especially around a 1983? I am in the process of renovating a 1983 H 27 with a lot of original equipment, including the stuffing box. There is almost no room between the packing nut and the coupling. Would it be easier to move the engine forward, or dig a hole and drop the rudder our to move the prop shaft? Any suggestions??

 

[Ed Schenck]

Shaft removal.

I think you should be able to remove the shaft without removing the rudder. If you are refitting you will want to rebed the cutlass bearing strut. Remove the strut after you have the shaft loose from the tranny. With the prop off you should have enough wiggle room for rudder clearance. When you reinstall put a heavy backing plate behind the nuts and washers. And, of course, replace the bearing while it's apart.Can't help with the PYI. I am not a fan of that technology. I have just finished my second season with "Drip-Less Packing" from West Marine with no adjustments and no drips. See Link.

 

[Keith McClellan]

Did mine and here's what I suggest...

Chuck, I'd venture the guess that since your boat is an '83, the motor mounts are in need of replacement. They were on my '77 H 27. Thus, I removed the lag screws holding the mounts into the stringers, blocked the engine with 2x4's (three nailed together, to keep the engine from resting on the oil pan), tacked the motor mounts in place and slid the entire engine forward. The stringers had a small amount of rot, so I drilled and filled with epoxy.Of course, the bolts at the couplers were hopelessy rusted, so I had to use a Dremmel tool to cut them. Its worth the investment of a Dremmel to avoid the aggravation of trying to remove the old bolts. You may end up having to cut the shaft to remove the aft coupler. Since the shaft had dropped into the stern tube and was scored, it was an easy decision to cut it - I had to buy a replacement anyway.With the engine sitting forward on the cabin sole, its a fairly easy job to pull the shaft foreward (although removing the prop was difficult). It also makes for very easy access to the stern tube (which I also had to replace) for installing the seal and bellows.I also installed a flexible coupler, which I also bought from the PYI folks. This necessitated having my brand new shaft cut by more than an inch and having a new key slot milled. With the shaft out, its also a good idea to replace the cutlass bearing. I looked hard but could only find one inch longer than the shaft strut (found it at Fawcetts), so be prepared to cut it with a hacksaw. With the shaft back in place, I slide the engine back (having installed new motor mounts while it was on the cabin sole) and adjusted the engine - shaft alignment. Then I marked where to drill the engine mount holes, slid the engine forward again, drilled, then slid it back. Next, the lag screws were installed holding the mounts, the new bolts placed in the coupler and that was it.... time for a beer (several, actually) Bottom line on what I learned? MUSHROOM FACTOR! I wanted a dripless seal, but ended up replacing a whole lot more. But, it needed it and it works with no vibration and no drips....My boat is across the bay from yours, so if you want to see what I did, email me at tsiklm@ceinetworks.com. Good luck, KM

 

[Matt]

1983 H27 shaft seal

I replaced the entire seal packing last year on my 1983 H27. In order to remove the shaft, I felt it was easier to pull the engine than drop the rudder. It also allowed me to clean an area that hadn't been touched in years! I was going to replace the packing with a dripless, but Teflon packing has worked very well this last season. It was only $7.00 from West Marine. I also installed a new rubber extention on the seal unit. I can email you photos if you want, contact me at malagna@voyager.netIt was a long winter project, but my bilges were much dryer this season.