Propeller shaft leak

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Steven Clevenger

The rubber tube seal is leaking more that it should be. I've been told that the seal should be burbed after being hauled out, which I have never done. THe boat is a 2001 model. I recently hauled out to paint the bottom and wonder if I should have done something with the seal afterwards. I have tried to squeeze the air out of the seal but it is solid as a rock. Has anyone had a similar problem? Steve Clevenger skclevenger@comcast.net
 
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Tim C350 April IV

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Dec 2, 2003
392
Catalina 350 Seattle
Burping

The "something" that should be done to the seal after haulout/respash has been referred to as "burping" the seal. (Tongue in cheek - since Stu is on vacation, I checked the archives and found the link below). "Burping" seems to come down to (I haven't done it) rolling back the seal a bit to let water pressure push out any air that might be trapped. And it cautions that you will get wet! All that being said, I wouldn't say that a leak seal is a sympton of a seal that needs to be burped. But it is something that should be done. It's possible that the seal just needs to be reseated, although I don't know what would have caused it to shift during haul. You should also check your engine alignement after respashing the boat. Good Luck! Hope you are enjoying the fabulous weather we've been having! Tim Brogan April IV C350 #68 Seattle
 
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Tom Soko

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Jun 3, 2004
71
Catalina 400 MkII Noank, CT
PSS Shaft Seal

Steve, If you have run the engine for any length of time without burping the seal, you may have scored the SS donut or carbon/graphite flange. The shaft seal uses water (after the burping) to lubricate the seal. After each haulout, or after a diver cleans the bottom (his air bubbles get caught in the bellows), the seal NEEDS to be burped. Either way, it should not leak at all. You might want to have the seal checked over if you are not familiar with it. By stuffing a rag around the shaft on the outside of the boat, you can keep the flood to a minimum, without hauling again. I have heard that you can use a 3M pad or 600 grit wet-dry sandpaper to clean up the surface of the SS donut. Not sure about the carbon/graphite flange. I've added a link below to the PYI website. Pretty good explanation. Hope this helps.
 
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