PSS Shaft Seal Installation

[Nodak7]

OK I probably need to apologize but I did a search on this subject and found nothing that matches my particular questions so here goes.....

I will be installing a new PSS shaft seal on my boat this week. Have checked it out and found that there is not enough room under the sole plate to have the vent line go straight up. I believe that the best I can do is cocking it off to the port or starboard (say in the 1 o'clock or 11 o'clock) position. By doing this though I believe that I could be potentially leaving an air pocket in the seal. I am not terribly certain about this since a friend of mine has an old PSS that has no vent at all. Given the rpm of our boats I see no way it could overheat the seal. Any thoughts regarding this?

Second question is removing the coupling half from the shaft to install the PSS. Awhile back I saw a method on the net were they put a socket on the shaft/coupling half and pulled the opposite half off by tightening on bolts. I thought it was in the PSS instructions but I cannot find it. Has anyone done this or have another ideas?

Thanks for your help and suggestions.

 

[Bob 04 H260]

Nodak, they have the instructions posted here,
http://www.shaftseal.com/about/installation_instructions

Our boat came with the seal installed so I can not offer any advice on how it is done. Ours is the older variety without the vent hose. It seems to work well.

Bob

 

[jsalley]

Maine Sail has a tutorial on removing the coupling that way; just be advised that you can potentially bend or break the transmission output flange if the coupling is frozen on tight. I used a purpose-made puller (Buck-Algonquin, about $35) on mine. Unless you have a Cutless bearing in a skeg (i.e. no external shaft strut), the routing of the vent line isn't really important.

 

[Marc14857]

PSS Shaft Seal

The Pss vent on my H 44 is not exactly vertical but I have not had any problems over 6 years in service. Don't forget to secure the blower hose if necessary which on the H44 runs close to the PSS seal to preclude the hose from catching the seal and potentially destroying the rubber boot. Also it's not a bad idea to install either a hose clamp or a zinc on the shaft about 1/8 inch behind the stainless face. This serves two purposes, if the stainless face were to slip the clamp or seal would preclude the seal from slipping to far back and losing all of the compression of the rubber boot. Also it would allow you to periodically check the gap to ensure the seal was not loose

 

[artboas]

Do not use the socket wrench trick

OK I probably need to apologize but I did a search on this subject and found nothing that matches my particular questions so here goes.....

I will be installing a new PSS shaft seal on my boat this week. Have checked it out and found that there is not enough room under the sole plate to have the vent line go straight up. I believe that the best I can do is cocking it off to the port or starboard (say in the 1 o'clock or 11 o'clock) position. By doing this though I believe that I could be potentially leaving an air pocket in the seal. I am not terribly certain about this since a friend of mine has an old PSS that has no vent at all. Given the rpm of our boats I see no way it could overheat the seal. Any thoughts regarding this?

Second question is removing the coupling half from the shaft to install the PSS. Awhile back I saw a method on the net were they put a socket on the shaft/coupling half and pulled the opposite half off by tightening on bolts. I thought it was in the PSS instructions but I cannot find it. Has anyone done this or have another ideas?

Thanks for your help and suggestions.

The couplings are cast. If it is at all stiff, you risk cracking or breaking it.
Use a proper pulling tool.

 

[gfrazzle]

Nodak,

I put one on my boat a couple of years ago. I angled the hose nipple enough to clear the floor and ran the hose forward to the starboard side of the engine compartment and attached a collection container inside the compartment above the water line. I used a bike water bottle/ mount- easy to release to empty when required.

Works well- no issues (except for the shaft collar removal which is another story! Follow Mainsail's advice and you won't have a problem).

My bilge is bone dry.

 

[gfrazzle]

Also,

There isn't a lot of room to work. I would try the socket method first after a dose of PB Blaster but if it doesn't come off easily, you'll have to use a puller as artboas suggests.

Just make sure the socket spacer is small enough to fit inside the collar.(Don't ask me how I know). A 1 1/8" socket will not fit inside a 1 1/4" shaft collar! You should also pull the prop shaft and have a machinist turn the shaft/ match a new collar. Tolerances are critical.

 

[Nodak7]

Also,

There isn't a lot of room to work. I would try the socket method first after a dose of PB Blaster but if it doesn't come off easily, you'll have to use a puller as artboas suggests.

Just make sure the socket spacer is small enough to fit inside the collar.(Don't ask me how I know). A 1 1/8" socket will not fit inside a 1 1/4" shaft collar! You should also pull the prop shaft and have a machinist turn the shaft/ match a new collar. Tolerances are critical.

gf.... thanks for your information especially since we both have the same boat and you know what I am up against! One question. From what I think you are saying your coupling did not come off the shaft easily? Your boat is about the same age as mine and I was hoping that it might come off a bit easier. BTW what size socket did fit?

Also have you had to empty your bottle at all? Does it actually "burp" water when put in reverse? I was thinking that a bottle might not be necessary. Do you recommend it?

 

[Nodak7]

Nodak,

I put one on my boat a couple of years ago. I angled the hose nipple enough to clear the floor and ran the hose forward to the starboard side of the engine compartment and attached a collection container inside the compartment above the water line. I used a bike water bottle/ mount- easy to release to empty when required.

Works well- no issues (except for the shaft collar removal which is another story! Follow Mainsail's advice and you won't have a problem).

My bilge is bone dry.

Not to divert from this thread but do you have AC? If so how did you divert the condensate from the bilge? Syphon?

 

[seadaddler]

Water bottle

I have PSS on my 07 H-36 and when it was installed by dealer had the venting hose go into a compartment straight up above my engine and did have clothes get soaked so yes I changed to add a water bottle in my engine compartment and yes I have emptied a few times.
Mainsail has great photo's showing how to change out to PSS.
Nick

 

[Nodak7]

OK can someone guide me to the Maine Sail PSS Tutorial? I see references to it but I cannot find it.

 

[Maine Sail]

OK can someone guide me to the Maine Sail PSS Tutorial? I see references to it but I cannot find it.

I am curious as to why you want to go to all the trouble of this when the newer packings are tremendous. A non-flax synthetic packing and some Syntef grease can do wonders.

Here's the link:

Installing A PSS Seal

 

[robertsapp]

Go to McMaster Carr and order one of their stainless steel shaft collars to use as a backup to the shaft seal. It's $12. You can see it in the attached picture being used as a backup to the seal collar. Also, I didn't think I had the vertical room below the deck plate to route the vent line properly, so I opted to do it like a power boat and plumb the line to the engine raw water discharge. You don't have to worry as much about maintaining an upward angle on the vent line that way. It's overkill, but it doesn't hurt to do it that way, plus I don't have to worry about checking a reservoir periodically.

If it's possible to used some new super-whammerdyne packing material with the existing packing gland and get a truly dripless seal, then that would definitely be the easier way to go. Wouldn't look anywhere near as cool though!

 

[Nodak7]

Go to McMaster Carr and order one of their stainless steel shaft collars to use as a backup to the shaft seal. It's $12. You can see it in the attached picture being used as a backup to the seal collar. Also, I didn't think I had the vertical room below the deck plate to route the vent line properly, so I opted to do it like a power boat and plumb the line to the engine raw water discharge. You don't have to worry as much about maintaining an upward angle on the vent line that way. It's overkill, but it doesn't hurt to do it that way, plus I don't have to worry about checking a reservoir periodically.

If it's possible to used some new super-whammerdyne packing material with the existing packing gland and get a truly dripless seal, then that would definitely be the easier way to go. Wouldn't look anywhere near as cool though!

Robert I already have a shaft collar and plan on installing it when the job is complete. Thanks for the photo your installation looks great!

 

[Nodak7]

I am curious as to why you want to go to all the trouble of this when the newer packings are tremendous. A non-flax synthetic packing and some Syntef grease can do wonders.

Here's the link:

Installing A PSS Seal

Thanks for the link Maine. Yup this is the one I thought it was but I did not see your name on it. I wanted to go this route because I am tired of have water in my bilge especially now since we are moving the boat from a fresh to salt water environment.

 

[gfrazzle]

Nodak,

I do empty the bottle from time to time- depends on how much reverse as to how often.

Just make sure that outside diameter of whatever you use for a spacer to press the collar off is less than 1 1/4" and centered.

 

[Nodak7]

Well the deed is done! Lots of work to get it all in but overall the project went well! :dance:

Thanks all for your input and help! Really appreciate all the comments and suggestions!

 

[Fred7825]

Plug it

In reverse quite a bit of water is squirted out of the vent hose so it should be routed overboard. I didn't like that and talked to tech service at PSS. They assured me that it is perfectly ok to plug the hose at the seal. BUT you must remember to burp the bellows when you launch the boat which we do every Spring in the Midwest .

 

[Nodak7]

In reverse quite a bit of water is squirted out of the vent hose so it should be routed overboard. I didn't like that and talked to tech service at PSS. They assured me that it is perfectly ok to plug the hose at the seal. BUT you must remember to burp the bellows when you launch the boat which we do every Spring in the Midwest .

Thanks Fred and that was how the early designs were made. I routed mine up and into a water bottle in the engine compartment. The picture is really misleading because it looks the hose is horizontal but it is really at an angle (about 10 to 11 o'clock). The install was a concern but went well. Will see how it goes when we splash her.

 

[Nodak7]

In reverse quite a bit of water is squirted out of the vent hose so it should be routed overboard. I didn't like that and talked to tech service at PSS. They assured me that it is perfectly ok to plug the hose at the seal. BUT you must remember to burp the bellows when you launch the boat which we do every Spring in the Midwest .

Fred, I have found the same thing. Whenever I go into reverse I get lots of water in the bottle. Two times out and the bottle was 2/3's full both times when we came back into the slip. The next opportunity I have I plan on plugging the hose into the collection bottle.

However the seal is working great and not a drop in the bilge! Very happy with that part.