Stuffing Box Beneteau 323 Oceanics Clipper.

[Flammpz]

Hi all,
This is the photo of my stuffing box. As you can see it has a pipe to a seacock that I guess it is for cooling the stuffing box...but I have not idea.
So questions are: What is this pipe for? should the seacocks be always open?

Maintenance of the stuffing box: I have read that when I put the boat on the water (righ now is haul out) i need to press this stuffing plastic/rubber thing to get the air out.
Can you explain me how I should do this? another thing I have read is that I should put grease on it...I guess it sould be between the shaft and the rubber. Can you comment on this?

 

[Davidasailor26]

What you have is a Volvo dripless shaft seal, not technically a stuffing box. You’ll want to make sure the seacock is open any time the shaft spins (motoring or sailing), but it’s probably best to close it when you leave the boat, as the connection of the hose to the shaft log is a bit of a weak point.

After the boat is launched, to “burp” the air out of the seal you just grip the side of the seal closest to the engine and squeeze it into a bit of an oval. Air will be pushed out, then a bit of water, then you let go and you’re done.

You should also lubricate the seal once a year or so. I usually do that in the early spring before launch. Volvo makes a grease for this. Squeeze a couple pea size amounts of grease into a straw, pinch the end of the straw, insert the end under the lip of the seal, and squeeze the grease from the straw into the seal.

 

[Flammpz]

Ok perfect, understood now, thank you very much.
If it is a dripless seal in contrast to tradicionatl stuffing box, then I undertand that it should not leak a single drop...so if there is a bit of water should it be changed?.

In the photo, you can see water, but it is not from the seal. It is from when the yard winterize the engine.

 

[Davidasailor26]

Yeah, it really shouldn’t drip. Ours has 6 seasons and about 350 hours and has never dripped. They don’t last forever so it’s possible yours is worn and due for replacement. I’ve also read that if they get debris under the seal they may drip a little until it flushed out. If the boat is hauled anyway and you don’t know the age of the seal it might be best to replace. Only problem is that replacement requires that the shaft be separated from the coupling, which is not always easy.

 

[NYSail]

Before you think about changing it I would splash next season, burp the seal and then add the grease and see what happens. These shaft seals are pretty good in my opinion and a little service goes a long way. Also, just remember only put a little grease as too much can clog the cutlass bearing and restrict water flow.
Enjoy!

 

[Ron20324]

I have 13 years on my 2006 boat, and the seal still works as it should. The water comes in from the small hose then goes through the seal and out some (6?) grooves in the cuttlass bearing. This cools AND lubes the cuttlass bearing. Once in a while I get water under the stuffing box, but it comes from elsewhere-usually. To bleed the box, I can squeeze the tapered sides and/or push in from the front of the box.

On my 2006 B323, that thru-hull is farther forward, and the 2nd OEM battery is there. I placed a third size 31 battery to the right, on the stbd side of the vent hose you see. This site has SYNTEF, but does not say if it is for fiber and/or rubber use. I have the Volvo brand lube.

 

[Gerard56]

On the picture there is a small orange plastic tool which is supplied by Volvo with the shaft seal. It is especially made to inject grease under the rubber seal. You insert the rim of this plastic cylinder under the seal and you inject the grease on the opening. Then you turn the tool half a turn and you repeat the operation. Then take out the plastic tool and it's OK for a year.
Be very careful not to use a screwdriver or other metal objet to lift the rubber seal. If to damage it you will have to change it.

Gerard

 

[Gerard56]

Here is the small plastic tool I was talking above. It can even stay on the shaft.

Gerard

 

[DougM]

Here is the small palstic tool I was taking above. It can stay even stay on the shaft.

Looks like something that could be cobbled up from the plastic cap that sometimes comes on the end of a piece of threaded pipe.... cost nada.

View attachment 172835

Gerard

 

[BrianRobin]

On the picture there is a small orange plastic tool which is supplied by Volvo with the shaft seal. It is especially made to inject grease under the rubber seal. You insert the rim of this plastic cylinder under the seal and you inject the grease on the opening. Then you turn the tool half a turn and you repeat the operation. Then take out the plastic tool and it's OK for a year.
Be very careful not to use a screwdriver or other metal objet to lift the rubber seal. If to damage it you will have to change it.

Gerard

That's good info! Never knew that, I had one on my boat,in the same place as the picture, (now changed over to a PSS)

 

[Flammpz]

Hi all, thank you all for the info.
I was actually thinking to use the orange plastic fitting for greasing, as originally i think it comes with the volvo rubber to facilitate the installation through the shaft.
I am now a bit worry for the inlet in the cutlass...it seems a weak point. If at some point I install a PSS shaft seal, what should I do with this inlet in the cutlass? and will the water also cool the cutlass bearing as it does now?

 

[Mechone]

Actually the orange tool is used to install the dripless without it you cannot get it onto the shaft ,it pushes the 2 lips up and protects them from ripping, however it can help get grease in. A plastic straw with some Volvo grease in it flattened out goes right in and injects the grease.Only use Volvo grease other greases can harden the rubber and cause a leak, also if it starts to leak you can temporary put a s/s screw clamp around it and apply a little pressure ,my buddy had this for 2 years before changing out

 

[sirocovzla]

Yeah, it really shouldn’t drip. Ours has 6 seasons and about 350 hours and has never dripped. They don’t last forever so it’s possible yours is worn and due for replacement. I’ve also read that if they get debris under the seal they may drip a little until it flushed out. If the boat is hauled anyway and you don’t know the age of the seal it might be best to replace. Only problem is that replacement requires that the shaft be separated from the coupling, which is not always easy.

What you have is a Volvo dripless shaft seal, not technically a stuffing box. You’ll want to make sure the seacock is open any time the shaft spins (motoring or sailing), but it’s probably best to close it when you leave the boat, as the connection of the hose to the shaft log is a bit of a weak point.

After the boat is launched, to “burp” the air out of the seal you just grip the side of the seal closest to the engine and squeeze it into a bit of an oval. Air will be pushed out, then a bit of water, then you let go and you’re done.

You should also lubricate the seal once a year or so. I usually do that in the early spring before launch. Volvo makes a grease for this. Squeeze a couple pea size amounts of grease into a straw, pinch the end of the straw, insert the end under the lip of the seal, and squeeze the grease from the straw into the seal.

Hello I have a Beneteau 352 1994 with a Perkins M30, I need to repair the stuffing box seal since is leaking. Question: It is the same as the volvo, the diameter of the shaft??