Having heard the many recommendations to change the conventional packing gland to PSS, and looking at the design - I did it. So far so good -BUT? I have been around carbon graphite composite bearings over the years and they do go POOF, most failures I have seen is a large face flake off or actual disintegration and separation. As we know this could be a bad thing. So I have given some thought as to what emergency procedures I might plan for in the event of such a failure (which of course will be at night in weather). Besides carrying a roll of 5/8 packing and hoping I could improvise something. I have considered a split brass hub with a close fitting polyurethane ID bearing surface that could be inserted into the Hypalon Bellows - Just to get Home Sort of Thing. Has anyone had any experience with the Graphite Failing or has anyone improvised a procedure to facilitate correction of a failure of this nature. Terry S/Vstardust H 30
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I never had my PSS Shaft Seal physically fail
I loved my PSS, but I did have another problem. After 6 years on my old Watkins 27 (with an old Yanmar 2QM15) I got to the point where I almost forgot about the PSS Shaft Seal. Then one day my girlfreind was on the boat (with her 2 kid's) and we were motoring when she asked " Honey, is water supposed to be coming over this thing where the engine is?" Oh oh !?! The feeling all sailors dread....water in the main salon coming from who knows where an hour or two from a marina. After turning on the Bilge pump and checking all the thruhulls I couldn't figure out where. Then I thought....'where is the only other hole in the boat' You guessed it. It was coming from the PSS Shaft Seal.... but nothing broke mind you. What happened was the the stainless donut,( with the set screws, that is supposed to stay down against "bellows" with the graphite piece), Well that stainless donut "wiggled free" and worked its way up the shaft alowing water to come in......Remedy - push it back down on the graphite piece and re-secure set screws. Problem solved. In retrospect I probably should have put a worm screw clamp on the shaft on the other side of the Stainless donut to make sure that wouldn't work its way free. But I am not really worried about actual "failure" of the graphite piece anymore than I am that the Rubber Bellows would crack open and spring a leak. Plus the shaft speed on a sailboat is much slower than on motor boats and these are basically the same material used on them, which I am unaware of any major problems... Who knows
I loved my PSS, but I did have another problem. After 6 years on my old Watkins 27 (with an old Yanmar 2QM15) I got to the point where I almost forgot about the PSS Shaft Seal. Then one day my girlfreind was on the boat (with her 2 kid's) and we were motoring when she asked " Honey, is water supposed to be coming over this thing where the engine is?" Oh oh !?! The feeling all sailors dread....water in the main salon coming from who knows where an hour or two from a marina. After turning on the Bilge pump and checking all the thruhulls I couldn't figure out where. Then I thought....'where is the only other hole in the boat' You guessed it. It was coming from the PSS Shaft Seal.... but nothing broke mind you. What happened was the the stainless donut,( with the set screws, that is supposed to stay down against "bellows" with the graphite piece), Well that stainless donut "wiggled free" and worked its way up the shaft alowing water to come in......Remedy - push it back down on the graphite piece and re-secure set screws. Problem solved. In retrospect I probably should have put a worm screw clamp on the shaft on the other side of the Stainless donut to make sure that wouldn't work its way free. But I am not really worried about actual "failure" of the graphite piece anymore than I am that the Rubber Bellows would crack open and spring a leak. Plus the shaft speed on a sailboat is much slower than on motor boats and these are basically the same material used on them, which I am unaware of any major problems... Who knows
Standard Bellows Adjustment
Over time the pressure of the bellows on the doughnut will gradually decrease and initially some drips of water will be noticed underneath the doughnut. The ocassional drip will become more frequent. The fix, after checking the clamps for tightness, is to loosen the doughnut and move it aft putting more compression on the bellows. It took several years for my PSS to get to this point. We've had our PSS shaft seal for 13 years now with no problem other than that mentioned above. Your question is interesting so one might consider asking PYI.
Over time the pressure of the bellows on the doughnut will gradually decrease and initially some drips of water will be noticed underneath the doughnut. The ocassional drip will become more frequent. The fix, after checking the clamps for tightness, is to loosen the doughnut and move it aft putting more compression on the bellows. It took several years for my PSS to get to this point. We've had our PSS shaft seal for 13 years now with no problem other than that mentioned above. Your question is interesting so one might consider asking PYI.
PSS and Winter
Curious to know how the PSS holds up in a freezing climate? Arethe bellows full of water and if so can a boat be left in the water without heating the boat during the winter?
Curious to know how the PSS holds up in a freezing climate? Arethe bellows full of water and if so can a boat be left in the water without heating the boat during the winter?
No problems with mine after 5 years, but..
.. I did see one( the first such one ever saw or heard of) at a dealer office ,whose bellows had a 2 inch crack , on a new 38 footer, after only 2-3 months of running..I didn't speak with the owner, so I don;t know how it happened , but in these circumstamces I would suspect the instalation , or 'foreign' object involved. But frankly , I have also an unaessy feeling regarding the emergency procedure and possible catastrofic results of such a failure ,( and I plan next time 'on ground' at unit 6 years old , to replace the bellows and the graphit unit, just for my good feeling..) IF aware on time , I would stop the engine , tape everything around well with a wide heavy duty marine tape , and return on wind power. However , while absent at dock , I am not sure for how long the automatic bildge pump standardly supplied will hold..
.. I did see one( the first such one ever saw or heard of) at a dealer office ,whose bellows had a 2 inch crack , on a new 38 footer, after only 2-3 months of running..I didn't speak with the owner, so I don;t know how it happened , but in these circumstamces I would suspect the instalation , or 'foreign' object involved. But frankly , I have also an unaessy feeling regarding the emergency procedure and possible catastrofic results of such a failure ,( and I plan next time 'on ground' at unit 6 years old , to replace the bellows and the graphit unit, just for my good feeling..) IF aware on time , I would stop the engine , tape everything around well with a wide heavy duty marine tape , and return on wind power. However , while absent at dock , I am not sure for how long the automatic bildge pump standardly supplied will hold..
Keep everything in the area well secured
A year or two ago a horror story was posted on the Catalina-lists about a PSS problem. The harmless looking engine compartment/bilge blower duct hose wrapped itself around the spinning transmission flange and the wire inside it tore up the PSS and almost sunk the boat. My answer to the "what if" would be Duct/Duck tape. I allways carry at least 1 full roll and I think it sticks to wet surfaces about as well as anything and is wide enough to cover a lot of area quickly. Stan "Christy Leigh" c320 #656
A year or two ago a horror story was posted on the Catalina-lists about a PSS problem. The harmless looking engine compartment/bilge blower duct hose wrapped itself around the spinning transmission flange and the wire inside it tore up the PSS and almost sunk the boat. My answer to the "what if" would be Duct/Duck tape. I allways carry at least 1 full roll and I think it sticks to wet surfaces about as well as anything and is wide enough to cover a lot of area quickly. Stan "Christy Leigh" c320 #656
Only maintenance
According to PYI, the only thing you have to do is 'burp' it when the boat goes in the water at the beginning of the season. Gets any air pockets out. Pepto Bismol will also work
According to PYI, the only thing you have to do is 'burp' it when the boat goes in the water at the beginning of the season. Gets any air pockets out. Pepto Bismol will also work
Bag It!
We installed the PSS on our boat (1989 Hunter 33.5) while it was in the water by diving below and stuffing a plastic garbage bag around the propeller shaft. I stayed below to manage the bag, while the experienced installer did his stuff inside the boat. At the time, this didn't seem so risky as it does in hind sight. However, the bag needed very little attention once it was stuffed around the shaft. In an emergency this method might save the boat. I don't think diving gear would be necessary for a good swimmer to get the bag around the shaft. The water pretty much pushes the bag against the opening and creates a seal adequate for installation of a new bellows. I wouldn't want to plan on this method's success, especially in any kind of heavy weather or chop; but, I know it has a chance to work. I am going to the boat show in Annapolis and I will ask those good fellows from PYI what they recommend. I guess an extra bellows might not be a bad idea for any extended cruise. Ron s/v Counterpoint
We installed the PSS on our boat (1989 Hunter 33.5) while it was in the water by diving below and stuffing a plastic garbage bag around the propeller shaft. I stayed below to manage the bag, while the experienced installer did his stuff inside the boat. At the time, this didn't seem so risky as it does in hind sight. However, the bag needed very little attention once it was stuffed around the shaft. In an emergency this method might save the boat. I don't think diving gear would be necessary for a good swimmer to get the bag around the shaft. The water pretty much pushes the bag against the opening and creates a seal adequate for installation of a new bellows. I wouldn't want to plan on this method's success, especially in any kind of heavy weather or chop; but, I know it has a chance to work. I am going to the boat show in Annapolis and I will ask those good fellows from PYI what they recommend. I guess an extra bellows might not be a bad idea for any extended cruise. Ron s/v Counterpoint
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