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Old 27-04-2010, 15:26   #1
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Am Slowly Sinking!

my 37' sloop in SF Bay has 'trickle' leak in the prop shaft's rubber bellows.

I bought FLEX SET epoxy, by MARINE TEX ($27 for a couple inches).

The shaft/engine don't run - I use an outboard for marina power.

It's a tricky repair because the surface is wet and and is composed of rubber and s.s. hose clamps.

I can't afford a haul out and PSS shaft seals right now - any advice on glue, etc ? thanks!!!.
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Old 27-04-2010, 16:19   #2
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my 37' sloop in SF Bay has 'trickle' leak in the prop shaft's rubber bellows.

I bought FLEX SET epoxy, by MARINE TEX ($27 for a couple inches).

The shaft/engine don't run - I use an outboard for marina power.

It's a tricky repair because the surface is wet and and is composed of rubber and s.s. hose clamps.

I can't afford a haul out and PSS shaft seals right now - any advice on glue, etc ? thanks!!!.

5200 adheres to wet stuff. It can even be used underwater.
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Old 27-04-2010, 16:32   #3
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ouch, don't use 5200. You want a fix that can be reversed when your fortune changes. 4200 should work, then wrap the bellows with 3 or 4 wraps of heavy plastic and tie in place. That should at least slow the leak so you can easily pump the water out with a hand pump.
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Old 27-04-2010, 16:46   #4
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ouch, don't use 5200. You want a fix that can be reversed when your fortune changes. 4200 should work, then wrap the bellows with 3 or 4 wraps of heavy plastic and tie in place. That should at least slow the leak so you can easily pump the water out with a hand pump.
If he's to the point that he's smearing adhesive on the bellows, I'm pretty sure that he's going to want to get new bellows when his fortune changes. So 4200 or 5200, whatever. As long as it stick to wet stuff. I know 5200 does. I guess you know that 4200 does. How can it possibly make a difference? Sheesh.
Besides, 5200 is not as permanent as so many people make it out to be.
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Old 27-04-2010, 16:54   #5
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Sounds like a good job for that rescue tape they sell at the boat shows. I've used it to seal pipes that come in through foundation walls, pvc pipe joints and hose to metal fittings with 100% success. You can get it online for a lot cheaper than they charge at the boat show. Don't have a link, you'll have to do a search.
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Old 27-04-2010, 17:14   #6
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why don't you go over the side and rap butyl tape around it and force it into cutlass if full keel or into shaft hole then you can fix it with a new bellows and be done with it
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Old 27-04-2010, 17:17   #7
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John, I bet you are right. I have some stuff that I removed from a mast recently that must be what you are talking about. It's a rubbery tape stuff that sticks like heck to itself. Sort of like butyl rubber or something.
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Old 27-04-2010, 17:31   #8
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Go back to stuffing box!

Once you solve your problem go back to a regular stuffing box.
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Old 27-04-2010, 18:08   #9
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5200 adheres to wet stuff. It can even be used underwater.
Once I was making a temp fix to a leaking through hull valve with 5200. It was not stopping the leak, the water kept trickling through the layer of 5200. Kept sculpting the white stuff with my fingers until it got tucky enough so the leak stopped. Took me half a day or so.
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Old 27-04-2010, 18:13   #10
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5200 from the outside?
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Old 27-04-2010, 23:14   #11
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It might be cheaper and safer to haul the boat out of the water, and dry land store it until you can make the repair.
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Old 28-04-2010, 00:24   #12
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We simply used concrete to 'treat' any leaks (like in the sea water chest or cast iron valves, and even a circulation pump which we really needed) in the engine room. Concrete hardens when wet and can be removed later. What you do is built a wooden chest around the leaky area and pour, thats all.
At the next haul out concrete was removed and proper fix was made.
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Old 28-04-2010, 01:17   #13
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John, I bet you are right. I have some stuff that I removed from a mast recently that must be what you are talking about. It's a rubbery tape stuff that sticks like heck to itself. Sort of like butyl rubber or something.
We call it Self amalgamating tape - should do the job.
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Old 28-04-2010, 04:35   #14
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We call it Self amalgamating tape - should do the job.

I use self amalgamating tape on rigging all the time, but the stuff I think John is referring to is something different. The stuff I'm thinking of is a lot stickier than the rigging tape. It just has to barely touch itself to stick.
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Old 28-04-2010, 04:40   #15
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Once I was making a temp fix to a leaking through hull valve with 5200. It was not stopping the leak, the water kept trickling through the layer of 5200. Kept sculpting the white stuff with my fingers until it got tucky enough so the leak stopped. Took me half a day or so.
It depends a lot on how big the leak is.
I would probably put a big glob on the leak and then wrap the bellows with something to hold the stuff in place.
In your case, trying to stop a leaking sea cock, you probably didn't have that option.
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