How to grease the prop shaft ?

[wantacruise]

I have owned this boat about two years and the prop shaft has not been greased and I just noticed it's squeaking a little when I turn the propeller shaft does that mean I am way overdue for greasing the shaft?
How do I do that do I disconnect it at the transmission and slide it out?
I'm a real newbie on this.
I am kind of concerned I'm gonna disturb the seal on the stuffing box.
Please help !
Gary

[a64pilot]

I have never heard of greasing a shaft, unless you have something unusual.
Some stuffing boxes could be greased but they aren’t common at all.

[sanibel sailor]

More info. Where is squeak? What kind of boat and propulsion system is important.

Standard arrangement is a "cutlass bearing". This is a grooved rubber lined tube made of brass. The grooves allow water to cool and lubricate the shaft. It may squeak harmlessly if out of the water. The stuffing box keeps water out of the boat. The packing in the stuffing box does have some grease embedded in it. It that is squeaking it is probably too tight or needs the packing replaced.

[Andreas W]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I have never heard of greasing a shaft, unless you have something unusual.
Some stuffing boxes could be greased but they aren’t common at all.

I have so far only seen them on small commercial crafts. And that was like 30 years ago.

Stern glands – Cox Engineering

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Andreas W

I have so far only seen them on small commercial crafts. And that was like 30 years ago.

Stern glands – Cox Engineering

They were common in the Panhandle of Fl on shrimp boats in the 70’s.
I believe also most had white metal cutless bearing too, and as long as they were kept greased they lasted pretty much indefinitely.
I don’t know if a modern “rubber” Cutless would last with grease?

[Andreas W]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

They were common in the Panhandle of Fl on shrimp boats in the 70’s.
I believe also most had white metal cutless bearing too, and as long as they were kept greased they lasted pretty much indefinitely.
I don’t know if a modern “rubber” Cutless would last with grease?

The modern cutlass bearings are designed for water lubrication, so I don't think grease is of much use there. My favourite material is Vesconite. It has a very low friction with water lubrication, and practically no swell unlike some hard-nylon based materials.

[jannw]

Does it have a grease nipple? squirt some grease in (with a grease gun). No grease nipple, it's probably not requiring it by design.

[parkstone bay]

At the risk of being seriously pedantic, the bearing often used on yacht propeller shafts is a "cutless" bearing - not a "cutlass" bearing. Reason: the rubber section is a tube (without a cut - because some types of bearing/glands, or more specifically the packing material, IS cut). It ain't a "cutlass" bearing, (like a sword). End of rant.

[gamayun]

Originally Posted by parkstone bay

At the risk of being seriously pedantic, the bearing often used on yacht propeller shafts is a "cutless" bearing - not a "cutlass" bearing. Reason: the rubber section is a tube (without a cut - because some types of bearing/glands, or more specifically the packing material, IS cut). It ain't a "cutlass" bearing, (like a sword). End of rant.

Are you sure about this (the spelling rather than the bearing often being without a cut)? I can find no references to a "cutless bearing" and spell checker doesn't accept the word either. If I recall, the cutlass bearing on my boat had grooves running vertical in the direction of the shaft. Isn't this the norm?

[sanibel sailor]

manufacturer thinks it is spelled cutless
spellchecker sure does not.

[tkeithlu]

Cutless - trade name for Johnson water-lubricated bearings
Cutlass - a type of curved sword.

[Lepke]

Waterproof grease helps older style packing prevent drips. All of my boats have had a greaseable shaft seal. It's common in big boats. Grease is deposited at or near the water side of the packing. Water pressure keeps it against the packing and any leak draws the grease into the packing. The benefit is the packing can be looser, causes less wear on the shaft, and robs less engine hp.

[parkstone bay]

Originally Posted by gamayun

Are you sure about this (the spelling rather than the bearing often being without a cut)? I can find no references to a "cutless bearing" and spell checker doesn't accept the word either. If I recall, the cutlass bearing on my boat had grooves running vertical in the direction of the shaft. Isn't this the norm?

Yes it has moulded in grooves, as you say in the line of the shaft; but it is "cutless", because, as compared with some other types, (e.g traditional gland packing), the rubber bit is not cut, it's moulded to size. There are many words that spellchecker doesn't like, especially technical terms; but it all depends upon who's input the original words (e.g. in the UK, the person who lives in the next house in the street is one's "neighbour", but the Cousins refer to one's "neighbor").

[Library70]

The stuffing boxes in my old SeaRay 390 leaked badly. Even after repacking it didn't take long for them to start leaking badly. The local propshop told me to back off the packing nut and put some marine grease on the packing, it will work it's way down the shaft. I did it once every 100 hours running time. I ran that boat for six more years and never had a problem with the stuffing boxes, they dripped when the shaft was turning and we're dry when it wasn't.

[Clivevon]

Greasing the (packing in the) stuffing box: often there would be a tube from a Special type of grease gun mounted in a cockpit locker down to the stuffing box to make it easy to keep it greased. You turn the handle on the greAse gun every so often until you cant turn it any more, which forces grease down the tube into the packing inside the stuffing box. When the grease gun Eventually is empty you refill it . Have you got something like that on your boat. Is there a tube coming from the top of the stuffing box?