Does this stuffing box have anything user serviceable inside?

[hd002e]

Hello,

I am doing some work on my shaft and propeller so had to take the shaft off. This stuffing box was installed about two years ago at a yard far far away. It doesn't look like the typical stuffing box with two brass pieces and two nuts so I am wondering if I need to do anything before I put my shaft in and call it a day.

Sorry I don't have a photo of the stuffing box without the shaft in there.

[captain465]

Looks like some kind of "dripless" packing gland. I am assuming that the hose going to it is for cooling the gland with pressurized water.
Sorry I dont know more about it

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by hd002e

Hello,

I am doing some work on my shaft and propeller so had to take the shaft off. This stuffing box was installed about two years ago at a yard far far away. It doesn't look like the typical stuffing box with two brass pieces and two nuts so I am wondering if I need to do anything before I put my shaft in and call it a day.

Sorry I don't have a photo of the stuffing box without the shaft in there. Attachment 157064

That is a standard Volvo Dipless Shaft Seal which is, essentially, just a "big" lip seal, as used by Beneteau. The only maintenance required is an injection of teflon grease under the lips annually, easily accomplished by squeezing the end of the seal and slipping a flattened straw filled with the grease under the up-raised end. When you launch the yacht, you'll need to "burp" the air out of the seal, again by squeezing the end of the seal together in the same manner.

For more see: https://youtu.be/yPkMGOTWvTM

[Dsanduril]

Pretty sure that is a Volvo-Penta dripless shaft seal (https://www.generalpropeller.com/Volvo-Shaft-Seal). There are a couple of 'o-rings' on the shaft. IIRC Volvo rates them for 500 hours of use. Critical that they are 'burped' on launching, if there is an air pocket at the top they'll burn up. Also supposed to slip some grease in under the lip before use.

I have two of these at the moment, they have been working just fine, but will change out for a more robust design when due.

[Edit] and I see HyLyte types faster than me. [/edit]

[deblen]

That appears to be a Volvo Penta shaft seal / stuffing box.
It is basically a double lip seal that rides on the shaft.
Very trouble free-no adjusting required.
Lube it with a wipe of silicone grease before you slide the shaft thru it.
Mine is at least 12-15 yrs old & still tight,though I believe I read somewhere that they should be replaced every 5-6 yrs.
When it does start leaking it will be a slow weep from the worn lip seal,so you have lots of warning.
They are not known for catastrophic failure AFAIK.
Note:You should "burp" it by stepping lightly on the seal when you launch.Air is trapped in rubber boot at launch & burping lets the air along with a bit of water escape.
It is water lubed in normal use by the water in shaft log.
Google : Volvo Shaft Seal-lots of info on i-net.
Len
https://www.marinepartseurope.com/en...-90-13848.aspx

[DougR]

Yep, it's a Volvo Penta shaft seal. As mentioned it should be burped whenever the vessel is splashed after being out of the water, and it should have about a cm3 of water resistant grease injected under the lip every year or 200 hours of use. Inside of the seal are two lips which function to control water access, but there are no "O" rings.

When the seal is supplied , it comes with a split plastic protector to protect the lips when the shaft is pushed thru the seal. Then the protector is removed to allow the lips to contact the shaft. If you don't have the original protector you might be able to use some thin plastic sleeves such as could be cut from a milk container. In any event make sure the shaft end has no burrs on the end or sharp corners on the key way.

Although simple looking, these seals hold up well with minimum maintenance and will last a long time.

DougR

[Dsanduril]

Much better descriptions than mine, but that's why I put 'o-rings' in quotes, there are two lips that ride on the shaft, and these are the wear surfaces, but they are part of the whole unit so not replaceable as a separate o-ring would be. Volvo does say replace at 500 hours or 5 years.

[JayH]

Originally Posted by Dsanduril

I have two of these at the moment, they have been working just fine, but will change out for a more robust design when due.

I've had the Volvo seals before and they worked fine for me, too. I switched to something more "robust" and it was a bad move. I'm switching back to these at the next haulout.

[hd002e]

Thank you all for your responses!

Some comments mentioned teflon grease or silicon grease. If I do not have access to such things, can I use regular waterproof grease?

[double u]

engine-alignement, so that the shaft is well centered in the shaftlog is essential for the longevity of the seal!

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by hd002e

Thank you all for your responses!

Some comments mentioned teflon grease or silicon grease. If I do not have access to such things, can I use regular waterproof grease?

Yes, we use a soft marine grease and it has been fine for 10 years. Note the comment from Doug R about using the plastic protecting widget so you don't damage the seal lips. Ours lives on a nearby hose so its always to hand.

The other key step is to burp any air out each time you dry out or lift out and occasionally during the year doesn't hurt either.

For once Volvo have produced a superb piece of kit at a sensible price.

Pete

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by hd002e

Thank you all for your responses!

Some comments mentioned teflon grease or silicon grease. If I do not have access to such things, can I use regular waterproof grease?

Note that you should not use a petroleum based grease on the seal. You can find silicon or Teflon grease at most Home Depot, Lowes, or other hardware stores. A small tube of the stuff comes with the seal so you may find it in your spares locker if you've inherited the boat from another owner. On a worst case basis, use a bit of Lanacote.

FWIW...

[NevisDog]

Originally Posted by svHyLyte

Note that you should not use a petroleum based grease on the seal. ...

... and that's because petroleum greases will perish the rubber. (I know very little on this subject but there were lots of warnings about this when I looked at greasing up some seals.)

[4arch]

I don't want to hijack this thread but my boat has the same Volvo shaft seal and the same water supply hose feeding the stern tube (see bottom of the photo). The water supply hose connects to a nearby thru hull and ostensibly supplies water to lubricate and cool the shaft log. This is a pretty common setup on Beneteaus but I've always wondered whether it was strictly necessary. I've asked around but have never gotten a straight answer out of anyone. I've seen the Volvo seal installed on many boats without this feeder hose and I'd really prefer to eliminate it and get rid of the fitting on the stern tube, which has no way to be closed if the hose were to leak.

[deblen]

Originally Posted by NevisDog

... and that's because petroleum greases will perish the rubber. (I know very little on this subject but there were lots of warnings about this when I looked at greasing up some seals.)

I'm kind of surprised that that any shaft seal would be susceptible to petroleum considering it is for use in a bilge. Not arguing-just saying....
Len