Help with leaking prop shaft seal

[DIJ]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

Actally I did, That is Lasdrops advice.

Your comment about single use Allen set screws was a response to jkishel but his message made that point clear if read in full.

[MicHughV]

Well, I've never tried this, but I've heard it works.

You get a plastic straw and fill it with waterproof grease, then pinch the ends of the straw flat and insert under the front face of the seal, between shaft and seal and squeeze the grease out.

I have a spare shaft seal, so have been able to see how it's built and it certainly looks doable to me.

[MicHughV]

I should have looked at the photo better, I see it is a PSS shaft seal. Probably just needs a good clean, as it wouldn't take but a minuscule bit of debris to cause a problem.

My Beneteau also has a shaft seal, but it is not a PSS seal, hence my early recommendation.

[Jerry Woodward]

Thanks for all the advice. I don't think it is a PSS seal: at least it doesn't look like the picture. The blue flex hose is not a bellows. Regardless, it was on the boat when I bought it in 2017 and I don't know how old it is. As a previous poster said, this could sink the boat so I am thinking of just replacing the entire seal when I haul out. Actually, I will need 2 of them; cats are double the fun

Any advice on the best seal to get? Is PSS considered top of the line?

[Rumrace]

Bummer. Sounds like the manufacturer took a short lived shortcut. Hope you get it fixed soon.

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by Jerry Woodward

Thanks for all the advice. I don't think it is a PSS seal: at least it doesn't look like the picture. The blue flex hose is not a bellows. Regardless, it was on the boat when I bought it in 2017 and I don't know how old it is. As a previous poster said, this could sink the boat so I am thinking of just replacing the entire seal when I haul out. Actually, I will need 2 of them; cats are double the fun

Any advice on the best seal to get? Is PSS considered top of the line?

The blue silicone hose indicates it is a Lasdrop unit. I believe they are superior to other brands. If you call Lasdrop, you talk to the owner.

[David Mathis]

A couple years ago one of my seals did the same. I put a folded sheet of very fine wet or dry sandpaper (400-600?) between the seal and ring then rotated it around the shaft a few times to remove any fine debris or minor imperfections. The seal was then pulled back for a second or two to give a quick flush. The process took only a few minutes and is still leak free. It's worth a try.

[grg0282]

That’s a Tides Marine seal.

[reflectionsv37]

Originally Posted by grg0282

That’s a Tides Marine seal.

I also think that's a Tides Marine seal. The Tides doesn't use a compression close friction pressure plate to seal out the water They use lip seals around the shaft. A little hard to make out from the photo, but the large dark ring closest to the water injection actually contains the seal. The smaller one near the transmission is just a storage device that holds a a spare lip seal so you can replace the primary one in the larger ring without having to remove the shaft. I believe the front cover on the large ring is split. You can remove both halves exposing the ring, slip the lip seal back, cut it off then slide the spare into place and replace the cover plates. Easy install of a new lip seal.

I believe the Lasdrop also uses lip seals. In my opinion, these seals are far superior to the PSS.

All that said, I guess the leak is coming from the hose. You need the proper size hose clamp to get a hose that small to seal properly and they can be a bit difficult to find.

And after you get this problem solved, you better add replacing your severely rusted motor mounts replaced. The one you can see in the photo looks bad.

[reflectionsv37]

Photo of Tides Marine shaft seal. You can see photo of spare seal holder on their site.

[reflectionsv37]

I think this photo is your model. And another photo of the spare holder. A new seal can be installed in the water.

[Nate24]

I agree. It is a Tides Marine Seal. Replaced two just like it a while back. as the previous poster stated, you may have a spare in front of it on the shaft. Sometimes the seal gets debris in it, typically from a hard reverse situation. I would suggest researching on the Tides Marine web site.

If you have the spare, I would replace the seal first. Get the directions off of the web site. You want to make sure the shaft is cleaned thoroughly before sliding the replacement back. My guy didn't do that, and it had to be re-done. You will want to closely inspect the blue jacket. Look for cracks and wear on it. If that is bad, the replacement seal may work, but you still have an issue that could be a major issue. If you do replace the entire system, put new spares on for later replacement.

If the replacement seal works, great. You have saved yourself a haulout. If you do haul out, check your cutlass bearings and the alignment of the engine, tranny, shaft, and stern tube. Sometimes, the shaft seal leaks due to out of alignment issues. Another area to check is the raw water tube that is seen in your picture. I would take that off and check to make sure there is nothing blocking the end of it. If you arent getting enough water, the shaft seal will overheat.

There are videos on line showing one being replaced. Here is one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0xqKAniaXA

[Jerry Woodward]

Thanks everyone! Yes, I confirmed that it is a Tides seal. As I said before, I will be replacing both seals at haul out as well as motor mounts.

I am leaning toward Lasdrop right now.