Dripless Shaft Seal for C30

[kavanaughmark]

I am having issues with my 2019 C30 original installed shaft seal (Volvo 435 Engine), doesn’t look like there is a lot of room for something bigger either. Has anyone had success with replacing the installed shaft seal with a dripless shaft seal? Any recommendations? Thanks.

 

[SJI Sailor]

I have heard of dripless being installed on a couple of C30s but our mechanic / yard said it wouldn't fit. We had similar issues with our 2019 and could not appropriately regulate the drip rate. We ended up repacking the traditional box with graphite cord.

That makes a bit of a mess (it can spray a bit of graphite water at times) but has been perfect for 1.5 years with almost no adjustment needed for the drip rate.

 

[rpmerrill]

Plenty of room on my R-27.

 

[kavanaughmark]

Thanks, space appears to be an issue on the C30, still looking to see if someone has had a successful replacement to a drip less seal.

 

[BB marine]

. We ended up repacking the traditional box with graphite cord.

The use of packing is not a bad way to go. If it is adjusted properly you will get well over 1000 hours without having an issue. The problem with it is many boat builders, service technicians and boat owners don't know how to adjust the packing correctly or wait to make adjustments when it is long over do. The rule of thumb is 3 drops a minute when the shaft is turning. With shaft logs found in the Ranger and Cutwater inboard boats there should be no water leaking at the gland when the engine is off. If it is leaking you are well over do for an adjustment. When adjusting the packing nut take it slow. I make no more than 16th of a turn at a time. This would be equivalent to moving the nut from 12 o'clock to 1 o'ckock. That is usually all that is needed. If you take to large of a turn you are reducing the life of the packing. In 650 hours of operation in my C26 I turned the packing nut from 12 o'clock to 3 o'clock so a 1/4 of a turn and had no leakage when the engine was not running and a fine mist when operating at 3200 rpm. To eliminate the mist from coating the engine compartment a installed a shield over the gland. This kept the compartment looking new. gallery2.php?g2_itemId=70780 It snapped into place.

The Graphite cord is good packing. It is used in the refinery industry for valve packing and a variety of pumps that are not utilizing mechanical seals. I have used it and have had good longevity results. The issue with using it in the marine environment is graphite is the most noble element on the galvanic scale. There can be issues with galvanic corrosion on the shaft which could damage the surface and cause it to leak. For this reason it is not normally used by marine repair facilities or certified marine technicians. This is taken from the ABYC recommendations 6.7.4 Graphite impregnated packing material shall not be used because of the possibility of galvanic in compatibility with the shaft material.

I would not dispute that a dripless would be a good option to have installed but there are Pro's and con's to them too. Keep it simple. Install new packing after you get the damages studs removed. start fro scatch and adjust the packing correctly. you will not have to worry about replacing it again for 1000 to 1500 hours.

 

[kavanaughmark]

Thanks, makes a lot of sense and everything you said very useful. I do prefer simple over complicated, and the current packing is a known quanitity and time tested. Was just thinking that if the new studs didnt solve the problem (i.e. there are other majors issues) this winter would be a good time to change over.

 

[ginoc]

I have installed a PYI drip less stuffing box on our C30. Not sure why it is not standard when you have a 60k engine less than a foot away from the stuffing box. I had it done at Gig Harbor Marina a couple years ago. They made a special tool to fit it in, which any mechanic should be able and willing to do. It will cost you around $2000, a lot less expensive than replacing a 60k engine. I have pictures if you want to see them, just haven’t figured out how to attach.

 

[SJI Sailor]

Thanks for the note about the graphite packing, Brian. It was recommended and done by a great shop (CSR) so I believe they would get it right and likely I am misremembering something. But I will check with them to make sure!

Update: they installed this: https://www.duramaxmarine.com/shaft-sea ... acking.htm which is said to be specifically designed for marine applications. I have to say it has been great (don't know about the galvanic issue).

 

[BB marine]

Thanks for the note about the graphite packing, Brian. It was recommended and done by a great shop (CSR) so I believe they would get it right and likely I am misremembering something. But I will check with them to make sure!

Update: they installed this: https://www.duramaxmarine.com/shaft-sea ... acking.htm which is said to be specifically designed for marine applications. I have to say it has been great (don't know about the galvanic issue).

I looked at this product. If it works as well as they advertise it is the stuff to use. It has always been thought as a NO NO to use graphite packing in a boat stuffing box. They have a description stating it will not cause galvanic corrosion.

"Unmatched high performance in both salt water or fresh water environments.
Ultra-X is engineered to operate in all marine environments. Its unique imbibed construction eliminates the potential for galvanic corrosion making it safe for any marine application."

If it works as described that is the next best thing to a Dripless.

 

[SJI Sailor]

Wow, Brian -- thank you for taking a look! Your knowledge is a gift to all of us.

FWIW, in 1.5 years I have only adjusted the UltraX packing once -- just a few days after installation. So far, it never drips when stopped -- yet always feels damp and cool when I check it (usually after every shutdown). Glad to have the double-check look at it!

 

[Diatom]

Same as Ginoc - PYI PSS dripless seal on a C26, no problem. Never thought of Brian's simple shield solution!

/tmm

 

[JonR]

I'll add my input of CSR Marine. They, among other things, installed my dripless shaft seal on my C28. All the work that was done on my boat was done extremely well. I recommend them highly for any work you have done.