Engine corrosion

[davidr]

Having annual engine service on my Cb30 with 435 hp engine. Mechanics noted corrosion on transmission cooler and heat exchanger likely from shaft packing leakage/spray. Have others seen this issue? Am wondering if this is a warranty repair. Other Cutwater owners seem to have similar problems with bearing leakage. Is it a poor quality packing issue? Seems it leaks a lot spraying water around or if tightened sufficiently no drips occur..which is not a good thing.

 

[baz]

No dripping from packing gland (Stuffing box) is acceptable with boat stationary and engine off. Even a drip or two is acceptable also.

With engine running and throttle in first detent then 2 to 4 drips per minute is acceptable. When doing this ensure boat is secured safely to dock's cleats.

 

[Shano]

One way to contain any spray from the packing gland area is to take a 1 or 2 liter water bottle and cut off the ends and slice it from end to end. Then take it and fit it around the collars. I have done this and no more spray - I learned this tip right here on Tugnuts! Obviously you need to remove it to make sure the drip rate is within the limits and also to fit it so that it doesn’t touch the shaft. This has cut out the annoying spray trail which can cause corrosion.

 

[BB marine]

I have found that even with a properly adjusted packing gland (average 3 dpm) a light mist of water is present. This is common in a packing design seal and is not a Ranger/Cutwater flaw. I don't feel it is caused from an inferior packing or bad designed gland used by Fluid motion. The reason the spray causes more issues in the Ranger/Cutwater design is the gland to coupling spacing. The packing Gland to coupling spacing is a few inches apart. In most inboard applications this spacing is greater. The gland dripping and slinging water further aft of the engine doesn't effect the metal and electrical components of the engine and reverse gear as much. Also most modern day inboard designs use dripless shaft seals which eliminates the issue completely.




The photos show how close the gland is to the coupling. When the shaft is spinning at higher speeds and the drip is slung creating a fine spray or mist The engine, reverse gear, motor mounts and some electrical components are in the line for the spray to hit them. Resolution (1) Maintain a proper adjusted packing gland. ( do not over tighten! @ 410 hrs of use I have tighten the nut a half a flat 1/8th of a turn. ) (2) Make a deflector shield similar or like Shano described. (3) If the C30 has enough room and you want to spend the money replace the packing gland with a dripless shaft seal. I'm making a removable deflector shield for my resolution. So far we have been in fresh water so the spray has not caused a problem. I wipe things down after a run and spray CRC penetrating oil on the engine and components a few times a season.

 

[Kevin Lamont]

Having annual engine service on my Cb30 with 435 hp engine. Mechanics noted corrosion on transmission cooler and heat exchanger likely from shaft packing leakage/spray. Have others seen this issue? Am wondering if this is a warranty repair. Other Cutwater owners seem to have similar problems with bearing leakage. Is it a poor quality packing issue? Seems it leaks a lot spraying water around or if tightened sufficiently no drips occur..which is not a good thing.

Hey David,

One thing to check as well is the AFT bilge pump operation, making sure it works on auto function. The C30 does have a natural forward slope which can cause water to transfer back while under way and getting close to if not contacting the coupler which will also cause the spray to happen. What I do time to time while under way is turn on the bilge pump and let it pump out any water that is built up. A good quick and easy repair is a packing shield like others have said. Hope this helps you.

Thank you,
Kevin Lamont

 

[baz]

Hey.... the packing shield is an excellent solution..... THANKS for posting about this. 😀

 

[davidr]

Thanks for the shield idea. The techs at Roche Harbor are also looking at other alternatives for me. Will post the info when thet get back to me.

 

[BB marine]

I made a quick and easy packing gland shield out of a sheet of .060 thick vinyl. I used a couple of snaps to hold it in place and together. It can be quickly removed for gland inspection.


unsnap to go around water line

Held in place by snaps
I made a quick

 

[jaredjensen]

The 2012 R29 we bought a couple months ago has some corrosion in the same area, and I'm planning to make a shield to prevent/reduce the problem moving forward.

To address the existing corrosion, I was going to remove all loose stuff with wire brushes, then use Corroseal on the mounts before painting with rust-preventative automotive paint. If anyone has other tips for cleaning up corrosion, I'd love to hear it!

 

[Cessna172]

With engine running and throttle in first detent then 2 to 4 drips per minute is acceptable. When doing this ensure boat is secured safely to dock's cleats.

I am presuming that the transmission is in neutral when counting the drips with the engine running. Is this correct?
Don't know how you could count the drips with the drive shaft spinning.

Thanks,
Gary

 

[Cutwater28GG]

when turning. its the turning action that increases the drip ratio as the shaft is moving inside the packing material. just running the engine doenst change anything.

tie some good springs lines on the boat at the dock and put it into gear at idle.

 

[baz]

With engine running and throttle in first detent then 2 to 4 drips per minute is acceptable. When doing this ensure boat is secured safely to dock's cleats.

I am presuming that the transmission is in neutral when counting the drips with the engine running. Is this correct?
Don't know how you could count the drips with the drive shaft spinning.

Thanks,
Gary

To test the drips when prop shaft turning at first throttle detent you simply need to be docked with the boat secured with lines to the dock's cleats. Just move the throttle to first detent, making sure the boat is secure with the boat trying to move forward, and then return to engine bay to count the drips as the shaft turns. This is what I do.

 

[Cessna172]

With engine running and throttle in first detent then 2 to 4 drips per minute is acceptable. When doing this ensure boat is secured safely to dock's cleats.

I am presuming that the transmission is in neutral when counting the drips with the engine running. Is this correct?
Don't know how you could count the drips with the drive shaft spinning.

Thanks,
Gary

To test the drips when prop shaft turning at first throttle detent you simply need to be docked with the boat secured with lines to the dock's cleats. Just move the throttle to first detent, making sure the boat is secure with the boat trying to move forward, and then return to engine bay to count the drips as the shaft turns. This is what I do.

Guess what I am not understanding is: if the problem with corrosion is attributable to water being slung and sprayed from the spinning prop shaft, how does one actually count drips being slung from the shaft?

 

[BB marine]

Guess what I am not understanding is: if the problem with corrosion is attributable to water being slung and sprayed from the spinning prop shaft, how does one actually count drips being slung from the shaft?

The packing inspection is done with engine running, reverse gear in forward, then count number of drips in 1 minute. If the number of drips seams excessive. Say 8+, its time to adjust the packings. A good adjustment would be 2 to 4 drips a minute.

The issue with the corrosion is, even with a proper adjusted packing when running at higher rpm ranges the 2 to 4 drips per minute do not always drop down into the bilge. The drips walk up the shaft and get slung off the shaft. Its not much water just a fine mist. If the boat is running in salt water the fine mist or spray over time causes some surface corrosion and has also effected shift solenoids connections mounted on the reverse gear. When cruising I opened the deck hatch to do a quick check of the engine compartment and noticed the spray or mist. 3200 rpm or higher. It doesn't seem to sling the drips at slower rpm's.

 

[Cessna172]

Guess what I am not understanding is: if the problem with corrosion is attributable to water being slung and sprayed from the spinning prop shaft, how does one actually count drips being slung from the shaft?

The packing inspection is done with engine running, reverse gear in forward, then count number of drips in 1 minute. If the number of drips seams excessive. Say 8+, its time to adjust the packings. A good adjustment would be 2 to 4 drips a minute.

The issue with the corrosion is, even with a proper adjusted packing when running at higher rpm ranges the 2 to 4 drips per minute do not always drop down into the bilge. The drips walk up the shaft and get slung off the shaft. Its not much water just a fine mist. If the boat is running in salt water the fine mist or spray over time causes some surface corrosion and has also effected shift solenoids connections mounted on the reverse gear. When cruising I opened the deck hatch to do a quick check of the engine compartment and noticed the spray or mist. 3200 rpm or higher. It doesn't seem to sling the drips at slower rpm's.

OK, I think I am understanding. Even with the prop shaft spinning at low rpm, the drips are still detectable and not being slung off as a spray or mist.

Thanks,
Gary

 

[Salmon Fisher]

Is it prudent to use a type of CRC, Corrosion Block, or Corrosion X and spray on exposed electronic modules and other equipment in the engine compartment?
I have a 2015 Ranger 27 with D3 Volvo with 800 hours. It is stored on trailer when not in use.
I also plan to make a shield.
Thanks,
Patrick