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PSS Bellows 6 year interval
I'd be careful on this one! The PSS shaft seal is a mechanical seal, and mechanical seals, wonderful as they are, can be touchy - if you damage the very brittle "stationary" face at the FWD end of the bellows, you will be changing it out - no choice! This obviously cannot be done without either withdrawing the prop shaft or removing the drive coupling and sliding the whole works off the FWD end of the shaft - not something I'd do in the water!
Also, PSS recommends replacing the rubber bellows every 6 years (it's true - check out their literature), so yours is about due anyway. Two reasons for this: first, the axial pressure on the seal faces is dependent on the "spring" in the rubber bellows - this decreases over time; and second, all rubber products continue to "cure" over time, so brittleness and resultant cracks will ultimately develop. Will it fail in 7 years? Maybe not, but I wouldn't chance it.
Good luck!
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