[chef2sail]

Looked at this at the Annaplis Boat show and have decided to go this route. Comments? Is this a good product?

Dave

 

[windward54]

I've had one on my boat for the last 5 years and it has worked great.

 

[Vasco]

I have had a dripless shaft seal for the past five years as my latest boat came with one. They work fine, I've had no problems but I really would prefer an old fashioned stuffing box. With a dripless any failure is usually pretty bad and would entail a haul out and replacement. I can always repack a stuffing box even while the boat's in the water and with a properly adjusted stuffing box very little water gets in the boat.

 

[erps]

With a dripless any failure is usually pretty bad and would entail a haul out and replacement. I can always repack a stuffing box even while the boat's in the water and with a properly adjusted stuffing box very little water gets in the boat.

That's a good point. Still, I'm a big fan. I just changed the rubber bellows on mine this last haul out as recommended by jrd22 (every ten years). I have no idea how long the previous bellows had been in there, but it could have been twenty years or more and it was still in good shape. The folks who sell the product in our area, PNW, are great too. I had the replacement bellows and kit a day after I ordered it. The failure points would be the stainless steel sealing flange backing away from the carbon seal or the hose clamp failing on the bellows. Each of those items are easy to check periodically.

 

[Sabreman]

There has been much discussion on this topic. if you do a search, you'll see all the pros and cons. Many good points on both sides of the aisle.

For what it's worth, I've had the PSS on on both my Sabres (15 years total), it's what Sabre currently installs, and I would definitely do it again.

 

[captbillc]

i have a stuffing box that i repacked this year with hi tech gore packing. it requires practically no drip and runs cool. it is so much better than flax packing, & i don't have a bellows that can fail.

 

[deniseO30]

Put one on my boat 2 yrs ago, gotta love it!

 

[Valiente]

I know stuffing boxes and I've fixed stuffing boxes, but now I have a steel boat and my ideal would be to avoid ANY water ingress in the deep, metallic bilge....so I'm going to go with a PSS. Because I reach my engine from above, I can easily reach pretty well any part of the drive train and this also influences my decision.

 

[JiffyLube]

There was a PSS seal in our boat when we bought it a few years ago, and no telling how long it has been in there...but we haven't had a problem with it. I'll be doing the kit on it this winter during haul out just to be safe.

 

[jason3317]

I don't think you'll find any problem with putting a PSS in your boat. They are proven, well engineered and have good manufacturer support.

For example, at the show this weekend, I picked up 8 pairs of set screws for the stainless collar.

Jason

 

[capecodda]

PSS Shaft Seal

I had one on a previous boat for 10 years. It worked great except for one incident.

Motoring out of the Western Way (Mt. Desert, ME), the bilge alarm went off. Immediate reaction was to go looking at every hole in the boat (all the thru hulls, etc). Finally, I looked at the shaft seal, which was hard to service on this boat (a gen set mounted above it). It was spraying water in a rotary fashion (like an old lawn sprinkler).

What had happened is the stainless donut had slipped forward, reducing the compression on the bellows, allowing water in. I was able to reach in (to a very bad spot, engine stopped of course), and push the donut back, retightening the set screws.

I think PSS has improved their design, with a second set of set screws, so this is probably less likely now. After this incident, we placed a shaft zinc right forward of the donut on the shaft as a belt and suspenders extra safety margin. Never had another problem. Given the tough location, it is nice to have something that requires as little service as possible.

On a boat, there is no such thing as an item that requires no service, but I'd put one of these in again.

 

[tommays]

I am helping someone out right now that let the rubber go a season to long

It is a PITA if you fail to replace the bellows before they get tired BUT other wise good stuff

 

[sahara]

I'm sticking with PTFE packing in a stuffing box. I own a lot of centrifugal pumps in salt water service.

When a stuffing box starts to go it starts dripping a little faster. Tighten the nut a little when you get the chance. When a dripless seal fails it fails catastrophically.

My opinion. Your mileage may vary.

 

[blt2ski]

"IF" you get the newest design, ie a burpless that has a hose to burp itself. MAKE SURE the hose opening is above the WL at ALL times, or when sailing a siphon will occur and you will have water in the bildge! I had one installed about 2.5 yrs ago, first one this dealer had done, put the opening of the vented loop too low.........anyway, what a mess! Almost ruined the trip south to see 7-4 fireworks that night.

Otherwise, overall, I have no issues with the PSS seal.

Marty

 

[phoxie]

For those of you that have replace it, how hard is it to do? Is it just the bellows that are replaced?? Got the boat four years ago and never done anything to it except burp it at the start of the season. Thanks.

 

[Pub911]

I've gone PSS dripless due to difficult access to the old stuffing box. 4 years with no issues. I welcome the scheduled belows replacement as an easier task than the annual stuffing box cluster-fudge.

If access is not an issue, I'm not sure I'd have done it given the cost and (relatively low risk) of catostrophic failure.

Your choice.

 

[DrB]

To the OP, if you're.....

still monitoring this thread, I think there are two schools of thought here: PSS Converts and Old School Stuffing Boxes. Both have there pro/cons and both are proven designs.

Dripless seals (PSS-type) have been used for many, many years and by a lot of folks. Proper maintenance and these things really don't fail. However, if not maintained, and they fail, it is pretty much catastrophic. Stuffing boxes have been in boats a lot longer than Dripless Seals and are a proven design. However, they also must be maintained, but do leak a little water in, as designed, require adjusting, and if they fail, it's not typically catastropic.

I am a traditional SB guy myself, because mine is easy to get to and adjust. I also "fear" a catastrophic failure (very unlikely) with a Dripless. My cousin loves his PSS and it has worked flawlessly for him in the 15 years that he has owned. He owned a SB previously and will never go back.

I don't think there is a wrong answer here and a Dripless for you is fine.

DrB

 

[jbondy]

Replacing bellows

I haven't had to do so yet, but think it will be a big job. Pokey came with a two year old PSS when we bought her in 2002, so we'll be due for this soon. I believe it's a one-piece bellows that has to fit over the prop shaft, so wouldn't you have to pull the shaft, at least a little?

 

[Gene T]

I just installed a PSS seal on my boat, replacing a Volvo drip-less seal. I did a write up on it on my web site. PSS Shaft Seal
To replace the bellows you would need to haul the boat, pull the shaft from the transmission coupling and pull the shaft back far enough to remove and replace the bellows. So actually more work than installing a new one as you need to disassemble the graphite seal and tighten it back up without damaging it.

There is a downside to the PSS seal. Engine alignment is more difficult because the bellows pushes against the transmission, so you can't slide the coupling back to check vertical and horizontal alignment as easily.

Gene

 

[SanDiegoChip]

hi tech gore packing

i have a stuffing box that i repacked this year with hi tech gore packing. it requires practically no drip and runs cool. it is so much better than flax packing, & i don't have a bellows that can fail.

We have a PSS seal on our boat and love it. I have heard that the hi tech gore packing is also great and way less money.
Also it was suggested to me to put a zinc on the shaft after the PSS and i did, to prevent the PSS end from moving if it came loose.
Chip