Help identifying disc like clamps on prop shaft

[swordfisherman]

Below is a pic of my port side prop shaft. It has a bit of wobble in it. I have noticed this since October . What are those disc like clamps on the shaft? Are they some kind of balancer? One (front) was loose the other day.

Below is a pic of the starboard shaft, it only has one clamp on it. Is this a normal set up? I looked in the parts manual but did not find anything like it.

I am worried about the wobble, it's not much but still worries me. I will try to post a you tube video if I can find how to. Thanks in advance folks.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[swordfisherman]

Btw when you say cutless or cutlass bearing, does that also mean the same as strut bearing? It just cost too much to dry dock a boat over here. I want to make sure that it really needs to be done. Thanks again.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[BigBoysToys]

The discs are spare seals for your dripless shaft seals. In the event of a seal failure, the dripless seal can be opened, the internal rubber seal can be slid forward and cut off, and one of these spare seals can be slid down into place. They have nothing to do with shaft balancing or weighting.

Sent from my Nokia Lumia 928 using Tapatalk

 

[ttmott]

Interesting that there are two different dripless shaft seal assemblies. Looks like the port is a newer Tides Sure Seal with two spare seals. The stbd may be an older design Tides, not sure. Check both the spares on the port, one might be for the original assembly and won't fit the newer tides....

the he wobble is a concern, if it's leaking underway or with a dial indicator TIR is greater than 0.020 inch your shaft or engine alignment needs consideration.

 

[swordfisherman]

Thanks Bigboytoys and ttmott, I have checked and there isn't a leak at all. Running nor at anchor. So those are spare seals? Is it possible that my present seal is the problem? Thus the wobble?

 

[HUMPH]

Spare seals. Looks like they used one...

 

[fwebster]

The port seal assembly was replaced with the newer Sure Seal design which has the newer seal body and a hump hose rather than the older seal and plain silicone hose on the stbd side. You won't know if you have one or 2 seals in the seal carriers on the port shaft until you take them apart and see what is inside inside each.

A very small amount of runout is normal in marine shafts, but more than about .015" and the shaft will wear the nitrile seal in the seal housing. The Tides seal housing is a plastic like Delrin and it will wear if a shaft wobbles. The Delrin housing is there to hold the nitrile lip seal centered on the shaft and when the housing wears it wobbles more than the shaft and will, therefore, wear out the lip seal in a short while. Neither the Tides drippless seal housing/assembly nor any number of extra seal carriers on the shaft will cause the shaft to have runout.............if the shaft wobbles at the seal, then somebody at some time in the past has hit something or grounded the boat fairly hard.

 

[swordfisherman]

The port seal assembly was replaced with the newer Sure Seal design which has the newer seal body and a hump hose rather than the older seal and plain silicone hose on the stbd side. You won't know if you have one or 2 seals in the seal carriers on the port shaft until you take them apart and see what is inside inside each.

A very small amount of runout is normal in marine shafts, but more than about .015" and the shaft will wear the nitrile seal in the seal housing. The Tides seal housing is a plastic like Delrin and it will wear if a shaft wobbles. The Delrin housing is there to hold the nitrile lip seal centered on the shaft and when the housing wears it wobbles more than the shaft and will, therefore, wear out the lip seal in a short while. Neither the Tides drippless seal housing/assembly nor any number of extra seal carriers on the shaft will cause the shaft to have runout.............if the shaft wobbles at the seal, then somebody at some time in the past has hit something or grounded the boat fairly hard.

So you think i have a bent shaft Frank? Last Saturday a mechanic went on board to check. He had no way of setting up his caliper because it was a magnetic type that would only stick to steel. Yesterday a different guy checked the boat. While at anchor the turned the shaft manually, and did not find any difference to tell that the shaft was bent, they measured from off the transmission to the center and the seals. So my problem would be the part of the shaft under water? Am i right Frank? What about catless/cutlass/strut bearing? Thanks Frank.

 

[swordfisherman]

Spare seals. Looks like they used one...

What do you mean Ken? The starboard side has only one left so the PO must have used it?

 

[fwebster]

Take a piece of steel plate and use c-clamps to temporarily fasten it to the stringer, then use the magnetic dial indicator base on the steel plate. If you can see the runout when you look at the shaft, it probably is out far enough to wear the Tides seal. The cutlass bearing has nothing to do with the shaft runout since it is in a fixed location. The bend will either be in front of the strut or behind it. You cannot check the shaft behind the strut without hauling the boat out of the water, but you can check the front or portion ahead of the strut from inside the boat. Again, under about .015" of runout is considered normal, and it is best to measure the runout with the boat running and the engines under some load......like 1500 rpm.

You cannot tell if you have one or 2 extra seals on the port shaft with taking the seal carrier apart far enough to see inside it

 

[swordfisherman]

Thanks Frank, i will do that measurement check once i am able to get back out again. Maybe in the 2nd week of January. Thanks again frank, Happy Holidays.

 

[swordfisherman]

One more question, where is the best place to buy cutless bearings? The sea ray parts manual doesn't show the part. It only points to #8 bronze strut with bearing. My boat is a 2000 400 sedan bridge. I need to order them preferably on line from the US so that I have them on hand if I decide to dry dock the boat. Thanks again.

 

[fwebster]

Cutlass bearings can be ordered from any number of online vendors; however, you will have to order them by dimensions: You need to know ID, OD and length. Since you have no dealer close by, you need to email Sea Ray Customer Service and explain your circumstances....i.e. no dealer, distant & very expensive haul out, and your location. They can look up either the vendor and part number for the struts on your boat or the cutlass bearing specs from which you can get the dimensions you need.

Check searay.com under owner's resources for Sea Ray contact info.

 

[swordfisherman]

Ok, thanks again Frank.