Shaft Seals, the options available today.

[Graham Lorimer]

Can anybody throw opinions out here regarding Shaft seals.

My boat (2002 460) is fitted with Tides Seals, both were leaking when I got the boat 4 years ago, I had someone who allegedly know all about these, remove the seals and fit the spare seals that were on the shafts.

One of the seals still leaks badly when underway and the other leaks a little bit.

Has anybody tried any later model or different types of seals, I am concerned because it is a big job and I would like to ensure the best chance possible of success when fitting complete new seals.

The ones I see possible to use are Tides again or Lasdrop seals.

Any experience or comments greatly appreciated.

Graham

 

[hottoddie]

Tides are the best in my book. Did you have the shaft alignment checked. Any shaft seal will leak if the alignment is off. Also if the shaft is worn you can have the shaft relocated on the coupler just a little so the seal rides on a clean unworn surface.

 

[ZZ13]

Tides are the best in my book. Did you have the shaft alignment checked. Any shaft seal will leak if the alignment is off. Also if the shaft is worn you can have the shaft relocated on the coupler just a little so the seal rides on a clean unworn surface.

One of my Tides was leaking and during an engine alignment maintenance we took a shot at sliding the whole thing forward about 3/8". Completely stopped leaking. I guess over time the seal will groove the shaft.

 

[fwebster]

Graham,

It might help if you understand the Tide's design principle and why your seals leak shortly after replacing the end seal.

The tides design is one where a nylon housing is positioned over the shaft and held in place by a blue silicone rubber hose. Hose clamps keep the hose from leaking at the shaft tube end and at the seal end. There is a rubber lip seal, like a normal grease seal, that fits over the shaft and seal the shaft and housing joint. The nylon housing runs on the shaft and is lubricated by the cooling water injected into it from your engines. The housing keeps the lip seal centered on the shaft. You get a leak when the lip seal wears or fails. The cause can be at the shaft wearing a groove where the seal runs or the seal just wearing, but the most common cause of failure and leaks is the nylon housing wears from a lack of cooling water or ingesting sand, silt or dirt. When the housing wears, it no longer holds the seal centered on the shaft and the seal wears out. Just replacing the lip seal stops the leak but usually just for a while. If there is an early failure after replacing it, the cause is most probably the housing is worn out and the entire seal needs to be replaced.

There have been 2 Tides designs. The early one (Strong Seal) was quite prone to housing wear and failure, the later one (Sure Seal) uses a different housing material and is much better. There are other minor differences, but the easiest way to tell if it is the new or the old design is to look at the big blue rubber hose. If it is smooth, it is the old design....if it has humps in it, it is the later design. This photo is the new seal:

https://www.tidesmarine.com/sureseals


Once you have Tides seals, if you get a failure, replacing the whole seal is an easy job, but it does require that the boat be out of the water. I haven't done it in a while, but the seal cost ...for the entire kit, new design was about $500ea and it takes about 4 hours for 2 men to do both sides.


Hope that helps...........

 

[Graham Lorimer]

Thank you Frank...... perfectly explained.

My seals are the originals so I will replace with the "humps" blue rubber model.

I have had engine alignment checked and all was ok.

I have also cleaned the shaft myself with 800 wet / dry paper (no rubbing along the shaft, only around it) and moved the seal to a different position, no better.

Strangely enough, if I lift the seal up a little, it does not leak when sitting at the marina, that is how it is currently left.

Will get complete new seals fitted to both sides in the next month or so.

Many thanks


Graham