My shaft is leaking!

[Garn]

I had my boat hooked up to Fake-A-Lake while I was winterizing it. As it was running I noticed that water was coming out of the propeller shaft right where the shaft comes out of the bottom of the boat. Is that something I've just never noticed or should it not be doing that? Do I have a problem? Let me reword that (I know I have many problems!) - does my boat have a problem?

 

Garn

[Jordan]

I assume that you have a shaft seal as opposed to a suffing box. the shaft seal has pressurized water plumbed into it from the engine for cooling and lubrication. Completely normal.

[bishop8950]

Terrible thread title. Not sure if you need a doctor or a mechanic

[Horton]

I agree with @bishop8950! This is not the right place to talk about your personal issues.

[BraceMaker]

Off day when the triple panda winner gives the serious answer.

[oldjeep]

What kind of boat have you got? Could just be that you have a water cooled shaft seal like most modern boats and there should be water running down shaft when on trailer.

[MISkier]

I literally laughed out loud when I saw the title of the thread.

[thager]

Penicillin!

[Garn]

BWAHAHA! You guys are perverted!

 

I have an 07 Moomba with a shaft seal.

[Orlando76]

Pictures of where your shaft comes through the log? Hehe. From inside of boat. Yes 85% of the boats are designed to have water pass through here but ideally it’s a drip every 5 or 10 seconds, I forget which. Any quicker and you need it tightened or replaced. Whopping $15 item.

[oldmanskier]

I am still laughing about this thread title. Good to start the day out with a laugh.

oldmanskier

[Jody_Seal]

I hate it when my shaft leaks!

[lpskier]

Try penicillin.

 

Never mind. @thager beat me to it.

[ALPJr]

Yeah I thought this was the you know when you're in Mens 7 thread.

[Garn]

@Orlando76 What do you tighten or replace? Is it on the outside of the hole where the shaft comes out?

[Garn]

Oops, I meant "outside of the hull"!

[BraceMaker]

@Garn

All shaft jokes aside;

 

Orlando is thinking of the older type of packing box - which is a big brass or plastic nut that compresses strips of special rope called packing or stuffing, the rope is either goretex or a wax impregnated fiber, and the strips have staggered seams like piston rings so that when compressed they leak less. If your boat had one of these the only way it would be leaking out like that when running on a fake a lake is if your bilge was full of water and it would only be dripping. When these are set up you have to loosen them so they drip a bit, if you tighten them way down the force and lack of cooling water burns out the rope packing. But this is not what your boat has.

 

For the past many years ski boats have come with "dripless stuffing boxes" like the OJ product or the Precision shaft seal system, these do not have rope and do not require that they drip for cooling. Some older generations of them did not have a cooling hose, but the vast majority now have a line that runs to them from the engines cooling system and pushes pressurized water out the shaft log to lubricate and cool the stuffing box.

 

So because your boat (empty bilge on trailer) is leaking out the shaft you are seeing normal cooling water coming from the system and don't have an issue.

 

Pretty common for older boats that haven't been maintained for people to complain about all the water coming into the bilge through the log - and this is usually due to the packing wearing and usually can be solved by tightening the nut that @Orlando76 is talking about.

[Orlando76]

Meh, shows how often I get around new boats. That’s why I guessed at 85%. I didn’t realize dripless was now the norm.

[Garn]

@BraceMaker @Orlando76 Thanks so much guys!

[eleeski]

Unfortunately, once a dripless packing starts to leak, it is an involved repair. You must remove the flange at the transmission from the shaft - not an easy activity if your water is a bit brackish. If things come apart reasonably the replacement seal is not difficult but it's still complicated. Common problem with a challenging solution.

 

You guys are all perverts.

 

Eric

[oldjeep]

I don't know about that - pretty simple, same process as replacing the propshaft or changing the strut bushings. If your water is brackish you have all sorts of additional problems with any repair.

[BraceMaker]

I think his point is, you can pick out the stuffing and replace it pretty easy.

 

In brackish waters Id recommend the plastic box with the cotter pin. Those are basically hand tight and cannot corrode.

[skidawg]

sounds like you need penicillin!!!!!

[eleeski]

@oldjeep Pretty simple? Pressing the flange off the shaft is not simple. Pull the engine out to get good access to the shaft and flange? I'll probably have to cut the shaft and buy a new shaft and flange to get to the $5 seal. Which only lasts a couple years.

 

I've done the job on Stan's very freshwater boat. No problems but still a few hour job with his excellent tool selection. I'll fix mine when I don't need to ski for a couple weeks in case the flange is frozen. My bilge pump can still keep up.

 

@BraceMaker is right. New stuffing is easy. Maybe I'll switch to that system when I pull things apart. A spiral or split seal would make the dripless reseal a reasonable maintenance item.

 

Eric

[thager]

@skidawg Beat ya to it!

[oldjeep]

@Eleeski you're doing it wrong - there is no reason to move the engine

 

Disconnect flange from trans, slide it out a bit and remove the nut. Shove a small socket or piece of solid stock between flange and trans so that it will push on the end of the shaft. Install longer flange bolts and tighten to press the shaft out. Not a big deal. If it is a little stuck then heat the flange a bit with some MAP gas.

[eleeski]

@oldjeep Thanks for the heat trick!

 

Your process is how I did Stan's. But Stan's was on pretty tight (cold). Mine will likely be worse. The heat might get mine apart.

 

I might move the engine on the 04 MC but it's engine is blown anyway so will have to move. (Conversion to ZO on that boat if I don't go electric.) With the shaft out, I can get it in a press. I will have to remove the rudder to get a new shaft back in (or pull the engine). Non trivial.

 

If your heat trick works, it is a doable job. Not easy. It's a huge job if it doesn't press apart. Even bigger if it warps the transmission flange.

 

Every thing will be anti seized when it goes together so I will be able to fix it next time.

 

Penicillin would be easier.

 

Eric

[oldjeep]

@Eleeski - don't use antisieze on tapered shafts, it defeats the purpose of the taper

[BraceMaker]

+1 @oldjeep but loctite 660 is perfect.

[eleeski]

Doesn't that shaft have a keyway? If I just apply enough for anti corrosion (as opposed to lube) I should be OK? I'm pretty sure I put a very thin layer on Stan's and it has worked for a couple years (he needs to replace the seal again).

 

I've used small amounts on props with good results in the past. New nylock nuts were far more important than the anti seize for keeping the props tight.

 

I'll never get it apart if it's a press fit.

 

Already I have too much time in this project and I haven't even started!

 

Eric

[oldjeep]

The key is a safety in a taper, not what is supposed to hold the force. Prop shafts are nothing, you want a tight taper try removing the hub from a 2 piece willys jeep shaft. I put a puller half way through the wall once

[eleeski]

Thread drift! Someday I will restore my 57 Willys truck. I'll approach the hubs with care.

 

Eric

[BraceMaker]

@oldjeep of course how many people do you see lap their prop tapers?

 

Not everyone can be Keith Fenner, when perfectly lapped and keyed there shouldnt even be room for corrosion between a stainless shaft and a nibral prop. But since the world isnt perfect we can fill that gap with something. Loctite sells specific fit up products that if you are in a corrosive environment will seal and fill the gap, as well as release easily with a moderate amount if heat.

[A_B]

Could have used this in the how to tell if you are in M6 thread..

[skidawg]

@thager. you must have more experience in that area !!!

[hockeyref74]

When I read the title I knew it would go down hill fast

[Zman]

Calling Dr. Howard, Dr. Fine, Dr. Howard!