Launched our boat this Saturday 32' Carver 357 with Merc 454s and V drives.
Checked bilge after the launch and every thing looked fine. Came back 3
hours latter and there was 9" of water in the bilge. The port PSS "dripless
shaft seal" was gushing.
The way these thing work is that a rubber bellows around the shaft that is
anchored and sealed to the boat forces a finely machined seal against a seal
on the Prop shaft.

When I got down into the bilge I found that the bellows was exerting very
little pressure on the shat seal. I tie wrapped the bellows seal tight to
the shaft seal and that stopped the water immediately. (Of course you can't
run the boat that way). I have left it to the yard to figure out the
problem.

Question has anyone using the PSS system had the problem?

PS these things have worked perfectly on our for 9 years

Sounds like the collar on the shaft was not pushed back far
enough to compress the bellows. Ours calls for a 1" compression.

Doug
s/v Callista

"Don" wrote in message
news:lwcsc.13966$af3.766653@attbi_s51...
Launched our boat this Saturday 32' Carver 357 with Merc 454s and V
drives.
Checked bilge after the launch and every thing looked fine. Came back 3
hours latter and there was 9" of water in the bilge. The port PSS
"dripless
shaft seal" was gushing.
The way these thing work is that a rubber bellows around the shaft that is
anchored and sealed to the boat forces a finely machined seal against a
seal
on the Prop shaft.

When I got down into the bilge I found that the bellows was exerting very
little pressure on the shat seal. I tie wrapped the bellows seal tight to
the shaft seal and that stopped the water immediately. (Of course you
can't
run the boat that way). I have left it to the yard to figure out the
problem.

Question has anyone using the PSS system had the problem?

PS these things have worked perfectly on our for 9 years

I think that your bellows might be due for replacement. PSS changed that part
as the old style bellows would take a "set" and not press the seal together as
they should.

Question has anyone using the PSS system had the problem?

PS these things have worked perfectly on our for 9 years



Jared Crane

That happened to me after 12 years - it takes a set - try moving the
bellows position to make it tighter - I used a big hose clamp on the
bellows for a year to apply pressure till I changed it next year - the
bellows was about $65 or so. I replaced the shaft and both bearings at
the same time - so it's good for another 12+ years.


On 24 May 2004 16:46:30 GMT, pamsuks (JayCeeCG)
wrote:

I think that your bellows might be due for replacement. PSS changed that part
as the old style bellows would take a "set" and not press the seal together as
they should.

Question has anyone using the PSS system had the problem?

PS these things have worked perfectly on our for 9 years



Jared Crane

The yard said they were able to tighten the seal (I assume by adjusting the
the shaft seal) The boat is in the water and I would hope not to haul it
until the fall. But I will have both bellows done in the fall.

However until then - where did you put the hose clamp? How did you keep it
from pushing the bellows against the roatating shaft?

"Mark" wrote in message
...
That happened to me after 12 years - it takes a set - try moving the
bellows position to make it tighter - I used a big hose clamp on the
bellows for a year to apply pressure till I changed it next year - the
bellows was about $65 or so. I replaced the shaft and both bearings at
the same time - so it's good for another 12+ years.


On 24 May 2004 16:46:30 GMT, pamsuks (JayCeeCG)
wrote:

I think that your bellows might be due for replacement. PSS changed
that part
as the old style bellows would take a "set" and not press the seal
together as
they should.

Question has anyone using the PSS system had the problem?

PS these things have worked perfectly on our for 9 years



Jared Crane

It went around one of the middle, large diameter bumps - for lack of
better words - tightened just enough to provide some squish out
pressure on the bellows, not enough to squeeze it down small enough to
contact the shaft.

On Mon, 24 May 2004 23:29:52 GMT, "Don" wrote:

The yard said they were able to tighten the seal (I assume by adjusting the
the shaft seal) The boat is in the water and I would hope not to haul it
until the fall. But I will have both bellows done in the fall.

However until then - where did you put the hose clamp? How did you keep it
from pushing the bellows against the roatating shaft?

"Mark" wrote in message
.. .
That happened to me after 12 years - it takes a set - try moving the
bellows position to make it tighter - I used a big hose clamp on the
bellows for a year to apply pressure till I changed it next year - the
bellows was about $65 or so. I replaced the shaft and both bearings at
the same time - so it's good for another 12+ years.


On 24 May 2004 16:46:30 GMT, pamsuks (JayCeeCG)
wrote:

I think that your bellows might be due for replacement. PSS changed
that part
as the old style bellows would take a "set" and not press the seal
together as
they should.

Question has anyone using the PSS system had the problem?

PS these things have worked perfectly on our for 9 years



Jared Crane