The driveshaft is out and polished, ready for pickup for cutting and
straight-checking. I did the growth removal in place as I pulled it out
~18" at a time, through the point where I'd cut off the bearing (using the
nick I made for reference, of cours!). At a point, however, about that
time, I became concerned for the leverage as to whether the shaft would
remain straight if I allowed that much weight on the fulcrum of the end of
the cutlass bearing. So, last night as I was finishing up, I stuffed it
back in far enough that it no longer stood out from the rudder (the better
to snag someone, too!). It was so polished that it s l o w l y slid out
about 6" before coming to rest. I think it's smooth :{))

However, as I'm thinking about the pickup and straight-checking reality (I
don't have a truck nor the van I used to haul my shaft before), I realize
that the prop shop which does pickup/delivery from Stuart to Ft. Pierce may
ALSO be in the biz of fixing pits.

So, while I'm ready to drop the rudder, I believe I'll give them a call to
see if they want to/should pick up the rudder at the same time. Certainly a
shop with the ability to manipulate it vs my standing it against the skeg,
the currently-best location I can figure, to work on it, is better, and, if
they do this all the time, are better equipped to deal with it.

So, I'll ask before asking for a pickup on the shaft.

Now to get out the cutlass and the dripless, still attached to the stern
tube..

Pix of this stage (removal and polishing) begin he
http://justpickone.org/skip/gallery/...ring&start=112

L8R

Skip and crew


--

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
See our galleries at www.justpickone.org/skip/gallery !
Follow us at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheFlyingPigLog
and/or http://groups.google.com/group/flyingpiglog

When a man comes to like a sea life, he is not fit to live on land.
- Dr. Samuel Johnson

On Mon, 16 Apr 2012 14:35:32 -0400, "Flying Pig"
wrote:

The driveshaft is out and polished, ready for pickup for cutting and
straight-checking. I did the growth removal in place as I pulled it out
~18" at a time, through the point where I'd cut off the bearing (using the
nick I made for reference, of cours!). At a point, however, about that
time, I became concerned for the leverage as to whether the shaft would
remain straight if I allowed that much weight on the fulcrum of the end of
the cutlass bearing. So, last night as I was finishing up, I stuffed it
back in far enough that it no longer stood out from the rudder (the better
to snag someone, too!). It was so polished that it s l o w l y slid out
about 6" before coming to rest. I think it's smooth :{))

However, as I'm thinking about the pickup and straight-checking reality (I
don't have a truck nor the van I used to haul my shaft before), I realize
that the prop shop which does pickup/delivery from Stuart to Ft. Pierce may
ALSO be in the biz of fixing pits.

So, while I'm ready to drop the rudder, I believe I'll give them a call to
see if they want to/should pick up the rudder at the same time. Certainly a
shop with the ability to manipulate it vs my standing it against the skeg,
the currently-best location I can figure, to work on it, is better, and, if
they do this all the time, are better equipped to deal with it.

So, I'll ask before asking for a pickup on the shaft.

Now to get out the cutlass and the dripless, still attached to the stern
tube..

Pix of this stage (removal and polishing) begin he
http://justpickone.org/skip/gallery/...ring&start=112

L8R

Skip and crew


Skip, shafts aren't as fragile as you appear to think. The yield
strength of 316L stainless is something like 25,000 PSI, or about
24,885 PSI to actually bend your 1-1/8" shaft. Generally I have seen
long shafts shipped by being fastened to a board or timber the length
of the shaft, and maybe a bit longer. Probably as useful for keeping
the shaft from getting dings and scrapes as keeping it straight.

In passing, I always wondered what people using the so called
"dripless" shaft seals do in the event of a catastrophic failure of
the rubber flex housing? With a conventional stuffing box one can
re-pack it with old tee shirts and use Crisco for a lube but what
happens, way out there in the briny, when that red rubber hose bursts?

--
Cheers,

Bruce

"Bruce" wrote in message
...

..

In passing, I always wondered what people using the so called
"dripless" shaft seals do in the event of a catastrophic failure of
the rubber flex housing? With a conventional stuffing box one can
re-pack it with old tee shirts and use Crisco for a lube but what
happens, way out there in the briny, when that red rubber hose bursts?



Good point, and, had we that setup on our first trip as we headed to our
Registered Repair Facility (which allows one to avoid paying FL sales tax if
the boat doesn't leave immediately), we'd have sunk her.

We backed over a mooring line and jacked the tranny out of the plate on the
bell housing. The conventional packing just let it slide backwards; this
wouldn't have.

As a result, while we have a line cutter, now, and are smarter, too, I'm
seriously considering returning to my old gland, which I'm sure I have but
haven't yet looked for...

Meanwhile, I've figured out how to drop the rudder, which I'll do
tomorrow...

L8R

Skip


--

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
See our galleries at www.justpickone.org/skip/gallery !
Follow us at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheFlyingPigLog
and/or http://groups.google.com/group/flyingpiglog

When a man comes to like a sea life, he is not fit to live on land.
- Dr. Samuel Johnson

On Tuesday, April 17, 2012 10:12:05 AM UTC+10, Bruce wrote:

In passing, I always wondered what people using the so called
"dripless" shaft seals do in the event of a catastrophic failure of
the rubber flex housing? With a conventional stuffing box one can
re-pack it with old tee shirts and use Crisco for a lube but what
happens, way out there in the briny, when that red rubber hose bursts?

The usual answer is to avoid catastrophic failure with routine maintenance.

For example, PYI Inc (the manufacturer of the Packless Shaft Seal fitted on my shaft) recommends replacing the rubber bellows every 6 years.

Failures have been reported to be associated with poor engine room practices, including allowing oils and greases to contact the rubber bellows.

Especially in warm tropical water with high organic content, the stator of the PSS can stick to the rotor. Rotating the shaft by hand to break the stiction reduces stress on the bellows.

Cheers

Bil
--
Penang

On Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:03:01 -0700 (PDT), Bil
wrote:

On Tuesday, April 17, 2012 10:12:05 AM UTC+10, Bruce wrote:

In passing, I always wondered what people using the so called
"dripless" shaft seals do in the event of a catastrophic failure of
the rubber flex housing? With a conventional stuffing box one can
re-pack it with old tee shirts and use Crisco for a lube but what
happens, way out there in the briny, when that red rubber hose bursts?

The usual answer is to avoid catastrophic failure with routine maintenance.

For example, PYI Inc (the manufacturer of the Packless Shaft Seal fitted on my shaft) recommends replacing the rubber bellows every 6 years.

Failures have been reported to be associated with poor engine room practices, including allowing oils and greases to contact the rubber bellows.

Especially in warm tropical water with high organic content, the stator of the PSS can stick to the rotor. Rotating the shaft by hand to break the stiction reduces stress on the bellows.

Cheers

Bil

Ah yes. Periodic Preventative Maintenance. The trouble is that while I
know a lot of people who talk about it I know even more who have
suffered major problems. Guys who's propeller and shaft suddenly part
company with the boat; guys who can't wind up the jib because the
upper bearing disintegrated; guys who's throttle or shift cable fall
off because the little cotter pin broke. I even knew a guy who's
warning buzzer kept going off; probably faulty wiring, he thought. It
turned you that it was low oil pressure warning..... because the oil
level was so low.

And that is to ignore those who's exhaust elbow falls off, the exhaust
hose that splits (No, I don't now how old it was... came with the
boat, I guess) and the sheave at the top of the mast falls off because
the shaft was worn through (Oh! you are supposed to grease that?).

While I give maintenance its due I also try to built things that when
all else fails can be repaired with an apron string and some duct
tape.
--
Cheers,

Bruce

"Flying Pig" wrote in message
...

(clip)

However, as I'm thinking about the pickup and straight-checking reality (I
don't have a truck nor the van I used to haul my shaft before), I realize
that the prop shop which does pickup/delivery from Stuart to Ft. Pierce
may ALSO be in the biz of fixing pits.

Turns out they can't do any better than I can; the rudder's out and I'm in
the process of moving it to a stable position so I can work on it. I'll get
out all the prior epoxy possible, and in the process thoroughly roughen any
I can't, in prep for applying (confirmed by the prop shop as the best
solution) the Devcon Plastic Steel Epoxy. Pix to follow.

Now to get out the cutlass and the dripless, still attached to the stern
tube..

Out without an argument; I expect an argument from the cutlass :{))

L8R

Skip and crew, sneaking up on the right time to apply our barrier coat, the
beginning of the end for our time in the yard!!


--
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
See our galleries at www.justpickone.org/skip/gallery !
Follow us at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheFlyingPigLog
and/or http://groups.google.com/group/flyingpiglog

"Believe me, my young friend, there is *nothing*-absolutely nothing-half so
much worth doing as simply messing, messing-about-in-boats; messing about in
boats-or *with* boats.

In or out of 'em, it doesn't matter. Nothing seems really to matter, that's
the charm of it.

Whether you get away, or whether you don't; whether you arrive at your
destination or whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never get
anywhere at all, you're always busy, and you never do anything in
particular; and when you've done it there's always something else to do, and
you can do it if you like, but you'd much better not."