Leaking Shaft Seal, F38

[Ereiss]

Just got a disturbing call from Paul Dennis to tell me that my new to me F38 has to have the shaft seal and probably shaft replaced, in addition to engine mounts and fuel lines. Can anyone provide a recommendation for a good mechanic in the Narragansett area to take on this work? Paul has suggested Cove Haven Marine which he says is Yanmar certified but expensive.

Any advice other than getting some "boat bucks" ready?

Thanks (UGH!!!)

[GeoffSchultz]

I don't have an answer for your mechanic question, but what's the matter with your shaft?

-- Geoff

[DaysailorJ]

I had to get a shaft replacement after I arrived in PR, due to the yard in Little Creek, VA, trying to haul my F40 with the aft strap lifting the wholestern by the shaft! It was only bent a little (maybe 0.010 inch), but over time, it was enough to distort the seal, and the shaft started knocking around like crazy. Once the seal deteriorates, if you run the engine for a more than a few minutes, I'm sure the vibrations would wreak havoc with anything nearby, like engine mounts and fuel lines. The labor wasn't actually bad for the shaft R&R, it only took an hour each way, but the new shaft ran about $800, and I had to haul the boat and pay for 10 lay days in the yard while they waited to get a new shaft shipped from Miami. To compound matters, the local prop guy didn't have experience with a Max Prop, and he screwed up the settings. After two weeks of looking at smoke and oil whenever I put the boat in gear, and thinking I had a major engine problem, we traced the mess back to the prop pitch angle, and of course there was no diver/mechanic around, so we had to pull the boat again just to reset the prop pitch.

Bottom line, be thankful Paul caught the problem, and make sure no one screws up your prop pitch, if it adjustable.

John

[Ereiss]

Geoff;

Paul Dennis anticipates that the seal has probably worn a groove in the shaft, won't know until we actually see after the seal is removed.

I don't have an answer for your mechanic question, but what's the matter with your shaft?

-- Geoff

[macks]

Regarding the shaft seal. If you can, ditch the FMC seal and install a PYI Shaft Seal. I was able to install one on my F36 and never looked back. The PYI is a face seal that seals to itself, not the shaft. Hence, no shaft wear. You can reuse the existing worn shaft if the worn section is not in a narrow defined critical aarea for the PYI seal.

[JimD]

I agree that if you can switch to a PYI go for it. To get it to fit I needed to have a new shaft made with a butt cut for the key way. It was done over ten years ago and I've never regretted it. Two years ago I repowered and att I had them replace the bellows. The old bellows was still in good shape, but as long as we were pulling the old engine it seem like a smart thing to do.

Jim Demerest
F36/38 Lady of Remes