F30 Syntron Shaft Seal

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1

Posted by Bob (rweeks6508@…>)

I have a bigger then a small leak around Syntron shaft seal on my F30. There is
a grease fitting which after reading the manual is says to grease once in a
while. My question however is what happens if the black tube clamped to the
Syntron and the fiberglass tube gives away? What is the damage control? Stuff
rugs, etc down the tube to stop the water?? The Ft Myers boat, Nitro, which I
bought is on its way back to the upper East Coast and is currently in Key West
with some very friends and this is one of many little issues they are trying to
deal with. All this water is draining to the sump under the engine which there
is no outlet to the bilge. I assume there is no outlet so you are not pumping
fuel overboard.

Any comments will be welcomed!

Bob

2

Posted by Lorman, Alvin J. (ajlorman@…>)


Bob:

Best I recall, the Syntron seal is lubricated by water, not grease. Mine has no grease fitting. The black tube between the seal and the fiberglass tube (the shaft log) is all that is keeping your boat afloat. If it looks suspect, you might try wrapping something strong around it and fixing it with hose clamps as a temporary fix.

I don’t see how the water is draining to the engine sump. On my F30, the Syntron seal is well behind the engine sump and can drain through a small hole in the aft edge of the engine sump into the bilge.

Best of luck.

Al Lorman
F30 Ab Initio

-----Original Message-----From: FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com [mailto:FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of BobSent: Tuesday, July 10, 2007 2:29 PMTo: FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.comSubject: [FreedomOwnersGroup] F30 Syntron Shaft Seal

I have a bigger then a small leak around Syntron shaft seal on my F30. There is a grease fitting which after reading the manual is says to grease once in a while. My question however is what happens if the black tube clamped to the Syntron and the fiberglass tube gives away? What is the damage control? Stuff rugs, etc down the tube to stop the water?? The Ft Myers boat, Nitro, which I bought is on its way back to the upper East Coast and is currently in Key West with some very friends and this is one of many little issues they are trying to deal with. All this water is draining to the sump under the engine which there is no outlet to the bilge. I assume there is no outlet so you are not pumping fuel overboard.Any comments will be welcomed!Bob

IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE. Any advice expressed above as to tax matters was neither written nor intended by the sender or Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP to be used and cannot be used by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding tax penalties that may be imposed under U.S. tax law. If any person uses or refers to any such tax advice in promoting, marketing or recommending a partnership or other entity, investment plan or arrangement to any taxpayer, then (i) the advice was written to support the promotion or marketing (by a person other than Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP) of that transaction or matter, and (ii) such taxpayers should seek advice based on the taxpayers particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor.

This email and any files transmitted with it are intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail.

3

Posted by Fargo Rousseau (fargo_r@…>)
Bob:Spent some time on this seal on my F30 and covered four thousand trouble free miles with it after some rehabilitation. I can’t quite be clear were the leak is. 1. Lets us say that there is a leak between the shaft coming from the engine and the opening of the brass Syntron seal housing. This would indicate that the seal itself is leaking. The seal might be damaged…or this could be due to excessive movement of the engine due to weak or broken engine mounts…so I would check them. Could also be due to a sever misalignment of the engine with the shaft. But let us say that it is leaking because the internal seal is damaged or badly worn inside the seal assembly. Would ask: Does the seal heat up when running? Does the leak stop when not turning (sitting at rest)? If it heats…it means that cooling water from the outside is not stirring down into the sealing area inside
the tube. These seals often get filled up with grease (a note from a person who has used industrial seals and read the instructions for this seal…It was never meant to be greased. It was meant to be cooled and lubricated by the liquid behind the seal…in our case, sea water). In my case, leaking was not much of an not an issue…but running hot was. I solved my problem by I flushed out the seal with a non-organic solvent based (water based) degreaser. I attached a fitting ( 1/8 in. pipe to 1/4 " hose barbed fitting) to the outside rim of the seal housing (there are two holes for these on opposite sides of the brass housing). Connected this fitting to a funnel full of this solvent with a long 1/4 " transparent hose…that lead all the way up to the boom (for a head of pressure). Then ran the engine with shaft turning. Within 15 minutes the solvent level started going down, indicating that the packed up grease was moving
out of the seal. I kept pouring in more solvent…until it ran quite freely. Then removed the hose at the seal…and could see water flowing easily out of the seal. I then plumbed this barb fitting to my water intake fitting at the strainer using a T fitting. These is just enough “suction” at this fitting to pull water through the Synton. It works to perfection. Heating is gone. No weeping from the shaft seal… All is now working as this industrial seal was meant to work. I forgive the “GREASERS” out there who believe in greasing their seals… But you might give this a try. When the polished sealing surfaces inside the seal are clean and lubed with water…they keep themselves polished and leak tight…and cool. Now…If you are worried about the connecting hose between the boat and the seal…that is another matter. This is very well reinforced rubber hose with hose clamps at both ends.
The clamps might be loose or broken/corroded to failure. Or, the hose itself could be cut or fracture near the seal. Not so easy to replace this hose coupling. And if you remove the shaft, you will probably have to replace the Synton with a new one… say $500 and 10 weeks…for the part. Don’t let this hose fail. If you think it is really going to fail…then get the boat out of the water. If it looks generally solid and the clamps are good, then you might remove the clams and wrap the hose round and round with a strong cloth tape (yes…super duct tape) and re-clamp…just to get by. AND… keep the wood cover off that part of the bunk…and keep an eye on the seal and hose…OFTEN. And check those engine mounts for excess play when the engine is running…from idle on up. Fargo

4

Posted by Bob Weeks (rweeks6508@…>)



Ok I have read both Alvin’s and
Fargo’s reply and I thank you both. As for the leak it happens only
when the shaft is turning. Today with the 10,000 dollar an hour diesel
mechanic, a new clamp, and some grease (oh no grease but the manual
did say to apply grease every once in awhile) the leak stopped. As for
the drain to the bilge I did not see one under the seal area the other day when
I was cleaning it up from our 30 mile trip down from Ft Myers to FT Myers
Beach. It overflowed over the first hump then down to the sump under the
engine and I definitely did not find a drain there. Oh did I mention the
fuel oil leak? Well that was from the little bleed screw on the secondary
fuel filter being stripped. So the mess under the engine was really
messing. Fortunately I had a new unit and they used the new bleed screw
and washer and everything is spic and span! If you are wondering I am writing
this from the comfort of my living room. I have two friends (I hope they
are still friends) bring the boat to the Stuart, Fla.

I have to read Fargo’s suggestion a
little close because its definitely a little more complicated but for now with
the engine exhaust elbow being replaced and the leak stop the crew can continue
on up the coast in hopes I may see the boat before September (I have limited
time off and I am running out of boat bucks quickly!).

So with several phone calls and a bucket
of money the crew is now back on track and hopefully enjoying some of the Key West sights!

Bob

5

Posted by Lorman, Alvin J. (ajlorman@…>)


Bob:

I’ll take a photo of the hole through which my Syntron leaks can drain and post it here.

Al

-----Original Message-----From: FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com [mailto:FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Bob WeeksSent: Tuesday, July 10, 2007 8:30 PMTo: FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.comSubject: RE: [FreedomOwnersGroup] F30 Syntron Shaft Seal



Ok I have read both Alvin’s and Fargo’s reply and I thank you both. As for the leak it happens only when the shaft is turning. Today with the 10,000 dollar an hour diesel mechanic, a new clamp, and some grease (oh no grease but the manual did say to apply grease every once in awhile) the leak stopped. As for the drain to the bilge I did not see one under the seal area the other day when I was cleaning it up from our 30 mile trip down from Ft Myers to FT Myers Beach. It overflowed over the first hump then down to the sump under the engine and I definitely did not find a drain there. Oh did I mention the fuel oil leak? Well that was from the little bleed screw on the secondary fuel filter being stripped. So the mess under the engine was really messing. Fortunately I had a new unit and they used the new bleed screw and washer and everything is spic and span! If you are wondering I am writing this from the comfort of my living room. I have two friends (I hope they are still friends) bring the boat to the Stuart, Fla.

I have to read Fargo’s suggestion a little close because its definitely a little more complicated but for now with the engine exhaust elbow being replaced and the leak stop the crew can continue on up the coast in hopes I may see the boat before September (I have limited time off and I am running out of boat bucks quickly!).

So with several phone calls and a bucket of money the crew is now back on track and hopefully enjoying some of the Key West sights!

Bob

\

IRS CIRCULAR 230 NOTICE. Any advice expressed above as to tax matters was neither written nor intended by the sender or Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP to be used and cannot be used by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding tax penalties that may be imposed under U.S. tax law. If any person uses or refers to any such tax advice in promoting, marketing or recommending a partnership or other entity, investment plan or arrangement to any taxpayer, then (i) the advice was written to support the promotion or marketing (by a person other than Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP) of that transaction or matter, and (ii) such taxpayers should seek advice based on the taxpayers particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor.

This email and any files transmitted with it are intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail.

6

Posted by George Huffman (thatboatguy2@…>)

Hey Bob,

I’m just wondering, is your mast hight greater than 50 feet or is the
corp working on one of the locks? The Okeechobee waterway seems ready
made to get your boat from Ft Myers to Stuart.

George

7

Posted by Bob Weeks (rweeks6508@…>)



Yes that would have been the optimal
route, however one of the locks is closed for “Manatee” protection
rebuilding whatever so the waterway is closed until the end of the month.

Bob





From: FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of George Huffman
Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2007 11:52
PM
To:
FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [FreedomOwnersGroup] Re:
F30 Syntron Shaft Seal




Hey Bob,

I’m just wondering, is your mast hight greater than 50 feet or is the
corp working on one of the locks? The Okeechobee waterway seems ready
made to get your boat from Ft Myers to Stuart.

George

\