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output shaft coupling

Discussion in 'Technical Discussion' started by Wireless, Jun 28, 2012.

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  1. Wireless, Jul 17, 2012
    #21
    Wireless

    Wireless Senior Member

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    There were plenty of KY Jelly jokes around here. Everyone laughed except my employer.
    There was a discussion about the $70k retrofit kit recommended by the OEM that included plumbed seawater. Everyone laughed and I didn't even discuss it with the owner.

    A bit of serious advise for the others reading,
    No matter how your regard the contractors, you can't go to a boatyard to do shipyard work.
  2. Wireless, Jul 18, 2012
    #22
    Wireless

    Wireless Senior Member

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    K1W1

    Just got to take a minute to say thank you for the great guidance you provide. Your advise has proven itself to be very accurate and well thought out.

    Your contribution(s) to this forum is one of the main reasons I now use it as my main reference for things nautical.
  3. Marmot, Jul 18, 2012
    #23
    Marmot

    Marmot Senior Member

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    Are you absolutely certain your installation is not the version that uses conventional shaft packing with no water lubrication but has a fitting not too far aft where a grease fitting is (or should be) connected?

    That type uses a WS grease to fill the space between the shaft and the housing and retains the grease (and prevents water intrusion at the forward end) by way of a conventional packing gland.

    When and how was that gland packed last time (assuming it is the style I am referring to)?
  4. Wireless, Jul 18, 2012
    #24
    Wireless

    Wireless Senior Member

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    Marmot,

    You hit it to a tee. You are precise in your description of our Hundested Model FROA installation.

    My problem is that none of the OEM specified WS greases (with -0 suffixes) are available through conventional distribution channels. The widespread shift to first lithium and then moly as a carrier instead of sodium followed by the demise of the Texaco Marfax label has left me without a source.

    Hundested has recommended a few alternative greases but none are WS which is a key component of all its printed literature.

    My shaft was out this winter and was repacked inside and out with Mobillux EP-2 (on Hundesteds recomendation). It has proven unpumpable and does not emulsify to the degree needed to lubricate my flax.

    I am currently considering changing my packing to Duramax X Ultra in addition to a more appropriate, if not correct, grease.

    All this needs to come together quickly since I am weeks overdue to flee the Caribbean...
  5. Marmot, Jul 18, 2012
    #25
    Marmot

    Marmot Senior Member

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  6. Capt J, Jul 18, 2012
    #26
    Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Is it possible to switch to a different type of packing that doesn't need a lot of seawater flow for cooling it. Such as Teflon based or GFO?
  7. K1W1, Jul 27, 2013
    #27
    K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    Hi,

    Wireless - What was the final outcome of all this kurfufel?
  8. Wireless, Jul 31, 2013
    #28
    Wireless

    Wireless Senior Member

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    Hola,

    What a kafuffle indeed! In the end we gave up on trying to find a water-soluble grease that met the specifications demanded in the Hundestad literature. For their part Hundestad recommended updating the system to a more modern unit with conventional water lubricated packing for a cost of +/- $40k.

    Our solution, at least for now, was to shift to Duramax packing, which according to Dupont can function properly with "virtually" no water and to loosen the packing to the point where pumping the reservoir allows the gooy mess to ooze out through the packing (and stern gland) providing the necessary lubrication.

    Turns out part of the elevated temperature was due to a mis-allignment of the engine. Once that was corrected temperatures remained slightly elevated but close enough that I was instructed to "carry on"

    THe whole experience resulted in a bit of a rift between myself and the owner...
  9. K1W1, Jul 31, 2013
    #29
    K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    Hi, was that the look for a new job kind of rift?
  10. Wireless, Jul 31, 2013
    #30
    Wireless

    Wireless Senior Member

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    Hola K1W1,

    The "rift" would probably have been a "looking for another job" if my sentence hadn't been nearing full term anyway. Months before, I had been instructed to prepare both of my employers boats for hand-off to brokerages so for me it was just a matter of sucking it up a little while longer rather than parting ways in the middle of something.

    Being laid up for hurricane season in Fajardo gave me the perfect out. I'm now under a contract to restore a small 1960 vintage fibreglass sailboat for a client in my native Nova Scotia.
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