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water lubricated stern gland


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Sorry have been unable to reply sooner but no connection. The seal was 3 years old and done about 4000 hours.

Paul

 

 

Post edited by Panda julienne Missing l

Thanks for info. 4000hrs is very good I would have thought.

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Thanks for info. 4000hrs is very good I would have thought.

I am just fitting another one of these, £104. Second one in 12 months. Reason as far as I can see, engine mounting had come loose. Have now added a RMD flexi between gearbox and shaft, funnily enough, old seal has stopped bloody leaking

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I am just fitting another one of these, £104. Second one in 12 months. Reason as far as I can see, engine mounting had come loose. Have now added a RMD flexi between gearbox and shaft, funnily enough, old seal has stopped bloody leaking

Interesting. Despite being told on numerous occasions that there should be no flexible coupling with the Vetus setup, the guy who installed ours always uses an R & D coupling between the box and shaft. He must have his reasons because they are not cheap.

 

Out of interest, do you change them afloat?

Edited by Guest
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Interesting. Despite being told on numerous occasions that there should be no flexible coupling with the Vetus setup, the guy who installed ours always uses an R & D coupling between the box and shaft. He must have his reasons because they are not cheap.

 

Out of interest, do you change them afloat?

Let me tell you, the difference is amazing, it was £62, and worth every penny of it, yes, I change them whilst afloat, takes 20 mins

Edited by jenlyn
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Let me tell you, the difference is amazing, it was £62, and worth every penny of it

I like R & D couplings, the last baot had one too. What differences have you observed?

 

And did much water come into the boat?

 

Thanks

Edited by Guest
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I like R & D couplings, the last baot had one too. What differences have you observed?

 

And did much water come into the boat?

 

Thanks

About a third of a litre came in. Difference with R&D, engine noise lowered substantialy, does not clunk when engaging gear

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So you've both got R&D couplings between your gearbox and prop shaft? (Liverpool boat with PRM 150 and Vetus water lubricated stern gland). I don't notice significant engine noise on my Isuzu 55 or any clunkiness when engaging gear. Is it worth me fitting an R&D coupling? What else is it supposed to do exactly?

 

I've found the website http://www.randdmarine.com/flexiblesc.asp

 

I can't figure out if the thickness of the coupling puts any extra length on your propshaft or does the shaft go through it? If you install an R&D coupling does it mean you get rid of the existing coupling?

Edited by blackrose
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So you've both got R&D couplings between your gearbox and prop shaft? (Liverpool boat with PRM 150 and Vetus water lubricated stern gland). I don't notice significant engine noise on my Isuzu 55 or any clunkiness when engaging gear. Is it worth me fitting an R&D coupling? What else is it supposed to do exactly?

 

I've found the website http://www.randdmarine.com/flexiblesc.asp

 

I can't figure out if the thickness of the coupling puts any extra length on your propshaft or does the shaft go through it? If you install an R&D coupling does it mean you get rid of the existing coupling?

It goes between the Dcup and the gearbox, takes about half an hour to do and is roughly an inch thick. It makes it much easier to align the engine to the propshaft as well. My engine I thought was quite quiet, but now, I can hardly hear it inside the boat when its running. Its well worth doing mike, it also gives the seal a longer life evidently.

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This is how mine is set up. I hadn't really thought about it taking some of the clunk out of the gearbox,but suspect that is why the fitter used it; the Vetus gearbox does "clunk" when engaging drive. I agree it makes engine alignment easier too.

 

I have been told in the past that the Vetus setup shouldn't have a flexible fitted, but it has been OK to date.

 

Interesting that only a small amount of water came on board. I have read warnings to expect a torrent of water coming into the engine room should the seal fail :) It doesn't surprise me TBH because the cutlass bearing only has very small slots (for the want of a better word) to allow water lubrication.

 

I wasn't too sure about the Vetus setup for a long time, but as time has gone on it has grown on me. It is far quieter than the conventional setup on my previous boat. I am at a stage now where if I was buying another boat it wouldn't bother me either way if it had a conventional or a Vetus setup.

 

S4020060.jpg

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Does the prop shaft go through the centre of the R&D coupling, or does it stop at the face of it?

 

We have a vetus shaft and PRM gearbox, The prop shaft goes through the existing coupling up to the face of the gearbox plate - thus if the propshaft can not go through the R&D coupling it would in effect extend our prop shaft by its (R&D coupling) thickness, though I do not know if this would be an issue (any comments anyone?).

 

Martin

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Does the prop shaft go through the centre of the R&D coupling, or does it stop at the face of it?

 

We have a vetus shaft and PRM gearbox, The prop shaft goes through the existing coupling up to the face of the gearbox plate - thus if the propshaft can not go through the R&D coupling it would in effect extend our prop shaft by its (R&D coupling) thickness, though I do not know if this would be an issue (any comments anyone?).

 

Martin

 

The prop shaft cannot go through the R&D coupling.

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What am I missing ?

The bit that went through the coupling wouldn't actually be attached to the gearbox, it would be attached to the coupling. It would reach the gearbox, but not be attached to it.

 

Whether or not it's possible is of course another matter entirely ;)

 

Tony

 

The coupling on Wot Ever looks like this - anyone know what it is?

gearbox.jpg

 

Of course that engine is the wrong colour. It should be yellow.

 

Tony

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The coupling on Wot Ever looks like this - anyone know what it is?

 

I know what it is...its a Centaflex. On it somewhere you will see a small 'VETUS' stamp. Centaflex Have now upped the spec and included a failsafe if the rubber shears. Vetus still sell centa couplings as uniflex.

 

Vetus uniflex couplings

 

http://www.frenchmarine.com/product/Vetus-Uniflex-16-Flexible-couplings-771-136

 

and Centaflex

 

http://www.centa.info/?show=products&c=uk&nr=40

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Yes , as I said they have added the failsafe stuff. extra lugs on the alum casting to take a big steel ring that bothe provides emergency drive and stops it all flying apart.

 

Ours was the same as yours until it sheared and came apart this year on the Paddington arm. I have since bought a new centaflex and was gobsmacked to find that its exactly the same coupling as my old one but with these additional bits.

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Its still there exactly the same - its just that its now shrouded by all that extra gubbins. There are four steel cubes allen screwed to the old centre hub for emergency drive using the cut outs in the new steel plate. The casting lug that the plate is bolted to and the 1" wide ring of casting its sitting on are additional.

 

Vetus add a couple of hundred quid in the process of getting it in their catalogue by the way.

Edited by Evo
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Does the prop shaft go through the centre of the R&D coupling, or does it stop at the face of it?

 

We have a vetus shaft and PRM gearbox, The prop shaft goes through the existing coupling up to the face of the gearbox plate - thus if the propshaft can not go through the R&D coupling it would in effect extend our prop shaft by its (R&D coupling) thickness, though I do not know if this would be an issue (any comments anyone?).

 

Martin

My prop shaft does not pass through the coupling, but am unsure if it could owing to the failsafe strap. I think the shaft might be able to pass into the coupling a little, but wouldn't like to guess how much. If notI suppose the alternatives are to either push the shaft back a little, or cut a bit off the shaft with a large angle grinder. IIRC the shaft shouldn't protrude out of the tube (prop side) by more than 1.5 times the dia of the shaft. No doubt somebody will be along to correct me ;)

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We have a vetus shaft and PRM gearbox, The prop shaft goes through the existing coupling up to the face of the gearbox plate - thus if the propshaft can not go through the R&D coupling it would in effect extend our prop shaft by its (R&D coupling) thickness, though I do not know if this would be an issue (any comments anyone?).

 

Martin

 

Like Martin I would like to know how (assuming the shaft was extended by about an inch - the thickness of the R&D coupling), what effect pushing the prop back by an inch would have? I can't see myself chopping an inch off the prop shaft with an angle grinder in the engine hole. Can you imagine the mess?

 

For those who've fitted an R&D coupling on their boats, how did pushing back the prop affect the performance?

 

I'll have to look at my existing (non-flexible) prop shaft coupling. Perhaps the prop shaft can go further into it?

Edited by blackrose
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