Shaft log oh shit.

[john]

Got one of the calls I cringe about. Shaft log broken water fitting. Interesting shaft log. Seems it’s a traditional packing with raw water fitting on it. It’s a 36 Riviera. I’ve don’t shaft log changes in the water. My question is do you think I can just put splash zone on it until the next haul out? It will have to come out to repair it. I’ve already tried a ez out and it didn’t work. The pic is the starboard shaft packing gland. The 90 degree fitting is sheared off flush on the port shaft.

Topic

[David Amble]

That shaft log looks like an early Riviera, circa mid 90s, as the bilge is painted grey. From about that time on, Rivieras had/have white bilges. I had a ’98 Riviera 36 and then a ’99 Riviera 43. The same design shaft log was fitted to both albeit different sizes for the different shaft size. The water supply is not there to specifically lubricate the packing but more so to lubricate and cool the forward cutlass bearing located in the hull just aft of where the rubber hose connects to the hull. The bearing is accessed from outside the boat when the boat is out of the water and the shaft removed. You will probably be ok using the boat off the plane at low speed without the water supply but you will probably cook the bearing if you run the boat on the plane without it.
I attach a photo of the shaft log arrangement that was on my 43 Riv.

[Clark Leighs]

Personally if the boat is in any danger from the leak I would find out for sure whether or not the yard will haul you out. They may not want you anywhere near them nor will they go aboard but the lift and blocking and you standing way off to the side and out of the way they may lift you.

But find out, stop guessing.

[john]

At this moment I don’t think we can even haul the boat with this corona virus stuff going on. Trying to figure out why this particular packing. Gland needs water flow and say a buck Algonquin doesn’t. It looks like a traditional packing. To do any work on it it needs to come off as the not
That thick thick and you but against the shaft. I want to just epoxy the hole with splash zone.

[donald roth]

Maybe over bore, then bush back down to size?
As long as you’re in there drilling and tapping, set a stud to properly fasten that bonding wire!

[john]

The material where it sheared is relatively thin there and goes right to the prop shaft.

[Rob Schepis]

Probably dezincification of a brass fitting with high Zn content?

I would prefer a mechanical repair – Can you drill and re-tap it ?

[Author]

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