I installed a drip less shaft seal about 7 or 8 years ago when I replaced my
cutlass bearing. Like Josh said I opted to not install the vent hose, it came
with a nylon plug. It has worked flawlessly. I burp the air out on launch and
if I get air bubbles in the hose for any reason I can clearly hear a chirping
noise and burp it again but that is infrequent if at all. I know they are
supposed to be replaced as a precaution but I inspect it often and it looks
like new. The motor seldom gets used other than to clear the dock so it hasn’t
got many hours on it. If I were doing it again, I would just replace the hose
and use new packing. Like others have said, the shaft seal isn’t the only
source of water in the bilge so fwiw I wouldn’t bother if I were doing it
again.
BUT many of us have 30+ year old boats with the original rubber stuffing box
hose plus other old hoses. You have to ask yourself do you trust $5 worth of
old rubber hose to hold the water out? Crazy Legs has 3 sink drains, 2 sea
water intakes plus the stuffing box. Don’t forget the old rubber poo hose and
fuel hose! Put your hand up if you have original rubber hose somewhere! Check
yours out, mine had cracks along the surface of the hoses and I wasn’t
comfortable leaving it that way.
Len Mitchell
SV Crazy Legs
1989 37 +
Midland On
Sent from my iPad
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