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[paul gutteridge]

Hi all
Has anyone had water dripping from
The inner prop shaft tubes of a twin screw tug
Smitt rotterdam if so can you explain how to maybe stop the water please

Thanks paul

[Vidion]

while i dont have the smit myself, i'd think the usual way is to use grease,  its what i use on the boats
i squirt some grease with a sirynge in the tube, hold my finger on 1 end and gently insert the shaft.
i plug it with a finger so i wont just push out the grease, but "force" it in the space between inner and outer tube, bearing will hold it in tube then, possible a washer also.

[Colin Bishop]

Paul,
 
This is quite common and nothing to worry about provided that large quantities of water are not coming in. You can reduce the amount in two ways.
 
Fill the tubes with an oil/grease mixture (best not to use just grease as it can cause binding of the shafts). Everyone has their own idea of the best mixture to use!
 
Put a washer on the shaft between the propeller or (lock nut if fitted) and outboard end of the tube. This will help seal the tube when the boat is going ahead.
 
Other tips are to ensure that there is only the minimum amount of play needed for the shaft to revolve freely, i.e. you can't move it backwards and forwards by more than 1mm or so and to construct a drip tray under the inboard end of the tubes to catch any water that does come aboard.
 
Colin
 

[Rottweiler]

From the description you have described it seems to me the shafts simply want re greasing.The way I have always done it,is to disconnect the shaft from the motor,withdraw from the propellor end.I then use a syringe filled with grease,and putting my finger firmly over the inboard end of the shaft,squeeze the grease in from the prop end,until your finger cant hold it back any more.Wipe of the excess grease,and reinsert the shaft from the prop end,keeping your finger on the inboard end until the shaft comes through.Again wipe of the excess,reconnect to the motor,and hopefully your problem will be solved.
Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Mick

[Nordlys]

These three replies, although similar, I find very helpful and to the point.
I had a shaft seize up on my boat last week -a burr had formed on the shaft midway along shaft/tube somehow(?).
Put grease in the tube only to push most of it out again with the shaft!
Didn't put my finger over the end!
Simple.
N

[scalespeedonly]

Hi Paul, just one more thought, the others are all good ideas, I use a Marine grease mixture, marine grease is more water proof and less likely to be carried away by the water. I have several tugs where the shafts are completely submerged under the waterline so I bring a towel to dry the hulls out.

[paul gutteridge]

thank you all for all your great comments have taken them on board
i will be trying them out on the model
 
thanks paul

[Bob K]

This has been a useful thread, thank you for raising it Paul.

[sparkey]

  A good idea is to carry in your boat kit a turkey baster,the one with the rubber bubble, it sucks up any water that gets in the boat.
Don't let the wife find out as she might need it for Christmas!. Ray

[scalespeedonly]

Yes, thats a great idea, turkey baster. we don't like turkey that much, so I might get away with it.

[craggle]

Indeed a useful thread.


My boat has the prop and motor all under the waterline and the one time I did sail it I did get a little bit of water in the bottom. Last Friday though I found some petri-dishes at work and thought they look useful, so stuck one under the end of the prop and coupling so if any water comes in I'll see it and be able to mop it up before it travels under the batteries.


Wouldn't have thought of it if I hadn't read this so cheers. 


Craig.

[chris_suffolk]

Same idea  - have glassed a couple of bulkheads under the tubes and couplings to retain any water that gets in. Syringe with tubing attached should sort the water, in a similar way to using a turkey baster, but smaller, and doesn't get me into bother with SWMBO

Chris

[triumphjon]

turkey basters are quite cheap and available form wilkinsons for under two pounds ! i have one just for my models that lives in my combined tool / transmitter box , also saves me earache from swmbo by nicking hers when i go boating ! ! jon

[john44]

Some interesting ideas,
I always fit an oiler,  either a soldered brass tube during build or one
of the clamp on type, the latter can be fitted easily after build if there
is enough room for the clamp.
I just fit the clamp, partially remove the shaft and drill a hole down through
the oiler/grease nipple,then refit the shaft, shove a piece of tube over the
nipple and fill down the tube.
 I use a mixture of hypoid/gearbox oil and vasoline, a small syringe
to fill through the tube.

john

[trawlerman]

I always fix a grease nipple on to the prop tube and before i go to the lake i just give it a couple of pumps and i,ve never had any trouble with drips. I sail at Fleetwood which is salt water so i use a marine salt water resistant grease     Rod

[Neil]

i,ve never had any trouble with drips.

not wot you were telling me the other day when you came inspecting my lifeboats like a BOT surveyer...................Or are they the wrong sort of Drips

[paul gutteridge]

drip drip drip from the prop shafts