PSS shaft seal

[red68yota]

Hi - I’m trying to track down the source of a water leak into my bilge. I suspected the shaft seal packing but found a PSS seal with no apparent way to tighten??

The hose clamps are tight, but the hose end closest to the PSS part can move around quite easily. It can move up/down/side/side and if I compress the boot a gap opens up between the PSS part and whatever is clamped down inside the rubber boot. Is this normal? I’m going to take it down to the lake and see if water comes in the boat from the boot. Not sure how to adjust - I loosened the set screws on the PSS part but it doesn’t budge. Is that how the seal is adjusted? Just push the PSS part up against the boot and tighten it down with some boot compression?

Thanks!

[IDBoating]

Each hole has TWO set screws, one atop the other. Completely remove the first set screw from both holes, then loosen the second set screw in each hole to adjust the pressure on the seal. Retighten the first two screws, then reinstall the top screw in each hole to back up the primary set screws. Blue (medium) Loktite is a good idea on the set screws.

Report back!

[red68yota]

Amazing! Never would have thought there were two screws!

So I just need to compress the boot a little before tightening? About how much? Thank you!

[red68yota]

On the lake now and can’t get the seal to stop dripping. Is this style of seal a ‘dripless’?

It’s about one drop every 5 seconds while in neutral. Can’t really tell while underway, the water is spraying off the seal.

Edit: now the drip in neutral is about once every 10sec.

[red68yota]

I did notice that the stationary side of the seal was not very smooth, it had some annular ridges. Not really rough, but not perfectly smooth either.

[boatwakes]

Pss seals have a life expectancy of about 5 years. Time to replace.

[TeamAllen]

Some of these videos and FAQs might help. They make a rebuild kit.
https://www.pyiinc.com/videos.html
https://www.shaftseal.com/pss-maintenance-kit.html

[red68yota]

Some of these videos and FAQs might help. They make a rebuild kit.
https://www.pyiinc.com/videos.html
https://www.shaftseal.com/pss-maintenance-kit.html

Thanks for the links!

[Jetdriver]

For 1 1/8” shafts the compression you need is 3/4”.
It is easiest to adjust with two people, one to push the collar down and one to tighten it onto the shaft.
If you see a hose connected to it then it shouldn’t drip into the boat. If no hose it should.

[red68yota]

No hose on my seal so I guess I can expect some drips. I’m planning to clean up the surface with 600 grit sandpaper as well. Thanks everyone!

[IDBoating]

No hose on my seal so I guess I can expect some drips.

FWIW, my 24Ve originally came with the "dry" version of the PSS seal. It didn't drip at all, but ballasted for surfing an air pocket would form under the hull, at the seal, and cause the most horrific whining/grinding sound because the seal relies on water for lubrication between the carbon and stainless faces. Discussions with PSS revealed that they specifically recommended the "wet" version for boats like ours; not sure why Tige was using the "dry" version back then but it's my understanding that they've since moved to the "wet" version.

In my case, I replaced the factory "dry" version with the "wet" version (PSS sells a kit so you don't have to pay for shared components). Bingo - no more seal noise, ever. Not even once. The old seal was scarred pretty badly from running dry, too.

[IDBoating]

Pss seals have a life expectancy of about 5 years. Time to replace.

If you follow boatwakes' advice (listening to him is ALWAYS a good idea!), I strongly recommend replacing with the "wet" version of the PSS seal for the reasons I mentioned immediately above.

[KoolAid]

If you follow boatwakes' advice (listening to him is ALWAYS a good idea!), I strongly recommend replacing with the "wet" version of the PSS seal for the reasons I mentioned immediately above.

Exactly this. Currently wet systems are used. There was a recall on the last year Tige used PSS (2014 i think). PSS went out of the country for parts and they were no where near as good as the original units. Not sure how they are now.