[Public-List] Shaft logs, little clearance for prop shaft?

[Jeffrey]

I've got the stern tube and shaft log out so I can replace the cutlass
bearing & stuffing box hose.  Dealing with removing the mounds of
caulking in there now.

One thing I noticed is that there's not much clearance around the
shaft as it sits in the shaft log (what I'm calling the tube that
threads into the outer stern tube). I'm measuring the inside of that
tube barely over an inch. 1 1/16 at best since it is not perfectly
round. That's not much room around a 7/8 shaft. Is this typical?  I
suppose it works, the shaft looks fine.  Anyone else take a
measurement when it was apart?

Part of the project is getting a better match between the shaft log
and stuffing box outside diameter for proper clamping. I decided on
the epoxy/fiberglass wrap method. I talked it over with the guys at
West and while plain epoxy when adhered to bronze will fail by shear
at 3000lbs, it has a compressive strength of over 11,000lbs when
fiberglass cloth is added.

-jeff


Jeff Fongemie
#116 Seagrass

http://picasaweb.google.com/fongemie