Seal direction, please help. This is the only thing hanging up my install!

[ksw144]

Is this seal installed facing the correct direction? I can't tell from the shop manual. based on the manual, it looks like it's facing the wrong way, but the other way would be backwards to my thought on it.

Thanks,

KW

 

[Dr Honda]

Looks backward. The lip should be facing out, (on both ends) and the metal can should be by the bearing... like this:

 

[ksw144]

So this reply was just a tad too late for my impatience. I installed the seal, which is a standard rubber type with a spring tensioner wrapped around it. One side has a flat surface, and the other side is hollow. The hollow end with the tensioner around the rubber seal surface is the one I installed facing the bearing. It's like a pinion seal, and the concave side faces the oil. That's the only thing that made sense to me.

In the attached picture, this is the side I placed facing the bearing (inside of the carrier). What do you think? Should I be ordering a new seal? Sigh...

I doubt I'll get this one out without damaging it.

KW

 

[ksw144]

On a side note, this seal is just a picture of a similar style, it's not the actual one.

KW

 

[Dr Honda]

On a standard type seal... the spring should face out. I know that sounds wrong... but you aren't really sealing the grease in... you are sealing the water out.

Like this...

 

[ksw144]

well son of a gun... I guess I'm ordering a new seal... That's a bummer.

 

[ksw144]

Doc, you're a rock star on here, thanks for the help.

It seems to me that this side of the seal is only to keep residual water that's inside the hull from getting into the bearing. The seal on the other side is the one that keeps water from the lake out of the boat. If I'm correct, then I don't need to rush order a new seal to get it working for this weekend, right?

Will this cause me any serious issues if I just run it this way once or twice until the new seal gets here?

What do you think Dr Honda?

Thanks,

Kyle

 

[Dr Honda]

OK... most seals are designed to seal in one direction. (well... hold pressure in one direction)

By facing both seals out... the seal toward the pump will hold any water pressure out of the bearing. The seal on the hull side is to keep the pump from sucking the grease out of the bearing. By running the hull side seal backward... you may suck all the grease out, and you may have cavatation issues.

Since it's a brand new seal... you could probably get away with it for a couple uses. Just bring a grease gun with you, and make sure you keep the seal pack greased.

 

[ksw144]

That makes a lot of sense Doc, I'm going to order the new seal standard shipping, see if I can get my stereo finished for the weekend, and make a test run to check for water in the boat. At least with the new correct seal on the pump side I should be keeping water out, which is my number 1 concern right now...

Thanks for the explanation, I'm slowly wrapping my head around the way this thing works.

 

[ksw144]

BTW, is your bimini the six footer?

 

[Dr Honda]

BTW, is your bimini the six footer?

Yes. 6' long, 46" tall and 75" wide. but... I recommend going 83" to 85" wide. It will fit better folded back.