Does anyone know what this is?

[kayDee]

Hi all...

Does anyone know what this thing is that goes into the stern gear?

I've been told it either needs tightening or slackening off before sailing? Which one is right?

Any advice on it's use appreciated!

Thank you!

 

[Biggles]

Hello

 

Its a stern greaser. It is used to force grease into the stern gear. It needs a twist every so often. Mine is accessible all the time and I do a 1/4 turn every couple of hours or so.

 

Biggles

[denboy]

its the greaser it needs to be screwed in at the end of the days cruising a couple of turns to inject grease into the stern tube were water can seap in to the bilge

doh beat me to it

anyways further to that were the plastic pipe goes in the top of the tube you will notice 2 x nuts these require tightening up every so often esp if you get a fair ammount of water seeping in tighten them evenly 1/2 a turn at a time till you can just spin the propshaft by hand do not over tighten them

Edited September 14, 2008 by denboy

[kayDee]

Thank you for that people, I thought it was something like that.

So, a few turns once a day is okay? I was going to say a few "screws" once a day but thought better of it! :-)

Is there a particular type of grease I need to be stocking it up with when it gets low?

Thank you :-)

[MartinClark]

I've been told it either needs tightening or slackening off before sailing? Which one is right?

Any advice on it's use appreciated!

 

The prop is on the outside of the boat. The engine is on the inside. They are connected by the prop shaft, which turns rapidly and makes the prop rotate so that the boat is moved along.

 

The prop shaft passes out through the back of the boat (under the water) through a tube. The prop shaft has to be able to turn freely in this tube so the tube is packed with grease (which acts as a lubricant). If there is not enough grease in the tube, water will leak in alongside the prop shaft and start to fill up the back of the boat.

 

The thing in the photo is the stern tube greaser, which squirts grease into the stern tube to keep the water out. It needs to be turned a quarter turn (or until it starts to feel stiff) ideally at the beginning and end of a day.

 

I am not at all mechanical so I hope this explains it in understandable language!

[alan_fincher]

Yes,

 

It needs a special marine grease designed for use in stern tubes.

 

Morris oils make one of the ones found most often (Can is blue and yellow, I think).

 

It's hard to tell, because it's pictured from above, but it looks close to needing refilling.

 

It's usual to tighten it at the end of a days cruising. If your stern gear is in good order, it seldom needs more than a turn or two. It goes tight when you've done enough.

 

If you've not been doing it, the first time might need lots of turns though!

 

Alan

[Tillerman]

It looks pretty close to needing topping up.

To do this undue the "tap" by turning anti clockwise until you can see the screw thread, this will release the plunger.

You will then need to unscrew the top (in your one its the part that is under the tap, shaped like a flower..-best way to describe it!)

You will then need to fill the tube with grease - wear some gloves and then when its almost full put everything back together again.

Simple really.

[gooseman]

you need to use a "water resitant greese", morris lubricants version is K99, sold in small tins, for about £4 (ish). not sure what the other versions might be, we only stock morris lubricants

[Big COL]

It looks pretty close to needing topping up.

To do this undue the "tap" by turning anti clockwise until you can see the screw thread, this will release the plunger.

You will then need to unscrew the top (in your one its the part that is under the tap, shaped like a flower..-best way to describe it!)

You will then need to fill the tube with grease - wear some gloves and then when its almost full put everything back together again.

Simple really.

 

 

But not the way to fill a greaser.

[alan_fincher]

But not the way to fill a greaser.

Indeed,

 

It can easily be refilled, with no air pockets, and no gloves required!

 

The trouble is everyone things their own way is the correct way, whereas I know mine is.

[Yoda]

Please, she asked a simple question.

[RobinJ]

It looks pretty close to needing topping up.

To do this undue the "tap" by turning anti clockwise until you can see the screw thread, this will release the plunger.

You will then need to unscrew the top (in your one its the part that is under the tap, shaped like a flower..-best way to describe it!)

You will then need to fill the tube with grease - wear some gloves and then when its almost full put everything back together again.

If you remove the lid on a tin of grease, you will see that that disc with the hole in the middle?

 

Get a good grip on the whole brass cylinder and unscrew the lot!

Remove the 'flowery' bit from the top of the cylinder and screw the 'tap' back until the plunger meets the lid.

Stick cylinder in top of grease tin and push until grease reaches top of cylinder.

Screw 'flowery' bit with tap back onto cylinder.

Return the whole thing, now full of grease, back into where it came from!

[bottle]

I agree with Robin, in as far as removing whole cylinder from the base.

 

I then place cylinder over hole in grease can and whilst apply downward pressure unwind the the plunger.

 

Variation on a theme.

 

As for how to 'adjust', at the end of the day, wind down until resistance is felt, then one complete turn.

[RichardH]

Another way (especially from a large tin of grease). From the empty (i.e. screwed completely in position) is to spoon the grease in slowly and then wind up a little. You will see the grease being pulled up the shaft of the stern greaser. Spoon some more in and repeat until completely wound out.

 

Saves air pockets occuring.

[alan_fincher]

I agree with Robin, in as far as removing whole cylinder from the base.

 

I then place cylinder over hole in grease can and whilst apply downward pressure unwind the the plunger.

 

Variation on a theme.

 

As for how to 'adjust', at the end of the day, wind down until resistance is felt, then one complete turn.

I agree with filling method - by far the best, I think.

 

But if you can achieve "one complete turn" on mine after the point resistance is felt, you have (very) much stronger wrists than I.

 

If you can still keep turning even when you've done your "one extra turn", it's probably adjusted loose, or just worn out!

[stort_mark]

Could this thread conceivably start a whole line of "How many boaters does it take to grease your stern?" jokes?

[bottle]

I agree with filling method - by far the best, I think.

 

But if you can achieve "one complete turn" on mine after the point resistance is felt, you have (very) much stronger wrists than I.

 

If you can still keep turning even when you've done your "one extra turn", it's probably adjusted loose, or just worn out!

 

Alan

 

My experience, till now, has only been hire boats (and one private) I could have made more turns but grease was exiting the gland.

[sueb]

And you haven't started on repacking.

Sue

[Machpoint005]

The number of turns required daily clearly depends on how well packed the stern gland is. If you twist the handle - say half or a full turn - and grease blobs out of the gland into the bilge below (or in my case, a strategically-placed margarine tub) then you've probably put a little too much of a turn on.

 

Once the whole thing is working properly, a full turn after a full day's cruising is the most it should need.

[kayDee]

Crumbs!

I will try and remember all that...

I will have to unscrew it and see how much is in it. I'll also check that non of it squirts out from the tube as I screw it! (this wording is BAD!)

I'll search eBay for some marine grease that's waterproof.

Thanks for all your help people!

Kay

x

[alan_fincher]

You can tell roughly how much is in it, by how much of the screw thread is showing.

 

If there is nearly as much screw thread showing above the cylinder as the cylinder is lomg, it's usually nearly full.

 

No screw thread showing, handle down against cap of cylinder, then it's empty.

 

Anyway in between, part full.

 

Any chandlery should have marine grease that's suitable for around £4 a tub.

[kayDee]

Is this any good?

 

Marine Grease

 

Kay

x

Edited September 15, 2008 by kayDee

[alan_fincher]

Is this any good?

 

Marine Grease

 

Kay

x

Dunno, not sure, to be honest.

 

This is the one many people use....

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Morris-K99-Water-Res...id=p3286.c0.m14

[kayDee]

Dunno, not sure, to be honest.

 

This is the one many people use....

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Morris-K99-Water-Res...id=p3286.c0.m14

 

Thank you Alan, I really appreciate it...

I'll go for that one! ;-)

Kay

x

[denboy]

Is this any good?

 

Marine Grease

 

Kay

x

dont think this is usable as i was told years back that lithium grease has an abrasive in it and would gradually wear the shaft out