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Does anyone know if this is likely to be the correct grade of silicone grease for my water lubricated stern gland?

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sintron-202658-Silicone-Grease-Silicone-70/dp/B007JV7C8Q/ref=sr_1_71?ie=UTF8&qid=1540037783&sr=8-71&keywords=silicone+grease

 

A spray would be convenient in terms of getting the grease into the small lubrication hole on top of the gland. The alternative is to put some grease from a pot into a plastic syringe.  

 

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45 minutes ago, blackrose said:

Does anyone know if this is likely to be the correct grade of silicone grease for my water lubricated stern gland?

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sintron-202658-Silicone-Grease-Silicone-70/dp/B007JV7C8Q/ref=sr_1_71?ie=UTF8&qid=1540037783&sr=8-71&keywords=silicone+grease

 

A spray would be convenient in terms of getting the grease into the small lubrication hole on top of the gland. The alternative is to put some grease from a pot into a plastic syringe.  

 

Won't the spray stuff be a bit thin? I think it would be for my Volvo stern seal, as the correct stuff is blue, thick and sticky.  I don't know which seal you have, but my current tube of Volvo grease has done over 5 years so far and looks set for another similar period.  I think it was quite a surprising unit cost for a tube of grease, but if you judge it by the length of service instead, then it almost seems churlish not to go for the OEM stuff.

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1 hour ago, blackrose said:

Does anyone know if this is likely to be the correct grade of silicone grease for my water lubricated stern gland?

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sintron-202658-Silicone-Grease-Silicone-70/dp/B007JV7C8Q/ref=sr_1_71?ie=UTF8&qid=1540037783&sr=8-71&keywords=silicone+grease

 

A spray would be convenient in terms of getting the grease into the small lubrication hole on top of the gland. The alternative is to put some grease from a pot into a plastic syringe.  

 

I'm probably missing something here being an old git who has a conventional stern gland (Yep, that's a 'carry on' joke) but are you sure that small hole is not there to take a grease nipple or union for a wind down greaser?

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1 hour ago, Sea Dog said:

Won't the spray stuff be a bit thin? I think it would be for my Volvo stern seal, as the correct stuff is blue, thick and sticky.  I don't know which seal you have, but my current tube of Volvo grease has done over 5 years so far and looks set for another similar period.  I think it was quite a surprising unit cost for a tube of grease, but if you judge it by the length of service instead, then it almost seems churlish not to go for the OEM stuff.

Blue? I've never used any blue silicone grease. I've used the correct stuff and it's always been thick but clear/white. I guess Volvo put some colouring into theirs for branding purposes, but it's likely to be the same stuff. This is the sort of stuff I've used before and it's fine.

 

HT Silicone Grease - 60ml

 

Mine is a Vetus gland. 15 years old and no problems.

 

I don't know if the spray stuff would be a bit thin. You might be right but I've seen white lithium grease from spray cans before and that seemed just as thick as the stuff from a tube or pot.

47 minutes ago, Bee said:

I'm probably missing something here being an old git who has a conventional stern gland (Yep, that's a 'carry on' joke) but are you sure that small hole is not there to take a grease nipple or union for a wind down greaser?

Yes, I'm 100% sure it's not there for that. A water lubricated stern gland is not the same as a conventional greaser where you're pushing grease into the canal every time you move the boat. As the name suggests, it's water-lubricated. A very small amount of silicone grease is applied annually, just to maintain the o-rings and seals.

Edited by blackrose
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2 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

Won't the spray stuff be a bit thin? I think it would be for my Volvo stern seal, as the correct stuff is blue, thick and sticky.  I don't know which seal you have, but my current tube of Volvo grease has done over 5 years so far and looks set for another similar period.  I think it was quite a surprising unit cost for a tube of grease, but if you judge it by the length of service instead, then it almost seems churlish not to go for the OEM stuff.

If you think the Volvo grease is expensive, try the Vetus equivalent!  As you say, a tube lasts for years even on a well-used boat, so messing about with pots off ebay and trying to fill the hole with syringes etc. is not really worth the hassle.   My local chandler stopped selling the Vetus grease years ago and only stocks the blue Volvo one.  The tube nozzle fits nicely in the grease hole so fills it up well. 

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2 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

Won't the spray stuff be a bit thin? I think it would be for my Volvo stern seal, as the correct stuff is blue, thick and sticky.  I don't know which seal you have, but my current tube of Volvo grease has done over 5 years so far and looks set for another similar period.  I think it was quite a surprising unit cost for a tube of grease, but if you judge it by the length of service instead, then it almost seems churlish not to go for the OEM stuff.

Slight tangent :

Volvo hydraulic steering oil (for the boat) is a few pennies either side of £30 per litre.

I got exactly the same specification from an Ebay oil supplier at £15 for 5 litres.

(The Volvo dealer told me to do it !!)

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3 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

Won't the spray stuff be a bit thin? I think it would be for my Volvo stern seal, as the correct stuff is blue, thick and sticky.  I don't know which seal you have, but my current tube of Volvo grease has done over 5 years so far and looks set for another similar period.  I think it was quite a surprising unit cost for a tube of grease, but if you judge it by the length of service instead, then it almost seems churlish not to go for the OEM stuff.

 

I have Volvo stern seal also, and the correct grease for it.  I bought it 12 years ago, two years after I got the boat, but wouldn't know what it looks like, because I've never opened it........

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32 minutes ago, Mac of Cygnet said:

 

I have Volvo stern seal also, and the correct grease for it.  I bought it 12 years ago, two years after I got the boat, but wouldn't know what it looks like, because I've never opened it........

You've never put any grease in it over 12 years? How many hours is that? 

 

I put 10ml of grease in (blue) every major service. 

Edited by pearley
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5 hours ago, blackrose said:

Does anyone know if this is likely to be the correct grade of silicone grease for my water lubricated stern gland?

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sintron-202658-Silicone-Grease-Silicone-70/dp/B007JV7C8Q/ref=sr_1_71?ie=UTF8&qid=1540037783&sr=8-71&keywords=silicone+grease

 

A spray would be convenient in terms of getting the grease into the small lubrication hole on top of the gland. The alternative is to put some grease from a pot into a plastic syringe.  

 

I buy tubes of plumbers silicon grease and use a pipette to squirt it into the hole. If it’s a Vetus one and you read the installation instructions for these water lubricated bearings, you will find that they are not fitted correctly, they should have some sort of water scoop fitted so that water is passed through it from the pipe on top of the stern gland and exits through the rear of the tube bearing.

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1 minute ago, F DRAYKE said:

I buy tubes of plumbers silicon grease and use a pipette to squirt it into the hole. If it’s a Vetus one and you read the installation instructions for these water lubricated bearings, you will find that they are not fitted correctly, they should have some sort of water scoop fitted so that water is passed through it from the pipe on top of the stern gland and exits through the rear of the tube bearing.

I don't have one but I wonder if you get a positive pressure in the weed hatch which pushes the water through. My weed hatch is definitely positive pressure when doing along because if the top seal is in poor condition it leaks

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I use Plumba Grease applied with a plastic syringe on my Vetus gland. 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DOW-CORNING-PLUMBA-GREASE-Lubricating-silicone-grease-/300501515706?redirect=mobile

 

Vetus recommend adding grease every 100 hours of running.

Edited by cuthound
To add the last sentance
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27 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

You kinky bugger (again)!It was candle wax last week:)

 

At this rate Rusty you will soon know all of my secret foibles ?

Edited by cuthound
To remove a spurious apostrophe
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16 hours ago, dor said:

If you think the Volvo grease is expensive, try the Vetus equivalent!  As you say, a tube lasts for years even on a well-used boat, so messing about with pots off ebay and trying to fill the hole with syringes etc. is not really worth the hassle.   My local chandler stopped selling the Vetus grease years ago and only stocks the blue Volvo one.  The tube nozzle fits nicely in the grease hole so fills it up well. 

I've never actually seen the Vetus stuff, but if you get the correct grade of silicone grease it doesn't really matter who supplies it.

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15 hours ago, F DRAYKE said:

I buy tubes of plumbers silicon grease and use a pipette to squirt it into the hole. If it’s a Vetus one and you read the installation instructions for these water lubricated bearings, you will find that they are not fitted correctly, they should have some sort of water scoop fitted so that water is passed through it from the pipe on top of the stern gland and exits through the rear of the tube bearing.

 

No, you've read or heard something and are repeating half truths here.

 

Firstly, if a boat has a Vetus gland that doesn't automatically mean they are all incorrectly fitted! Vetus water lubricated stern glands can be lubricated with water either from a heat exchanged engine cooling system or as you say with water from outside drawn in by a scoop skin fitting on the side of the boat and plenty of boats using Vetus glands have one of those systems. However, some canal boat builders builders including Liverpool Boats and others have fitted the glands for canal/river water lubrication without the scoop, basing this on the fact that canal boats aren't travelling very fast and the gland will always be immersed. The breather pipe fitted from the top of the gland to the skin fitting allows water pressure to equalise inside the gland. It's not the setup Vetus specify, but there are enough boats with this setup that have been around for long enough to know that it works. 

Edited by blackrose
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11 hours ago, Mac of Cygnet said:

 

About 5000 hours.   I can see no way to put grease in and it has never dripped a drop.

You squidge it under the end where the lip meets the shaft.  It takes about 10 seconds and uses an amount about the size of a bean.  The little blue smudge is indicative of someone caring for their mechanical bits and tells your boat that you love it.

 

With no grease, the case hardened rubber lip scores your shaft which eventually makes your prop fall off just as you approach a particularly lively wier (I made that bit up)! Clearly these seals are so good the can do 5000+ hours on the original grease - how many more hours is anyone's guess, but you can't knock the manufacturer!

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9 hours ago, WotEver said:

Including the spelling :D

Oh heck, yes!  I can spell, so I can only think one of my fingers got ahead of the other one.  Where's blooming auto correct when you actually do need it though, eh? Does it just look for similar random words to substitute when you're not looking?  

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