Adapting seals

[petrolhead]

Following some advice here yesterday I have managed to solve my problem regarding the main propshaft seal on my '58 Johnson 18, I thought I'd mention how just in case anyone else has the same trouble, it's a really easy fix.<br />Basically the problem is that my bearing head has a seat for a 1.250" o/d seal, the seal now supplied for that purpose is only 1.125" o/d and there doesn't appear to be a seal made (at least not by OMC) that is the correct size!<br />Other than the o/d the seal is fine, i/d is spot on and so is the thickness, and the metal shield actually fits the shaft much closer than the original did, making it much harder for foreign objects to damage the rubber seal.<br />Anyway, what I did was to machine on a lathe an aluminium adaptor ring, 1.250" o/d and 1.122" i/d, so it's just too tight for the seal to fit inside. The ring is heated with a gas torch so it expands, the seal drops inside easily and the ring shrinks tightly onto it, the whole thing can then be pressed into the bearing head as normal.

 

[ob]

Re: Adapting seals

Pretty slick petrolhead.I'm curious as to what material the seal jacket that you used is made of.Is it carbon steel or stainless.

 

[petrolhead]

Re: Adapting seals

If, by the "seal jacket", you mean the adaptor ring I made it from aluminium, the bearing head that it's pressed into is also aluminium.<br />It's probably not quite as tight a press fit as the original would have been, so I smeared it with studlock before fitting it.

 

[ob]

Re: Adapting seals

By seal jacket,I meant the metal casing around the rubber portion of the propshaft lip seal.

 

[petrolhead]

Re: Adapting seals

I guess the casing must be stainless, it would rust if it was carbon steel wouldn't it? The seal is a genuine OMC part. <br />The original seal jacket which I had to machine out was brass.

 

[ob]

Re: Adapting seals

10/4.Good that its the factory seal.They are indeed stainless.Sounds like you did a nice adapting job as well.I think the .003" interference fit is perfect.Nice of you to post back with your results.

 

[Wizard1]

Re: Adapting seals

Sorry for bumping an old thread but I need to ask a question of petrolhead. <br /> Petrolhead, I was wondering what you would charge to make me one of those rings. I have called around here and the lowest price I found was $40. This is due to the locale machine shops charge from 40 to 50 dollars an hour for labor. So my only choices are to either spend the 40 for the ring, and the 15 for the smaller seal or spend 45 for a seal for a 1956 gearcase (which I have been told is the right size) and hope for the best or (if you were willing to ) pay you . Let me know, thanks

 

[ezeke]

Re: Adapting seals

To Wizard1,<br /><br />Do you have the correct part number for the original seal?

 

[Wizard1]

Re: Adapting seals

Yea, but the seal that I got was to small on the outside but perfect on the shaft just like the one Petrolhead had. The marine dealer that I use spent over an hour looking though books and the closest thing we could find was a seal for a 56' gearcase. They said that at the start of 57' that they must have used up their remaining stock of 56' gear cases on the 57'. Is that possible?<br /> Model # 15020 and the seal # 302495

 

[ezeke]

Re: Adapting seals

Sure is possible, I had similar experiences with my father's old Johnson 6HP.<br /><br />My thought was that if you had the 56 housing on your motor, then the part number for the seal would be in that 1956 parts listing. I don't have that list, but a dealer should. If the dealer comes up with the part number and you post it here, someone on the world wide web is going to find one for you.

 

[Wizard1]

Re: Adapting seals

Yea, the dealer matched the part number on the old seal to the 56' so I will probably just buy the one for the 56.<br /> Thanks