Stringer 400 Steering Gear Seal

[oh-u812?]

Allright, this o-ring is kicking my *?#!. The one under the cover of the upper gear box. I've tried about a dozen different size o-rings and can't seem to find one that'll get an airtight seal. It seems like I got a good seal until I start wiggling the drive and then I hear the air escaping. I've check for burrs and made sure everything was clean. I was wondering if anyone has the factory dimensions of that seal and/or has experienced problems with this seal?

 

[KaGee]

Re: Stringer 400 Steering Gear Seal

Why not buy the correct o-ring and use PERMATEX Aviation Sealant around the perimeter like you are supposed to?

OMC part # 0313175

GLM part # [FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]O-ring # 82480[/FONT][/FONT]

 

[oh-u812?]

Re: Stringer 400 Steering Gear Seal

Thanks. Why doesn't the GLM drawing show the top cover of that upper gearcase? Theres nothing listed that looks the top cover I have. Although there is a cover for the Cobra uppers that look like mine. I might be a little green, but I know I don't have a Cobra drive. Oh yeah, there's a conical spring under my cover, what's that springs function, its not on that drawing either?

 

[KaGee]

Re: Stringer 400 Steering Gear Seal

Back up... what drive do you ACTUALLY have?
A 400 is NOT a COBRA and neither are close to being alike.

 

[oh-u812?]

Re: Stringer 400 Steering Gear Seal

I'm sure its a stringer 400. Rubber transom boot, mechanical tilt, attached to a GM 3.0. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think the Cobras are hydraulic tilt and no transom boot.

 

[KaGee]

Re: Stringer 400 Steering Gear Seal

What year is your unit?

 

[oh-u812?]

Re: Stringer 400 Steering Gear Seal

1984.

 

[whywhyzed]

Re: Stringer 400 Steering Gear Seal

There is a shim procedure in the manual to put the right amount of clearance and essentially put that seal in the right position. I assume you are bolting the cover down onto the exhaust housing for the test? The clearance there is adjusted by shims under the top cover of the upper gearcase. This is why I think so many people have upper leak problems - there's all this eBay inspired swapping of uppers to lowers without realizing the exhaust housings aren't that consistent dimensionally.

 

[oh-u812?]

Re: Stringer 400 Steering Gear Seal

Roger on bolting it down. Weird thing is that it'll hold air if the drive is in a "neutral" steering position. As soon as you turn left or right - hisssssssss! There wasn't any shims under the cover, just a spring. Kagee mentions using the permatex. I guess that'll be my next move.

 

[whywhyzed]

Re: Stringer 400 Steering Gear Seal

manual only calls for grease on that oring seal - if you have no shims, your upper can walk up and down in the exhaust housing (that's why when you steer it's moving vertically)- there's a process where you slip feeler gauges under the lid and check the clearance to the top of the steering gear cover on the upper- then shim to get the right clearance. The upper cover calls for sealant, but not on the oring.

 

[oh-u812?]

Re: Stringer 400 Steering Gear Seal

kjdkjd, that's it. That's what's happening. It's the slop. The oring is rolling in and out of its seat causing the loss of seal. Actually when everything is tightened down the oring is past it's seat. Last night I took the lid and the upper cover off and have them with me. Today I will take them to my buddy at the local industrial gasket shop. With a couple of measurements of those covers (you can feel & see where the seal is supposed to seat) we should be able to figure out how much shim is needed. I still have one question, though, what's the spring for?

 

[oh-u812?]

Re: Stringer 400 Steering Gear Seal

Just made my own shim out of 0.040" plastic and replaced the orings on the top cover and the "lid" total cost = $0. Red Green would be proud.

 

[whywhyzed]

Re: Stringer 400 Steering Gear Seal

Just made my own shim out of 0.040" plastic and replaced the orings on the top cover and the "lid" total cost = $0. Red Green would be proud.

Only if you strapped the cover back on with duct tape....

The spring is a mystery - I suppose if it's called "grounding" it might be to connect galvanic current to the ground strap over to the intermediate.

 

[oh-u812?]

Re: Stringer 400 Steering Gear Seal

Discovered Saturday that I had another leak related to the "tru course" steering system. Seems as the seal around that worm gear was failing as well. I pulled the drive and monkeyed with that thing till the wee hours of Sun. morning. I managed to get it rednecked up enough to get us out on Sunday, greasy paw prints and all. Seems like a reseal in eminent, though.

 

[KaGee]

Re: Stringer 400 Steering Gear Seal

The steering gear/shaft leak is a common issue. You have to replace the bushing along with the seals.

 

[KaGee]

Re: Stringer 400 Steering Gear Seal

GLM part # 27820 Steering bushing OEM # 308883

 

[oh-u812?]

Re: Stringer 400 Steering Gear Seal

Thanks Kagee. I actually swapped the bushing on the other end of that shaft and greased the heck out of it and the "Q ring". Its still not completely leakproof, but it's much better than it was. That boat will sit until I get it sealed up right and then I think I'm gonna try and sell it.