How do I install a properller shaft from engine to stern of yacht?
Posted by Havermeyer | Posted in Boats & Boating | Posted on 07-12-2005
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I am thinking of installing a second hand small (8hp) diesel engine into a 24ft yacht and not sure what to do on the stern…do I go for a stuffing box or is there a newer/better system etc.
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Most still use a stuffing box, but there are a variety of new packing materials available. Check with your local marine store or marine catalogs such as west marine. If you are replacing an old engine with one that has a compatible footprint, it probably isn’t too hard a project. If you need to do all the bed work and alignment your self, you are in for a project. Do the proper research before jumping in.
In addition to the stuffing box, you need to make sure all your ventilation fuel systems and cooling systems are proper and up to code.
Installing an engine incorrectly can not only hurt the engine, get expensive and get you into trouble with the law, but can sink the boat or fill the living area with deadly exhaust.
This is a project best left to the professionals. The process goes in 6 steps, drill the shaft tube with a shaft lathe so it is straight. Obtain the shaft bearings and install them so they are in proper alignment with the keel, mount the engine and align the engine to the shaft. Shim and secure the engine and the reduction gear and connect it to the shaft. Seal all of the stuffing boxes and install the bearing temperature sensors. Now install the propellor and reinstall the rudder and check for operation. Plumb the cooling system and the exhaust, install the fuel tanks and then get it inspected for insurance and CG approval. 8 HP is not much power for a 24 foot so I guess it’s a sail boat which will now require a recalculation of the stability factor. It would be best to take it to a professional shipyard. Good luck, have fun