Pss seal install

[sebenfitty]

Where do I need to install my “tee” to steal water for the seal? Haven’t seen any installs that look like my setup. 2006 ve pcm 330
I assumed where I have circled in blue, where water dumps into the exhaust. Someone said directly after the raw water pump, which would be in the green. Not a lot of room to work in there, and would be more likely to have interference from the belt/pulleys.


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[IDBoating]

I called PCM directly and asked their recommendation. I don't have your engine so my answer wouldn't be helpful to you, but you can get the answer for your engine with a single phone call. PCM folks are extremely helpful and polite.

[sebenfitty]

I just called PCM. They told me to call a PCM dealer. The only local dealer I can get ahold of on a Monday told me to go f#$% myself unless I bought the part from them.
I just wanted to get the tee ordered in time to get it installed this weekend. Been off the water for a few weeks now.

Seems like it would have to be directly after the raw water pump to get constant flow/pressure.

[IDBoating]

Wow, that is bizarre. Completely 100% different from my experiences with PCM. They've since been bought by Nautique, though... hopefully that didn't poison their corporate spirit. Man, that sucks.

I have the EX343 with CAT exhaust, so I don't know how closely my hoses will match yours, but I'll send you a photo if you think it would be helpful.

Maybe a call to Tige in Abilene? If for nothing else than a recommendation for a FRIENDLY Tige/PCM dealer you can call?

[sebenfitty]

I've been looking at it. Yours is the only write-up I've found that includes the water side install.
Going by yours I would place it where I circled in blue. Would be a safer spot. Just wasn't sure about constant flow/pressure in that location. Thought someone else would have done one like mine.

[freeheel4life]

You can tap into where you have circled in blue but you need to be sure to reduce the line size at the T right away, otherwise more water will be diverted to the shaft seal rather than the exhaust manifold and it will run hot on that side. I personally like to take the time anf put barbed fittings off of both manifold drains then take those hoses to a T and down to shaft seal. That way you manifolds drain when you pull the boat out of the water and should keep water flow equal.

[IDBoating]

If you come off the manifold drains, won't you be running hot exhaust water through the shaft seal?

[IDBoating]

Going by yours I would place it where I circled in blue. Would be a safer spot. Just wasn't sure about constant flow/pressure in that location.

If you follow freeheel's advice and restrict the flow, I suspect the pressure and volume flowing through the system is high enough that the amount "stolen" by the shaft seal won't matter.

My OCD loves the symmetry of freeheel's dual-source system but again, for the above reason, I doubt it really makes much difference. And every connection is another potential point of failure, so if it was me personally I'd favor a single fitting. Which is what I did on my system as illustrated in that thread. By the way, that was the exact spot recommended by PCM personnel for my engine. YMMV, etc.

[freeheel4life]

Yup. Its been done by other manufacturers straight from the factory so its good enough for me, would have to talk to PSS to get their take on it. Waters probably 175ish after it leaves the manifolds. Havent seen it burn up carbon seal or O rings yet. Id rather that than steel precious cold water from before the thermostat. Raptors steal the raw water from the bottom of the coolant heat exchanger.

[freeheel4life]

ID, I havent looked at your thread but did you T off of what Seb has in green or in blue??

[IDBoating]

Yup. Its been done by other manufacturers straight from the factory so its good enough for me, would have to talk to PSS to get their take on it. Waters probably 175ish after it leaves the manifolds. Havent seen it burn up carbon seal or O rings yet. Id rather that than steel precious cold water from before the thermostat. Raptors steal the raw water from the bottom of the coolant heat exchanger.

Went back and looked at my notes from the install in 2012. "Discussed with PSS. They say engine temperature water is fine. That’s how most are plumbed, including Coast Guard boats in Puget Sound (“where the water is very cold”). It’s also in keeping with the engine manufacturer recommendations. PSS says to go with exhaust cooling water." So water coming off the engine, before it enters the exhaust system, is what they recommend.

Notes also say PCM does not offer any hardware solution to this problem - it's up to the seal manufacturer, boat manufacturer, or boat owner to solve. My notes say that PSS offers what they call "T kits" with the proper reducing fitting. $45-50 depending upon hose size. That's what I used and it was painless.

EDIT: Here's what PSS's "T kit" includes:


However, my notes reminded me that my PCM engine manual specifically discusses where to take water for a dripless fitting. Sure enough, there it was. Bear in mind this is for a raw water cooled CAT engine, but at least it's the gospel from PCM themselves:
PCM-OWNERS-2008-73.jpg

EDIT: Here's what that looks like, seen from the passenger compartment looking aft at the driveshaft end of the engine. I spliced into the starboard raw water dump hose:

[IDBoating]

ID, I havent looked at your thread but did you T off of what Seb has in green or in blue??

See the PCM manual page above. I spliced into one of the "raw water dump hoses" exactly as specified by the PCM manual. I believe I posted a photo of where my T fitting is located in that other thread on this topic.

EDIT: I linked to that photo in the reply above for convenience.

[freeheel4life]

Thanks man. So sebs equivalent would be the blue circle.

[IDBoating]

I can't see where the lower end of that hose goes. And his photo is on the front (belt end) of his engine, whereas mine is on the flywheel end.

I think the key for PCM was that it scavenges off "excess" water in the dump hoses. I will say that those hoses remain pretty cool during operation even after the engine is fully up to normal operating temperatures (~160F).

[freeheel4life]

In his pic the top 2 hoses coming off the Tstat housing are the exhaust manifold raw water feeds