Dripless shaft seals

[Diesel]

I have PSS dripless shaft seals and had someone advise me to install a crossover tube connecting the saltwater cooling supply hoses from one side to another . The thought is that if you lose an engine you wouldn't have to lock down that shaft. This is an easy modification but if I do it, should I simply do the crossover and let it flow or install valves on where I "T" into the existing cooling hose and only allow the flow through the crossover when needed?

[bobk]

Mine is just a cross over. Remember if you have Allisons you do not want to freewheel because lubrication is from the engine driven pump.

Bobk

[bostonhatteras]

Water injected into the shaft seal is only necessary above approximately 10 knots. Slow displacement hulls don't need it at all. When your hull gets up on plane the water is removed from the seawater side of the 'gland'. So to keep it lubricated, raw water from the heat exchanger (or anywhere it is under a larger pressure than zero) is injected into this area. Keeps it cool other wise it would burn up. Flax packing has the slight drip and that is what cools that type. Unless you plan on trying to plane on one engine it's not worth the effort IMHO.