Can you just tap the shaft seal back in on butler blower?

MasterCarpet

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Trace
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I was greasing and oiling everything tonight. This seal that goes around the driveshaft in the blower is out. If I tape one side in, the other side comes out. When I put grease in, rather than leaking out the vents, it pushes out this seal and starts leaking out the bottom. Wondering if I took the belt pulley off if I could just take a pipe and bang it straight back in. Not sure if it’s supposed to be glued in there somehow or what.

IMG_4144.jpeg
 

Dwain Ray

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If
I was greasing and oiling everything tonight. This seal that goes around the driveshaft in the blower is out. If I tape one side in, the other side comes out. When I put grease in, rather than leaking out the vents, it pushes out this seal and starts leaking out the bottom. Wondering if I took the belt pulley off if I could just take a pipe and bang it straight back in. Not sure if it’s supposed to be glued in there somehow or what.

View attachment 133460
Your careful you can tap it back in with no problem. Be careful not to bend or dent it. Thats common if the grease pressure builds up when filling a roots blower. I would use a small square (or round) piece of plywood (larger than the seal)with a knoch in it to allow it to fit around the blower shaft and use 2 pry bars(or large screwdrivers) to press the seal back in by prying against the pully and plywood piece that is provided you have enough space to do that. Itll save you the time it would take to remove and reinstall the browning pulley. I personally would make my piece outa a hunk of ¼" aluminum instead of plywood and use a hole saw to cut it and a hack saw to cut a knoch to th center hole but i have the resources and can fabricate it fairly quickly
 

MasterCarpet

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Tha
If

You’re careful you can tap it back in with no problem. Be careful not to bend or dent it. Thats common if the grease pressure builds up when filling a roots blower. I would use a small square (or round) piece of plywood (larger than the seal)with a knoch in it to allow it to fit around the blower shaft and use 2 pry bars(or large screwdrivers) to press the seal back in by prying against the pully and plywood piece that is provided you have enough space to do that. Itll save you the time it would take to remove and reinstall the browning pulley. I personally would make my piece outa a hunk of ¼" aluminum instead of plywood and use a hole saw to cut it and a hack saw to cut a knoch to th center hole but i have the resources and can fabricate it fairly quickly
If

Your careful you can tap it back in with no problem. Be careful not to bend or dent it. Thats common if the grease pressure builds up when filling a roots blower. I would use a small square (or round) piece of plywood (larger than the seal)with a knoch in it to allow it to fit around the blower shaft and use 2 pry bars(or large screwdrivers) to press the seal back in by prying against the pully and plywood piece that is provided you have enough space to do that. Itll save you the time it would take to remove and reinstall the browning pulley. I personally would make my piece outa a hunk of ¼" aluminum instead of plywood and use a hole saw to cut it and a hack saw to cut a knoch to th center hole but i have the resources and can fabricate it fairly q

Thank you! I was kind of just trying to pry it back in with 2 wrench’s at once but obviously I couldn’t really get even pressure on it without a block or something. That’s a great idea you have and I appreciate the help. I’ll give it a try later tomorrow.
 

Dwain Ray

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Thank you! I was kind of just trying to pry it back in with 2 wrench’s at once but obviously I couldn’t really get even pressure on it without a block or something. That’s a great idea you have and I appreciate the help. I’ll give it a try later tomorrow.
No problem if you own hole saws , you can cut one pretty easily. Just make sure your piece is slightly larger than the seal so as not to bend it..

Screenshot_20251215_215648_Chrome.jpg
 

Dwain Ray

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I was greasing and oiling everything tonight. This seal that goes around the driveshaft in the blower is out. If I tape one side in, the other side comes out. When I put grease in, rather than leaking out the vents, it pushes out this seal and starts leaking out the bottom. Wondering if I took the belt pulley off if I could just take a pipe and bang it straight back in. Not sure if it’s supposed to be glued in there somehow or what.

View attachment 133460
If this is where the grease is coming out of that is a big restrictionand will cause back pressure(it doesn't look like a zirk for grease in)remove them and eighter leave open or better and cleaner plumb um like i did mine (picture below) They should be screwed into ⅛"npt holes. On my blower i put ⅛"npt × ⅜ mhb and ⅜hose to plumb excess grease to a holding container.

Screenshot_20251215_235141_Gallery.jpg Screenshot_20251215_234120_Chrome.jpg
 

MasterCarpet

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Trace
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If this is where the grease is coming out of that is a big restrictionand will cause back pressure(it doesn't look like a zirk for grease in)remove them and eighter leave open or better and cleaner plumb um like i did mine (picture below) They should be screwed into ⅛"npt holes. On my blower i put ⅛"npt × ⅜ mhb and ⅜hose to plumb excess grease to a holding container.

View attachment 133463 View attachment 133464
Hello. I think I’m a bit confused by your response here. The fitting on my photo is a vent for the grease I believe. Usually when that seal is in, I pump both lines full of grease on the bottom side where the zirk fittings are until it starts leaking out the top vents. At least that’s what the butler manual said to do.
 

KevinD

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Kevin Dumas
Unless you clean up that seal and use some sort of retaining compound on it before pushing it back in it will just pop out again.
Make sure your vents are clear. I usually unfold a paper clip and run it through the vents if they are clogged and building pressure. Pressure building is the cause of the seal popping.
 

Dwain Ray

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Hello. I think I’m a bit confused by your response here. The fitting on my photo is a vent for the grease I believe. Usually when that seal is in, I pump both lines full of grease on the bottom side where the zirk fittings are until it starts leaking out the top vents. At least that’s what the butler manual said to do.
You should have 2 zirks on one side. And 2 vents on the other. 1 each for each bearing, correct? If so, remove the vents. You'll have larger holes for the excess grease to leave so as not to build pressure. On my blowers i install hose barbs and hoses to redirect the excess grease to a container instead of having it pile up in the machine picture below grease in, red(zirk) grease out, yellow to holding container hose barb. The hose barb has a much larger hole so as not to build back pressure clear hose allow me to see when grease is coming out and stop filling. Easier on shaft seal and upper bearing cover/plug plate and no mess to constantly cleanup. Because my blower sets vertical i simply used a qt oil bottle that i cut the side out of and it sets under my blower and collects the excess grease

Screenshot_20251216_093008_Gallery.jpg Screenshot_20251216_094221_Gallery.jpg Screenshot_20251216_094356_Gallery.jpg
 
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Thank you! I was kind of just trying to pry it back in with 2 wrench’s at once but obviously I couldn’t really get even pressure on it without a block or something. That’s a great idea you have and I appreciate the help. I’ll give it a try later tomorrow.
I had the same thing. I couldnt get the seal reseated properly. Bought new seal. Removed the belts, used a pulley puller. R&r the seal. Clean the grease vents so the grease has a place to release pressure and use care when pumping grease in it.
 
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MasterCarpet

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Trace
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You should have 2 zirks on one side. And 2 vents on the other. 1 each for each bearing, correct? If so, remove the vents. You'll have larger holes for the excess grease to leave so as not to build pressure. On my blowers i install hose barbs and hoses to redirect the excess grease to a container instead of having it pile up in the machine picture below grease in, red(zirk) grease out, yellow to holding container hose barb. The hose barb has a much larger hole so as not to build back pressure clear hose allow me to see when grease is coming out and stop filling. Easier on shaft seal and upper bearing cover/plug plate and no mess to constantly cleanup. Because my blower sets vertical i simply used a qt oil bottle that i cut the side out of and it sets under my blower and collects the excess grease

View attachment 133466 View attachment 133467 View attachment 133468
Ohhhh ok I gotcha now. Thank you!
 

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