R.E. Thomas Marine Hardware recommends that all best practices for selection, suitability and installation of underwater seals and running gear be observed. We further recommend to observe all IMO-USCG requirements and the Standard Recommended Practices of ABYC when selecting and installing R.E. Thomas Marine Hardware products. Submittals and testing for compliance with Classification Society rules such as ABS, LRS, and DNV can be provided at additional costs.
Due to the endless possibilities and variables of installation, R.E. Thomas Marine Hardware is not supplied with mounting holes drilled or installation hardware. We can machine our parts as required at slight additional cost with approved drawings submitted by The Buyer. The following statements are taken from ABYC Recommended Practices for Small Craft as a general guide:
Where bolts are used to secure struts to the hull, the bolt material shall be galvanically compatible with the strut material. A means to ensure positive locking of the nuts on the strut bolts must be provided to prevent their loosening in service. Lock washers, lock nuts and double nuts are examples of recommended means for accomplishing this purpose.
To distribute the stress into the hull structure, local reinforcement of the hull or doubler plates shall be used.
Recommendations on bearing spacing, shaft diameters, metallurgy, alignment and straightness tolerances are further covered by ABYC, IMO-USCG, ABS and elsewhere.
Packing Material:
We recommend Duramax Ultra X packing material. Available through R.E. Thomas Marine Hardware and quality marine suppliers everywhere. Please refer to our packing chart directions on each product page.
Note: Do not over tighten initial installation of packing. Adjust in small increments as needed, until dripping stops. You can find more information at duramaxmarine.com.