Thordon propeller shaft bearings are available in four different grades and multiple configurations to offer the optimal bearing solution for each owner’s specific application and technical requirements. Open seawater lubricated bearing options include Thordon COMPAC, RiverTough, SXL, and XL.

With over 35 years of experience, Thordon has solid references in over 2,000 marine propeller shaft bearing applications. Whether your bearing needs are for repair, conversion, or newbuild, Thordon propeller shaft bearings and bearing systems deliver proven, reliable, cost-effective performance.

Thordon Propeller Shaft Bearings
Thordon COMPAC is a high performance water lubricated bearing system primarily for “blue water” operating conditions. Specially formulated with a low coefficient of friction to reduce startup friction and eliminate stick-slip, COMPAC is designed to promote early formation of a hydrodynamic film at lower shaft speeds. The lower (loaded) portion of the bearing is smooth, while the upper half has water grooves to lubricate and cool the bearing.

Thordon RiverTough bearings are specially formulated to provide longer wear life in highly abrasive and dirty water conditions, such as river boat propeller shafts and suction cutter head bearings on dredges. RiverTough has proven to last at least twice as long as rubber bearings in extreme environments.

Thordon SXL offers a lower coefficient of friction for lower break-away torque and smoother operation at lower shaft speed, increased resistance to third particle abrasive wear, and longer wear life compared to XL.

Our traditional propeller shaft bearing grade, Thordon XL is a general purpose bearing offering superior performance compared to many other bearings commonly used in propeller shaft applications. XL provides long wear life, a low coefficient of friction, reasonable abrasion resistance, and cost effectiveness.

The Thordon TG100 is a mechanical seal for 88mm (3.5”) to 305mm (12”) propeller shafts found in workboats, dredgers, tugs, yachts, patrol craft, and other coastal vessels operating in either clean or dirty, abrasive-laden water.

Manufactured for long wear life and reduced maintenance costs, TG100’s elastomeric bellows accept both axial and radial shaft movement and compensate for alignment issues. Its unique emergency seal allows stand-alone operation to get you back to port safely, without damaging the seal. The wedge “lock” design ensure the rotary face is perfectly square to the shaft.

The Thordon Water Quality Package is designed to supply seawater to the propeller shaft bearings for lubrication and cooling at a minimum flow rate of 0.15 litre/minute/mm (1 US gallon/minute/inch) of shaft diameter and to condition the seawater by removing suspended solids larger than 100 microns (0.004” ) and with a specific gravity of 1.2 or higher; separation to 80 microns (0.003”) is achievable using the 75-150 l/min (20-40 GPM) unit.

A flow alarm is incorporated to alert the operator to any low water flow condition to the bearings. The Thordon Water Quality Package is designed to operate on a stand-alone basis or can be fully integrated into the ship’s control and monitoring systems to allow operation in an unmanned machinery space.

Thordon offers three Water Quality Packages in configurations designed to deliver flow to suit a wide range of shaft sizes and provide an appropriate degree of redundancy for the vessel involved. Thordon can, if required, work with integrators, designers and builders to meet special needs for specific installations.