Stuffing box question

[daddygo]

Hi folks...

Hoping someone knows the answer. I have a 2006 Hunter 36 and the stuffing box is leaking like a sieve.

Does anyone know the size of the packing material that is supposed to go into it?
3/16, 1/4???
I'm too far away from the boat to check the owner's manual. And would like to purchase it before I go to do the repair.

 

[Steve Dion]

I think a 1" shaft uses 3/16"

 

[JoeWhite]

Shaft=1" flax is 1/4".

 

[Warren Milberg]

If you really cannot determine the exact size of the packing gland materilal beforehand, buy both the 3/16" and 1/4" and you'll know which is right as soon as you open the gland and pull the old stuff out. Even high quality graphite impregnated packing material is quite inexpensive, but you could always either return or give away the one that doesn't fit.... Beats having the wrong size on hand and having to make another trip to a distant boat, IMHO.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

On my 1" dia. stuffing box, it's 1/4" packing. Just make sure the packing is a good tight fit as it goes in. If the packing is too loose (using undersized packing), you really have to squeeze down on it to get any reduction in leakage and this is where the problems begin..

With a good tight fit, you can run it WITHOUT LEAKAGE regardless of what the nay-sayers exppound. Make sure it's a packing with internal lubricant. My last packing (cheap stuff - teflon impregnated flax) ran for three years without a drop of leakage and this time I'm shooting for five years. And I have a mirror polish on the shaft to boot.The big caveat here is "WATCH THE TEMPERATURE". If it's lukewarm, no problem.

 

[smoothsailing]

Shaft Size = Packing Size

Hi folks...

Hoping someone knows the answer. I have a 2006 Hunter 36 and the stuffing box is leaking like a sieve.

Does anyone know the size of the packing material that is supposed to go into it?
3/16, 1/4???
I'm too far away from the boat to check the owner's manual. And would like to purchase it before I go to do the repair.

Buck Algonquin Bronze Packing Boxes are usually the following sizes and take the following packing size:

Shaft Size Packing Size
3/4" 3/8"
7/8" 5/16"
1" 1/4"
1 1/8" 3/16"
1 1/4" 1/4"
1 3/8" 5/16"
1 1/2" 1/4"
1 3/4" 1/2"
2" 3/8"

This site will show you the same above info and more but is slow loading up.

http://www.emarineinc.com/categories/Packing%2dShaft/


This site will give you a pictorial step by step guide on replacing a packing gland

http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/stuffing_box&page=1

I used it to do mine for the 1st time and it was flawless.

Please let me know if this info helped you

Regards

Bill

 

[Dave Groshong]

MaineSail's super article on shaft packing:

http://forums.hunter.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?p=775788

 

[Stu Jackson]

We have a 1" shaft and use 3/16" packing. Listen to Warren.

 

[nathans104]

I have a 2004 Hunter 386 and was going to change the flax last weekend. When I took the gland apart, it does not have flax in it. It is all rubber in the female side. Has anyone seen anything like that?