Checking a stuffing box?

[Kua]

I am just now in the process of getting a Spaceship Yacht PY26. It is the hard now and the seller say's that the stuffing box leaks "a little more than it should." The Yanmar 8hp is the original 1977 that came with the boat when it was new.

Is there a way to check the condition of this box when the boat is out of the water?
I know stuffing boxes can be adjusted (but don't know if this one is already maxed out) so does anyone have experience changing the packing on this model boat? Anything particular to look out for before I start backing nuts out?

Thanks for thoughts + ideas.

 

[Rich Stidger]

Just have the seller repack the box. Or have him pay for a knowledgeable mechanic to repack. Either way, you will need to do the final adjustment after launch.

 

[jssailem]

Welcome to the forum @Kua . You are among friends.
Stuffing Boxes... They are an essential method for keeping the water out while the prop shaft spins.
They are supposed to drip... Ususlly about a drip every 2-3 minutes while the shaft is rotating.
One of the best resources for info about them comes from a dry informed member.. @mainesail
Here is the link to his info on the stuffing box.

https://marinehowto.com/re-packing-a-traditional-stuffing-box/

My suggestion.. just go ahead and change the packing while the boat is on the hard. Follow the instructions with this link. This way you know what has been done and you know it has been done correctly.
If DIY boat maintenance is not your thing then ask the yard person to do it. But WATCH THE WORK BEING DONE!. This is not a difficult task. If you see it you can learn it and then next time you can save the money and do it your self.

New boats are fun.. I hope you enjoy your boat. Ask questions here and you are likely to get several answers.
Happy sailing.

 

[rgranger]

I am just now in the process of getting a Spaceship Yacht PY26. .....

Spaceship?

Very cool!

 

[justsomeguy]

Spaceship?

Very cool!

Pretty sure the OP meant "Paceship", but yah, that would be cool.

 

[jssailem]

Spaceship

Sailing on Solar winds.

 

[NYSail]

And just some advise, when you unscrew the nut, clean the threads and then put some grease so when you have to do again or adjust it all works
Nice.

Good
Luck!

 

[MitchM]

some tips: figure out what the flax packing size is on your original boat. decide to use old fashioned or new w/ teflon ? take the old flax rings off carefully, do not rip them to shreds. an old corkscrew can get out any old bits. lay the removed rings out straight so you can carefully measure the circumference. compare what you measure to the circumference you calculate using circumference = pi x diameter of shaft. the last ring may be stuck in and pretty hard to get out. be SURE all old packing is out or you will not get a good sealwith the new rings. nigel calder 'boatowner mechanical and electrical manual' and other good sources tell you how to do it right. one trick is never cut ends of flax rings straight across, they should be cut on 45 degree slant. the joints of the rings should be staggered and NOT sitting right next to each other. there are many good articles on how to do it right. and if you figure out how to do it right you will know how to adjust the tightness of the rings to control how much h 2 o comes in for the rest of your life.. i have flax packing on my p shaft and the recommended drip rate on mine, per manufacturer , is 4 drops a minute. the attached grease cylinder on mine can top up the grease. there is a convenient handle to tighten or loosen the rings. the packing can be tightened so there are no drips when the boat is at rest.

 

[Kua]

Thanks everyone. I did buy the boat and have started work on her. Have only taken a cursory look at the stuffing box but cleared/cleaned the way to get at it from port and starboard sides. Still I think that the diesel tank will have to be taken out or at least raised up to get enough access to the stuffing box. My PY26 should be ready to launch in two to three weeks and if my daughter gets her way will now me named "Spaceship" or "solar winds" due to me falling prey to autocorrect in my first post.
Sea you all out there,
Bob

 

[Davidasailor26]

Still I think that the diesel tank will have to be taken out or at least raised up to get enough access to the stuffing box

The stuffing box is a pretty frequent maintenance item. I'd be surprised if a builder made is inaccessible with a tank. Usually to repair a tank you need to disassemble half the boat, but not the other way around. Try looking around at all the angles you could reach the stuffing box from and you'll probably find a way that's tight but manageable.

 

[rgranger]

Thanks everyone. I did buy the boat and have started work on her. Have only taken a cursory look at the stuffing box but cleared/cleaned the way to get at it from port and starboard sides. Still I think that the diesel tank will have to be taken out or at least raised up to get enough access to the stuffing box. My PY26 should be ready to launch in two to three weeks and if my daughter gets her way will now me named "Spaceship" or "solar winds" due to me falling prey to autocorrect in my first post.
Sea you all out there,
Bob

I love Solar Winds.... that would be a great name for a boat.

Solar = relating to or determined by the sun
Wind = natural movement of the air

 

[py26129]

If I remember correctly, the access to the stuffing box is pretty limited on the PY 26. When we got ours in the late 90' the stuffing box had been replaced by a dripless seal for that reason.

Congratulations on the Paceship, Kua. We had ours for 12 years and loved the boat. The only reason we replaced it was because we needed a bot more space as the kids were growing up. I'd be happy to help you with any questions you might have.

Matt

 

[Scott T-Bird]

If I remember correctly, the access to the stuffing box is pretty limited on the PY 26. When we got ours in the late 90' the stuffing box had been replaced by a dripless seal for that reason.

That would be my suggestion ... install PSS while the boat is out of the water if you have difficulty accessing the stuffing box.
Your Paceship is very similar to my boat (but my stuffing box was accessible - perhaps I have a smaller diesel tank).
http://www.shaftseal.com/pss-type-a-seal.html

 

[Kua]

Thanks everyone. I'm learning more about my boat every day. The diesel tank is four years old and larger capacity than the original. I did get the stuffing box apart, Larry, Moe + Curley style. The thing looked like one of the sailors from the Flying Dutchman that had halfway grown into the ship itself. Under the outer layer of gook was the original engine paint in perfect shape.... Like no one ever touched it! Had to use two pipe wrenches with one hand + so tied the handle of one with cord to the bulkhead. After 15min of no luck moving the locking nut I (VERY CAREFULLY) applied some heat to it and the rest of the taking apart was a breeze.

Now with old packing out + new packing in I am trying to find an average estimate of how tight to reapply the packing nut. Hand tight? 1/4 turn past hand tight?? etc.. I have GTU Gore shaft packing.

 

[Kua]

You were right. The tank that is in now is a larger (than the original) one. But... The bone head moment for me was when I moved two large pieces of plywood that the last owner had put down in place of the aft port side cushion and discovered that there is a second hatch much closer to the stuffing box than the one I had looked through before. thanks.

 

[Tally Ho]

Thanks everyone. I'm learning more about my boat every day. The diesel tank is four years old and larger capacity than the original. I did get the stuffing box apart, Larry, Moe + Curley style. The thing looked like one of the sailors from the Flying Dutchman that had halfway grown into the ship itself. Under the outer layer of gook was the original engine paint in perfect shape.... Like no one ever touched it! Had to use two pipe wrenches with one hand + so tied the handle of one with cord to the bulkhead. After 15min of no luck moving the locking nut I (VERY CAREFULLY) applied some heat to it and the rest of the taking apart was a breeze.

Now with old packing out + new packing in I am trying to find an average estimate of how tight to reapply the packing nut. Hand tight? 1/4 turn past hand tight?? etc.. I have GTU Gore shaft packing.

I think you can go a bit farther than hand tight, since you will need to compress the packing the first time. what I did was to go hand tight, put the boat in the water and then adjust. You need to adjust so that when the shaft is spinning, you get a drip or two a minute, but you don’t want it to drip when the shaft is not turning. Takes a little time to adjust it correctly.

The good news is that too much drip won’t sink your boat (not quickly anyway), so you can go hand tight, launch, and have plenty of time and opportunity to tighten it up.

I used the GTU packing on my old boat and really liked it. She was almost dripless under motor, but did not overheat the shaft or stuffing box. Very “clean”.

I packed my current boat with traditional flax, and regret not using GTU.

Good luck,

Greg

 

[Kua]

Stuffing box = done. I found a pick w/a 90 degree bend at the end that was perfect for getting the old packing out. Because I could only get one hand in to the area at a time I temporarily gorilla taped the packing nut to the drive shaft coupling so that the nut would'n turn until I wanted it to. Only two rings of pretty ratted up packing came out. I am very sure that there wasn't a third in there. Also the packing seems thicker than the 3/16 GTU that I put in. Don't know if that's because of it's condition or whoever changed it last just did a crappy job (or I got it wrong.) The new packing went in easily, staggered the joint for three layers. tightened 1/2 turn past hand tight and applied the locking nut. thanks everyone.

 

[jssailem]

Nice job. Run free and fast. Drip just a little.