I have struggled with the Yanmar 18 hp in my Precision 28 since I bought the boat (used but less than a year old). There seemed to be an inordinate amount of vibration in the engine. The pedestal and wheel vibrated under power. I paid a yard to align the shaft and they completely moved the rear mounts to no avail. I had the injectors removed and calibrated and several hundred dollars later the engine operated exactly as before. The yard said the engine mounts were too tall allowing excessive vibration. I decided to live with it and just sail the thing for four seasons but finally decided I needed to do something with the leaky stuffing box. I know the readers of this forum are high on the CSS dripless box but I don't think it would work with the kind of vibration I have. I had the yard install new packing this spring but when asked, they had installed the wrong size and did not remove the original packing. As you can tell, competent sailboat service is hard to come by around Kansas lakes. I took the thing apart in the water, removed the old packing and replaced with new. When I started the engine, I couldn't get any water to drip from the shaft unless the assembly was so loose water came through the threads. Apparently the original owner had installed the green dripless stuff because it squished out the shaft opening when the engine ran. I've run it this way for a few months (I only motor for a few minutes to get in and out of the marina) and again decided to tighten the unit hoping the packing might have "run in". I can now get a 3-drop/minute adjustment but the box gets really gets hot. I can't touch the thing for more than a second. Even the water drips will burn your hand. Sorry for the long post but his has been quite a process. I intend to remove the shaft and see if it runs true when I pull for the winter but hate to pay for an extra haul and launch. I've read that you can score the shaft by running the packing too tight but how hot is too hot? Any thoughts on this would be welcome.
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Hot Box
MB You wrote: ''I took the thing apart in the water, removed the old packing and replaced with new. When I started the engine, I couldn't get any water to drip from the shaft unless the assembly was so loose water came through the threads. Apparently the original owner had installed the green dripless stuff because it squished out the shaft opening when the engine ran. I've run it this way for a few months (I only motor for a few minutes to get in and out of the marina) and again decided to tighten the unit hoping the packing might have "run in". I can now get a 3-drop/minute adjustment but the box gets really gets hot. I can't touch the thing for more than a second. Even the water drips will burn your hand.'' If you have, as you say, started to 'do it yourself,' it's hard to understand the repeated: 'The yard did this...' If you personally pulled out the old packing, what is the meaning of the green goop part still oozing out? I think your're heading in the right direction, but recommend that you continue to resolve the issue without recourse to 'yards.' If it's too hot to touch, you may have already scored the shaft. The only thing I can think of is that you didn' get ALL of the old packing out and subsequently can't hand tighten the box 'lightly' enough to keep it from dripping. Are you using the regular material, green goop or e-marine gore tex? In order to help you, we do need some more input. Good luck.
MB You wrote: ''I took the thing apart in the water, removed the old packing and replaced with new. When I started the engine, I couldn't get any water to drip from the shaft unless the assembly was so loose water came through the threads. Apparently the original owner had installed the green dripless stuff because it squished out the shaft opening when the engine ran. I've run it this way for a few months (I only motor for a few minutes to get in and out of the marina) and again decided to tighten the unit hoping the packing might have "run in". I can now get a 3-drop/minute adjustment but the box gets really gets hot. I can't touch the thing for more than a second. Even the water drips will burn your hand.'' If you have, as you say, started to 'do it yourself,' it's hard to understand the repeated: 'The yard did this...' If you personally pulled out the old packing, what is the meaning of the green goop part still oozing out? I think your're heading in the right direction, but recommend that you continue to resolve the issue without recourse to 'yards.' If it's too hot to touch, you may have already scored the shaft. The only thing I can think of is that you didn' get ALL of the old packing out and subsequently can't hand tighten the box 'lightly' enough to keep it from dripping. Are you using the regular material, green goop or e-marine gore tex? In order to help you, we do need some more input. Good luck.
GG, are you a moderator?
Sheesh, do you moderate this list or just take your own time to belittle people. The reason I repeatedly tried to get things fixed at the "yard" was the sme reason I posted here - I didn't know enough to do the repairs myself. Don't bother responding, I'll be unbookmarking this site rather than look here for any more advice.
Sheesh, do you moderate this list or just take your own time to belittle people. The reason I repeatedly tried to get things fixed at the "yard" was the sme reason I posted here - I didn't know enough to do the repairs myself. Don't bother responding, I'll be unbookmarking this site rather than look here for any more advice.
A little sensitive
MB, The questions were ligitimate given the original post. GG was trying to be helpful. Sometimes to do so, it is important to understand exactly what happened, what sequence, etc. I can see nothing in his post that belittles you within the context of the original post. In fact, he indicates that you are on the right track, just need more information. Dan Jonas (S/V Feije II)
MB, The questions were ligitimate given the original post. GG was trying to be helpful. Sometimes to do so, it is important to understand exactly what happened, what sequence, etc. I can see nothing in his post that belittles you within the context of the original post. In fact, he indicates that you are on the right track, just need more information. Dan Jonas (S/V Feije II)
Hot Stuffing Box continued
Nope, I'm not a moderator, just interested in helping. Sorry that the initial questioner's reply seemed even shorter than my reply. Peggie, it's not when you're tired, it's almost always the very basic nature of the questions themselves. It just seems to me that a little research on some folk's part would go a long way to answering some basic questions. Either read a book (like Peggie's about heads) before asking why their boat smells when they first flush. Or just use the great archives on this 'site. Then, if there is a specific question, everyone here would be grateful to be able to help.
Nope, I'm not a moderator, just interested in helping. Sorry that the initial questioner's reply seemed even shorter than my reply. Peggie, it's not when you're tired, it's almost always the very basic nature of the questions themselves. It just seems to me that a little research on some folk's part would go a long way to answering some basic questions. Either read a book (like Peggie's about heads) before asking why their boat smells when they first flush. Or just use the great archives on this 'site. Then, if there is a specific question, everyone here would be grateful to be able to help.
Back to the original question...
M Burke, After reading what's here, I'd say that you need to haul and pull out ALL of the old packing that was in there. If you did this repair in the water, there's NO WAY you could have gotten all of the old stuff out without causing a MAJOR leak that you'd have a hard time working through. With this, I'd suggest 2 things: 1. Haul the boat & remove all of the old packing. 2. Either replace with new packing or consider installing the PYI Dripless shaft seal. I've got a 2GM20F (18 hp Yanmar) and it does vibrate a lot at certain RPM's and, in my opinion the motor mounts should be re-engineered. However, this vibration has no negative effect on the dripless seal's ability to function properly. I'd strongly consider you check it out. Either way (and I could be wrong here) I believe you're going to need to haul your boat if you're going to re-pack your stuffing box effectively. Pulling out all of the flax while in the water will certainly lead to water gushing in at a rate that will not allow you to re-pack. Anyone agree or disagree?? Allen Schweitzer s/v Falstaff C-30 Hull# 632
M Burke, After reading what's here, I'd say that you need to haul and pull out ALL of the old packing that was in there. If you did this repair in the water, there's NO WAY you could have gotten all of the old stuff out without causing a MAJOR leak that you'd have a hard time working through. With this, I'd suggest 2 things: 1. Haul the boat & remove all of the old packing. 2. Either replace with new packing or consider installing the PYI Dripless shaft seal. I've got a 2GM20F (18 hp Yanmar) and it does vibrate a lot at certain RPM's and, in my opinion the motor mounts should be re-engineered. However, this vibration has no negative effect on the dripless seal's ability to function properly. I'd strongly consider you check it out. Either way (and I could be wrong here) I believe you're going to need to haul your boat if you're going to re-pack your stuffing box effectively. Pulling out all of the flax while in the water will certainly lead to water gushing in at a rate that will not allow you to re-pack. Anyone agree or disagree?? Allen Schweitzer s/v Falstaff C-30 Hull# 632
Removal while afloat..
Repacked mine the first time while on the dry with three full turns of 1/4" teflon based packing... The removal didn't amount to much as the old was worn to oblivion and came out like so many bits of short string. A question that I never resolved while doing it was which size the replacement packing should be. I think the smaller size is around 3/16" and the larger is around 1/4" square. After launch I determined that it got too hot to touch in about 300 yards distance from the dock... and after backing the nut off until the threads leaked, it still got hot.. (Sound familiar?) At this point the packing was rammed in so tight against the shaft that it was near impossible to get out. My improvisational removal tool was a large loop-type fish hook in a vise grip...which was not only tough and resilient, but pointed enough to grab the packing out from around the shaft. The leakage while disassembled was significant but not so much that it couldn't be done if you're prepared and precut the flax packing before hand.. My guess is that I have a stuffing box that should have received three wraps of the smaller sized packing but two of the 1/4" size wraps seems to work. It still gets warm and I keep an eye on it...and I still never seem to have more than a couple of drips/min. As I understand the flax packing, there are two types...one with bee's wax which is not particularly tolerant to heat/running dry and the other has a teflon-flax combination which has a yellowish color and can run much hotter. You may want to try the smaller size and see if it makes a difference for you. My packing stayed with the cap nut and slid up the shaft with the cap in the disassembly not on the fixed side...and the leakage was only a pencil sized stream... That is my experience with the stuff...and after several initial adjustments I may revisit my box again if it doesn't run in soon....and go with the smaller size myself. (I am sure that this post will bring out the experts of stuffing with corrections and advise.) I'd be interested in an explanation of 'scoring' of the drive shaft...not heard of that before.
Repacked mine the first time while on the dry with three full turns of 1/4" teflon based packing... The removal didn't amount to much as the old was worn to oblivion and came out like so many bits of short string. A question that I never resolved while doing it was which size the replacement packing should be. I think the smaller size is around 3/16" and the larger is around 1/4" square. After launch I determined that it got too hot to touch in about 300 yards distance from the dock... and after backing the nut off until the threads leaked, it still got hot.. (Sound familiar?) At this point the packing was rammed in so tight against the shaft that it was near impossible to get out. My improvisational removal tool was a large loop-type fish hook in a vise grip...which was not only tough and resilient, but pointed enough to grab the packing out from around the shaft. The leakage while disassembled was significant but not so much that it couldn't be done if you're prepared and precut the flax packing before hand.. My guess is that I have a stuffing box that should have received three wraps of the smaller sized packing but two of the 1/4" size wraps seems to work. It still gets warm and I keep an eye on it...and I still never seem to have more than a couple of drips/min. As I understand the flax packing, there are two types...one with bee's wax which is not particularly tolerant to heat/running dry and the other has a teflon-flax combination which has a yellowish color and can run much hotter. You may want to try the smaller size and see if it makes a difference for you. My packing stayed with the cap nut and slid up the shaft with the cap in the disassembly not on the fixed side...and the leakage was only a pencil sized stream... That is my experience with the stuff...and after several initial adjustments I may revisit my box again if it doesn't run in soon....and go with the smaller size myself. (I am sure that this post will bring out the experts of stuffing with corrections and advise.) I'd be interested in an explanation of 'scoring' of the drive shaft...not heard of that before.
Stuffing Box (Post #4,345,678,334)
Folks, It's all been said before. As GG suggested to MB in the first post, a little research sure goes a long way. Try the link, print them out and never have to ask again. What part of about two hundred posts don't cover the subject, in addition to gazillion articles, books, and, perhaps next, a movie!?
Good luck. PS You CAN do it in the water. It's actually easier to get the old stuff out when it's wet, and NO the boat won't sink unless you take a week to do it and you don't have a bilge pump. There is absolutely NO reason to spend the $$$ to haul the boat. Hope MB's still listening.
Folks, It's all been said before. As GG suggested to MB in the first post, a little research sure goes a long way. Try the link, print them out and never have to ask again. What part of about two hundred posts don't cover the subject, in addition to gazillion articles, books, and, perhaps next, a movie!?
Good luck. PS You CAN do it in the water. It's actually easier to get the old stuff out when it's wet, and NO the boat won't sink unless you take a week to do it and you don't have a bilge pump. There is absolutely NO reason to spend the $$$ to haul the boat. Hope MB's still listening.Wow, I was just about....
to do a thread of my own on why my Yanmar 2GM vibrates so much. Have to say that these responses shed some light on the subject. I've checked the shaft in gear, all of the mountings, drip ratio etc. and everything seems to be in order, so guess I'll just live with it. It still seems to move ok, just makes a lot of racket at certain RPM levels.
to do a thread of my own on why my Yanmar 2GM vibrates so much. Have to say that these responses shed some light on the subject. I've checked the shaft in gear, all of the mountings, drip ratio etc. and everything seems to be in order, so guess I'll just live with it. It still seems to move ok, just makes a lot of racket at certain RPM levels.
Shaftsaver,Shaftsaver,Shaftsaver
You will not believe what the R&D Shaftsaver will do to the vibrations and minor misalignment. I just installed one and cannot believe the difference. I would spend the money on this addition long before most other options.
You will not believe what the R&D Shaftsaver will do to the vibrations and minor misalignment. I just installed one and cannot believe the difference. I would spend the money on this addition long before most other options.
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