Hunter 28 stuffing box ...

[eliems]

Taking her out of the water next week to do bottom paint and zinc etc and I have a question. On the way home from Broughton I noticed water sloshing up against the ridge of the motor compartment and traced it to the shaft going through the stuffing box. (After four hours there was 2 cups in a plastic container I put under the shaft exit which seems more than the drip should be). Do you know what the solution is?

Thanks!

 

[Steve Dion]

There should be NO drip when the shaft is NOT turning. When the shaft IS turning you should expect 2-5 drips per minute.

You need to adjust your packing glan or repack it depending on the condition of the packing.

It should be tight enough that the shaft does NOT get hot (only warm) when the shaft is turning.

 

[Nom De Guerre]

I'm going to go ahead and suggest that you check the feeling (cold/warm/hot) of the stuffing box rather than shaft.

My stuffing box is rarely warm and never hot. It drips none at rest and 2 drops or so per minute at cruising speed.

I never adjust more than 1 flat (about 1/6 a turn) at a time, and it is usually less fiddling to start loose (leaky) and then tighten (drier). Check, tighten, run 5 minutes, check, tighten, run 5 minutes... until satisfied.

 

[quadrille38]

From the sounds of your question I am speculating that you've never tightened the packing nut to changed the packing yourself. If not, ask a friend who has to show you how. It's not difficult bit critical you do it correctly. Too tight and you can overheat and damage the shaft. Too loose and it drips a lot, and not done correctly and the packing nut can back itself off with potentially disastrous results.


The packing is held in place by a nut that compresses it in to the stuffing box. There is a second nut that that tightens up against the first to prevent it from backing itself off.

 

[eliems]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the information!

 

[Stu Jackson]

http://www.c34.org/wiki/index.php?title=Stuffing_box_packing

 

[Cmp1110]

Why not go dripless we did on our 28.5 easy and works great no more drips!!!!

 

[Granfalloon]

Taking her out of the water next week to do bottom paint and zinc etc and I have a question. On the way home from Broughton I noticed water sloshing up against the ridge of the motor compartment and traced it to the shaft going through the stuffing box. (After four hours there was 2 cups in a plastic container I put under the shaft exit which seems more than the drip should be). Do you know what the solution is?

Thanks!

I agree to start loose and tighten gradually. I suggest if you replace the stuffing material pay a little more and get the "gore-tex" stuffing material.