Hunter Legend 35.5 Stuffing Box

[Zoom767]

Good Day,

I have a 1990 Hunter Legend 35.5 and have owned it since 2012. I have never replaced the packing in the stuffing box and there doesn't seem to be an issue (there is no leaking when the shaft is not turning and when the shaft is turning there is the required 1-2 drops every minute or so). I still have some threads left on the locking nut where I can tighten it a bit more if required; however, I want to be proactive as apparently the packing should last only 5-7 years and I just found this out.

Every year when the boat first goes in the water, it leaks and then after about 15 minutes it stops as I guess the packing is expanding when the water reaches it. I am really gun-shy in doing this, and have read a lot on the procedure and viewed a lot of videos; however, I can't find my exact setup anywhere. The attached photo shows my stuffing box. As you can see, it has a nylon locking nut and a nylon receptacle. I un-did the locking nut and slid it as far back towards the transmission as possible, which only leaves about 1" clearance to remove the old packing and install new packing. I bought a packing removal tool (attached) and when I used it, it hooked onto a nylon washer that was inside the black tubing. I'm assuming that this is a compression washer which the locking nut uses to evenly compress the packing. I stopped at this point because I'm not sure if the packing rings are immediately behind this washer. As well, I'm concerned about how to get the new packing rings back inside as a screwdriver would not be able to be used to angle it properly to push them back in.

Does anyone have a similar setup and have they replaced the packing rings where you could give me some guidance?

 

[jssailem]

how to get the new packing rings back inside

One suggestion I heard is to find a short piece of thin-walled PVC pipe with an Inside Diameter the same as the diameter of the prop shaft. Cut the PVC pipe in half. Place the packing ring on the prop shaft and use the half of the PVC pipe to push the packing into the stuffing box.

I am pleased that your nylon stuffing box has served you for such a long time. Other boat owners have found them to age and need to be replaced eventually. Keep an eye on the material and replace it before it fails. Owners have gone to bronze stuffing boxes or to one of the several "Dripless" seals now available.

While it can be done in the water, if you have a good working bilge pump and are not afraid of a bit of water, many choose to haul the boat and hang it overnight. They remove the old stuffing box, slip on a new one, and then splash the boat in the morning. It is all about having the materials on hand and getting to work while the boat is in the sling.

 

[Zoom767]

Thx so much for the reply John!

Sound advice and the suggestion of the PVC pipe is very ingenious! My only problem with this method is that I have to push the packing rings about 2-3" into the receptacle and I only have about an inch of exposed prop shaft to place the packing rings onto. All this to mean that I could use the PVC method to push the rings into place, but then I'm faced with the dilemma of how to retrieve it out of the cavity. This method would be perfect if I had access to use a length of PVC which would allow the pushing of the rings into place and still have PVC pipe exposed where I could grab it and pull it out.

I'm on the hard right now and going in the water in a week. My best option right now I think will be to just put it in the water and hope if it is leaking I can stop it with the remaining threads I have on the locking nut. If that fails, then just immediately lift the boat back out, leave it on the hard for the season and use that time to try and replace the rings somehow if I can figure out how to do it, or go as you suggested and change the system over to a dripless one.

Looks like I'll either be addressing this issue in the Fall after the boating season (hopefully) or will lose the season of sailing once the boat goes in the water

 

[jssailem]

I can see that space is at a premium.
When I did mine, I cut the stuffing to size, then slipped it over the prop shaft. I would push it into the proper space with the nut, then add the next piece. Eventually I got all three in and found I still had threads enough to snug up the box.

 

[JoeWhite]

Zoom767, the length of the hose is 4", I would think you have to push the rings in no more than 1.5". You can place the first ring and push the ring in 1/2" with the plastic pvc pipe, then repeat 2 more times, then press in with the top and screw in as needed.

 

[Zoom767]

I'm probably over-thinking the whole process. From what you are telling me and from what I've managed to figure out with what is going on inside this stuffing box with that thin plastic plate, I think my best option -- as I'm due to be lifted-in on Thursday -- is to work with the existing situation and hope it holds for the season. In the Fall after lift-out, attack the issue by doing what you suggest in replacing the packing rings. By then I will have lots of time to work with the issue. Bottom line, I want to address the issue before it turns into a major issue.

Replacing the whole system with a dripless one seems much more complicated and will involve removing the coupling from the gearbox and sliding the shaft back - and who knows what other issues that will cause!!

Again John, thank you very much for the guidance.

 

[Rich Stidger]

You probably know this already, but when you replace the packing rings, position the cut at 120 degrees from each other. Also, cut the rings on a diagonal , not straight. I wrap the rings around the shaft and then cut diagonally with a new sharp razor blade. Make sure you are using the correct size of packing- measure the ID of the stuffing box, subtract the diameter of the shaft, and divide by two. A size that is one size too big will be impossible to insert and will require interrupting the job to get the correct size.

 

[Zoom767]

You probably know this already, but when you replace the packing rings, position the cut at 120 degrees from each other. Also, cut the rings on a diagonal , not straight. I wrap the rings around the shaft and then cut diagonally with a new sharp razor blade. Make sure you are using the correct size of packing- measure the ID of the stuffing box, subtract the diameter of the shaft, and divide by two. A size that is one size too big will be impossible to insert and will require interrupting the job to get the correct size.

Thx Rich,
I am aware of all that you mentioned above; however, although I can properly measure the diameter of the shaft (1”), because of this particular setup I can’t measure the ID diameter of the stuffing box (too far inside that plastic part as the actual ID of the box where the rings rest against it and the shaft are past the threads of the box which is used for the locking nut and the tool will not fit inside). I’m having to trust the comments from AI that for a 1” shaft it is usually 1/4” packing — along with me finding a spare package in the tool box that was bought by the previous owner (which was 1/4”).

Thx again for taking the time to reply — I appreciate it.
Cheers

 

[shemandr]

The OP could pay the boatyard to do the job before launch. It's prolly less than an hour's labor which beats not having the use of the boat for a boating season. I'm all for DYI but this isn't that complicated.
I do agree to not taking on the installation of the dripless stuffing box before launch.

 

[Rich Stidger]

The OP could pay the boatyard to do the job before launch. It's prolly less than an hour's labor which beats not having the ......

My experience with boatyards is that their charges for simple jobs is exhorbanate. I advise getting a firm quote before authorizing the work. My boatyard starts the labor clock from the time the worker leaves the break room, goes to the shop for tools, and gets to my boat. And then after the job the clock runs until he gets back to the shop.
Consequently, the labor has increased a half hour or more at a rate of $135/hrs.
I'm not saying it is a bad idea to hire the yard, just be careful so your wallet doesn't get a nasty surprise.

 

[Zoom767]

Thank you all for the advice. I decided to take a chance and lift the boat in yesterday without doing any work on the stuffing box -- I just put everything back into place as it was. I had about four threads left in the locking nut and hoped that if it was leaking that would be enough to tighten and stop the leak. If not, I would have had them lift me right back out and that would have been it for the season. Funny enough, the damn thing didn't leak a drop when it was put in the water as opposed to last year when it was leaking more than normal then slowly stopped after about 30 minutes.

After I motored to my dock, I tied it up and re-checked. Not a drop of water. I secured the boat for the night and left.
Today when I returned, there was still not a drop that had come out. I thought I would start the motor so I could put it in gear while staying tied up at the dock to see if I could get it to leak the required 1-2 drops every couple of minutes. But, before I did that I just loosened the locking nut 1/4 turn and noted that it was now completely loose - but no water was coming out.

Now, that's an interesting scenario!

I'm going to assume that the thin plastic washer that I had pulled out and found it was between the locking nut and packing rings must have somehow remained in place with no pressure being exerted on it from the locking nut and is holding the pressure on the packing.

So, bottom line, I've re-tightened the locking nut back up which will ensure that I won't sink the boat - but will leave the issue of possibly overheating the shaft when it is turning. I'm going to forfeit this season, only go to one anchorage that is 30 minutes from the marina and tear it apart after lift-out in the Fall.

Thanks again everyone for the help - very much appreciated and hope you have a nice season.

Cheers

 

[jssailem]

May Good luck and Angels follow your path.