More newbie questions

[brockhaus77]

Hi all,

thanks for the many excellent proposals how to make a seat to sit
comfortably on the coaming. I'll be sure to try out something along
those lines. Any photos you might have would be very useful!
Meanwhile, I've come across my next "little" problem:
It appears that there is a "dripless" seal packing on the engine shaft
which has begun to leak. I assume the engine shaft is 3/4" in
diameter. The packing is at the end of a rubber hose which is clamped
to it and a kind of through-port. The leak appears to be between one
of the tightening nuts and the thread of the actual packing (looks
bluish, but could be corroded copper). I would be very grateful if
y'all can point me to any information on how to maintain the packing,
where to get a new one, and any drawings on how it looks like inside.
Any tips on how I can stop (or slow down) the leak without having to
take the boat out of the water for now would be very helpful. (Right
now the bilge pump can handle it just fine - coming on every hour or
so. But I hate to think what would happen if the bilge pump dies...)

Thanks for all your sage advice - Sebastian

 

[preludeballard]

I think the name for this device is PSS pack-less shaft seal. I had one on
my Ballad (the 30ft big brother to the Vega) that started to leak about two
years ago. It was a small dribble when I left on Sunday night. But when I
returned the following Friday I had about a foot of water in the boat. I
ended up pulling the boat and removing the shaft and seal (a very long
story) and replacing it with a stuffing box. This is a much better system
and the only one the boat yard would recommend. I still have the occasional
drip...but it stops once it is adjusted. I agree that the PSS was a nice
system while it lasted but far too dangerous if it fails.

Rich
SV Prelude II

 

[mocap1]

What kind of "dripless" packing do you have? Is it the face seal type, something with a metal bellows? Could you post a photograph of it? I might be able to id the manufacturer.

Although there are quite a few in use, and they are recommended by some yards, I think the face seal type of "dripless" packing is bad news. Failure can be suddden and catastrophic, letting in large amounts of water, rather than the gradual failure with slowly increasing leakage that occurs with the more common stuffing box, which is easily repaired by the amateur.

Why do you think you have what is referred to as a "dripless" packing

Mort

 

[brockhaus77]

Dear Rich and Mort,

I know my attempts to describe what I have sound clumsy (that's why I
refer to myself as a "newbie"). There is some superficial similarity to
the system you describe (P.S.S.), but that is most definitely NOT what
it is. Unfortunately, I don't have a photo nor a digital camera, so
I'll have to give it another try with words instead of pictures:
Going from aft to fore, the first thing is a rubber tube about 4" long
(not a bellows), with 2 hose clamps, 1 to fasten it to the through-port
(where the shaft goes into the water) and 1 to fasten it to the actual
"seal" contraption. As best as I can tell, the latter is just made out
of two pieces that are screwed together with some pressure to make a
seal inside (I can see a thread and two hex-nut-like ends on the
outside). The shaft just protrudes from the other end. This is actually
NOT where it leaks (maybe that's why my friend - who knows a lot more
about boats than me - thought it might be some type of "dripless
seal"). Instead, it keeps dripping (at a steady rate for now) from the
area of the thread, i.e. most likely where the two pieces of the
contraption are screwed into each other.
I have never seen a stuffing box before, so I don't know what I'm
looking at. I can tell that whatever I have is clearly "old" (probably
from the same year as the motor, a 1980's vintage Vetus M2.05) - I'm
pretty sure the blue color is copper with surface corrrosion. I've
tried to contact Vetus to see whether they might know what it could be.
I understand that I might really be better off with a stuffing box (or
at any rate a new contraption), but if there is a temporary solution
(to decrease the drip rate, at the least) without having to take the
boat out of the water, I'd like to try that first.

Thanks again - Sebastian

 

[mocap1]

Sounds like you probably have a stuffing box. If so, one of those hex nuts, the one toward the engine is the packing nut. Put a wrench on each hex and tighten the packing nut. That should stop the leak. The nut may have a left hand thread, which you can tell easily enough when you turn it.

If this doesn't work, unscrew the packing nut and look or probe inside. If you see a fabric ring (packing) around the shaft you definitely have a stuffing box. There are various sizes, but 3/16"or so is common. If you couldn't stop the leak by tightening the nut, you have to replace the packing. I have never tried it, but I have been told that his can be done in the water.

Let me know how you make out.

Mort