O'Day 30 Stuffing Box Hose Replacement

[GeorgeC]

I own a 1983 O'Day 30 with a Universal 5416 engine and have never replaced the hose between the stuffing box and the fiberglass stern tube. My boat winters in the water in Connecticut and the hose is now 43 years old. Has anyone replaced their hose and what condition was it in when your removed it and what diameter hose did you use when you replaced it?

Thanks

 

[JoeWhite]

Yes. I have replaced mine on Catslina 36. It may have a larger hose and stuffing box diameter. The shaft needs to be removed and it would be a good idea to install a new stuffing box and a 6-ply hose. I replaced both because I was unable to take apart the stuffing box nut. While trying to turn the nut, the hose also turned on the stern tube while in water. It was a scary moment, but the hose did not tear.

 

[Tally Ho]

I replaced the hose on my 1988 O’Day 322 a few years ago. Mine sits out on the hard for the winters on Lake Michigan.

Mine was OK, but a bit soft and I was concerned about it twisting if the stuffing box somehow bound up on the shaft. That would be catastrophic.

My shaft was also scored under the stuffing box, so I replaced that as well.

I still wasn’t happy with the amount of water from the stuffing box (I tried several types of packing) and the next year, I replaced the stuffing box with a Volvo Penta dripless shaft seal.

I have the stuffing box and new hose if you are interested.

I have several videos on my YouTube channel about the project…here are links to the shaft condition and one for the Volvo seal I eventually went to.

Greg

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

The shaft needs to be removed and it would be a good idea to install a new stuffing box and a 6-ply hose.

You have no idea what the ID of your old hose is nor how many plies it consists of. As per @JoeWhite 's suggestion, 6 ply is a must.

Seeing as how the boat is coming out onto the hard anyway, I would suggest before doing hauling, contacting a reliable marine supplier near you and find out what his inventory of hoses is like and how fast he can ship the one you require (cuts down on the daily "out time"). Ordering one only in advance could be a time wasting disaster.

 

[eherlihy]

I replaced the stuffing box and shaft log hose on my 35 with a PSS Shaft Seal in 2013. No drips, and no moisture in the bilge from the shaft. In 2020 I replaced the bellows on the PSS seal per PSS recommendation of 7 years. Based on how well the bellows and graphite seal looked, I will leave the current bellows installed until 2030 at least. I know that there are some people that let them go longer than 10 years.

 

[Clutch Cargo]

I own a 1983 O'Day 30 with a Universal 5416 engine and have never replaced the hose between the stuffing box and the fiberglass stern tube. My boat winters in the water in Connecticut and the hose is now 43 years old. Has anyone replaced their hose and what condition was it in when your removed it and what diameter hose did you use when you replaced it?

I have a boat that is only two years newer and what you are asking about isn't as simple as you describe.
1. Removal of the hose will require removal of the shaft coupling. If it is badly rusted, or not a split coupling, it may be difficult or impossible to remove. Heat may be required. If you decide to replace it with a split coupling, you will have to remove the shaft and have the coupling fitted, and trued.
2. If you are going to go through all of this, you may wish to check the strut bearing to see if it needs replacing. Given the age of the vessel, it is certainly possible that it is due.
3. IMHO, this is a mission critical item and will sing your boat if there is a failure. My boat had been retrofitted with a dripless shaft seal and I recently replaced the bellows as well as upgrading to a split coupling to make any future servicing easier.
HTH

 

[dlochner]

As the saying goes, in for a penny, in for a pound.

This is a job that needs to be done on the hard.

1. Check the cutless bearing for wear.
2. Remove the shaft coupling, always a fun job.
3. Next loosen the stuffing box nuts and the clamps.
4. Slide the hose and stuffing box off the stern tube and off the shaft. The stern tube can be measured at this point.
5. Make a decision. Change to a dripless shaft seal or retain the traditional stuffing box. If staying with the stuffing box, clean the old packing out while its off the shaft.
6. Remove the prop and shaft to replace cutless bearing. It may be necessary to drop the rudder to remove the shaft. Some yards have an expensive tool that allows for the cutless bearing to be removed without removing the shaft.
7. Closely inspect the shaft for wear at the cutless bearing and at the stuffing box. Replace shaft and coupling if needed.
8. Put it all back together.

If the choice is to stay with the traditional stuffing box be certain to replace the hose with a hose manufactured specifically for this purpose. It will be stiffer and more resistant to any torque from the shaft.

Having had a traditional stuffing box, a PYI Shaft Seal, and a LasDrop Seal, I much prefer the the LasDrop. It is an easier seal to install and maintain and the service interval for the hose is 20 years or more.

Good luck.

 

[Woodworks1]

Great resource on re-packing-a-traditional-stuffing-box. I did my stuffing box this spring. I must have read at least 25 post and some videos on this. My stuffing box hose looks like it was replaced recently when the last owner replaced the engine.
Mostly on stuffing box but some on the log replacement. The author does it for a living.

Re-Packing A Traditional Stuffing Box - Marine How To

The Stuffing Box (click any image to see a larger version) While digging around in some old boat parts boxes I found a stuffing box from an older sailboat. I though it would be a good time to rig it up

marinehowto.com