P303 Stuffing Box High Temperature

[jrezab]

Are any P303 owners experiencing high temperature of their stuffing box when under power? I have a 1986 Pearson 303 and recently repacked the stuffing box with the 3 strips of 1/4 inch gortec material. The box has been adjusted as required to drip about 8 drops of water per minute, however, the stuffing box heats up to over 40 degrees over ambient temperature. I do not think this is normal. I need some help in defining the problem.

Jerry
Windy City (Hull #314)
New Bern, NC

 

[Stu Jackson]

Are you absolutely sure that the flax needed to be 1/4"? Reason I ask is that many folks with 1 inch shafts use 3/16" flax. Did you have any trouble by, for example, feeling like you really had to stuff it in?

 

[jrezab]

Pearson 303 Stuffing Box Temperature

I had no problem installing the 1/4" packing in the stuffing box. I previously owned a Pearson 28-2 (1988) which used the same 1" shaft, stuffing box and 1/4"packing. With the P28-2 the stuffing box remained cool and no dripping of water was necessary, therefore, I am realy confused why I am having this problem.

Jerry
Windy City

 

[Rich (P303)]

You should be able grab it (in neutral) without burning your hand. Try the next size down if you can't straighten it out.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

You Were Definitely Doing it Correctly Before ..........

With the P28-2 the stuffing box remained cool and no dripping of water was necessary, therefore, I am realy confused why I am having this problem.

....................... if you were running cool with no dripping.

However, if you now have dripping and overheating together, I hate to suggest it but your only remedy would be to pull the packing and do it again.

At this point I'm going to assume (and hope) that your shaft is still smooth.

Your choice of the largest packing possible (1/4") is the correct way to go as smaller packing (3/16") requires excessive axial compression just to make the packing contact the shaft. At this point, the packing is becoming hard and not sealing as well.

I can only suggest looking for overlapping ends, packing which may have partially rolled over, or hopefully a chunk of old packing left behind at the bottom of the gland.

Good luck as this is not a fun job :cussing:.

 

[RichH]

It sometimes takes a while for packing, even Goretex, to properly seat and settle into its 'final installed shape' in a suffing box.
Suggest you 'readjust' occasionally, either up or down in 'gland' compression, ignoring many drips occurring, until the stuffing box reaches a 'steady state'. Just make sure that when you leave the boat that the amount of 'drips per minute' is under control.

Rx: readjust the stuffing box a few times especially after 'hard running', until the drip rate and 'temperature' becomes 'stable'.

Other - and to repeat that which another poster offered: are you sure that the stuffing box was 'cleaned out' and ALL prior packing, including fragments of old packing, was removed?