Packing gland how often to replace
- Thread starter wilf
- Start date
You are welcome, but don't just take my word for it. I'm sure the crew here will speak out as well. I never got to that point. My plastic housing/gland system wouldn't drip at all like it is supposed to and it wasn't tight. I was either going to replace the plastic with a bronze housing or go dripless and I chose the latter.
If you can't tighten the gland any more and it drips while the motor isn't running, then indeed it is time to repack the gland.
Just to clarify, the locking nut is as far back as possible correct? You don't see any more threads?
Just because I hate water in the boat I wouldn't take all the old packing out while in the water. There is nothing wrong with backing out the nut and adding a couple of rings of packing ,however.
Some owners do this, but I suspect that they are organized enough and experienced enough that they can do it in XX number of minutes. Note that sea water will be flowing in around the shaft while you work. If you have a decent electric bilge pump it should keep up with the ingress. After all, the area for water entry is about a quarter inch around the exterior of the shaft, maybe a bit more. I would haul the boat instead... but if a long ways from home... "you do what you gotta do".
If you boat in warmer waters and can dive... first just go under it and stuff something around the shaft where it enters the shaft log -- that would reduce the flow to a trickle. Then dive again and remove the external material before using the engine.
Gotta say, we have used a PSS shaft seal since 1995. Last month we had the second bellows kit installed, in its life. And that was precautionary, rather than due to any perceived failure.
As for the improved packing material used nowadays in the traditional stuffing box, I might be talked into it, maybe, but... our boat has a shallow bilge.
IF... we had a deep bilge where water could stay without wandering up under the settees when we heel, I might view the choices differently. For us, a totally dry bilge is important.
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Based on the information it sounds like you have tightened the stuffing nut fully and it is dripping more than 1 drop a minute while the shift is turning. It is dripping while the shaft is standing still.
Then yes it is time to change the packing in the stuffing box.
Answer is yes. but be prepared to have water coming into the boat. You can minimize the flow with rags and even a string wrapped around the shaft and pushed back against the shaft log. But you will get water intrusion and you should assure your bilge pump is fully functioning. Prepare to get your hands wet as you work at removing the old stuffing. You can google this process and there are YouTube instructional videos on the subject, even the string theory trick.
Yes. Depending on your access.
To stop the flow of water so I have as long as I want to work I get an old bicycle tire inner tube, split that lengthwise and use a strip to make a few tight wraps around the shaft and hose and secure that with a cable tie. Stops all of the water flow (but I would not leave the boat unattended that way).
I think you should go to the sails call page if you are going to bring up string theory.
Change the packing. You can do it while in the water..... I had a small shop vac next to me and a ready rag to ebb the flow. However in
My case not Much water came in..... remember the cutless bearing limits flow so not much comes in. Open it up but make sure you have all the tools ready to dig. Measure and precut your packing
Good luck!
Greg
My case not Much water came in..... remember the cutless bearing limits flow so not much comes in. Open it up but make sure you have all the tools ready to dig. Measure and precut your packing
Good luck!
Greg
While that's true with our Beneteau's, most other brands use strut mounted prop shafts, where the cutless is not in the hull. Still, I've read plenty of reports from people who can do it in the water, with some good preparation as you say.
Actually this was with my Pearson that had a traditional box and strut base cutlass and non hull cutlass..... got confused. But minimal water came in none the less.....
Greg
As others have said you can certainly replace while in the water but a word of caution. If you don’t have an idea of the state of your packing you may want to consider waiting till you’re out of the water. Not because of water ingress, but because it may be a time consuming effort to get the old out.
I just did this knowing I was overdue (my fault) and found a mess that took me about 8 hours to get out and cleaned up. I would work a couple hours, go home take Advil for my back and repeat.
Next time I won’t hesitate doing it the water, but glad I was on the hard in this case.
This is what I was up against:
I just did this knowing I was overdue (my fault) and found a mess that took me about 8 hours to get out and cleaned up. I would work a couple hours, go home take Advil for my back and repeat.
Next time I won’t hesitate doing it the water, but glad I was on the hard in this case.
This is what I was up against:
The hardest part of the job is digging out the old packing, especially if you have poor access. The packing has been there a long time and has been compressed, so it is really packed in there. I did the job once on my Sabre 30 and the next time it got a shaft seal. To access the gland, it was necessary to fold myself up in the sail locker and work one-handed with only a couple of inches of room to dig it out.
Cutlass bearing only limits flow if it is in the stern tube...not if it is mounted in a strut back by the propeller. Like on your Bene, but not on my O’Day 322...and probably not on the OP’s Hunter.
I would not be afraid to try it in the water in either case, but I would probably add a ring or 2 of packing and see if that works for the season...and do a full removal next time I was out of the water.
Greg