PROP SHAFT DRIP RATE

[Michael Clark]

I HAVE JUST HAULED MY HUNTER 31 (1983) FOR ROUTINE YEARLY MAINTENANCE. ONE OF THE ITEMS WE HAD DONE BY OUR YARD WAS TO REPLACE THE CUTLESS BEARING. SINCE WE'VE GOTTEN THE BOAT BACK I'VE NOTICED THAT THE DRIP RATE ON THE SHAFT HAS INCREASEDSIGNIFICANTLY. ABOUT ONE DRIP OR DROP EACH TWO TO TWO AND A HALF SECONDS. THIS IS ALOT FASTER DRIP RATE THAN BEFORE. WHAT SHOULD A NORMAL DRIP RATE BE? AND IF MINE IS TOO FAST DO I CORRECT IT BY JUST TIGHTENING THE SHAFT SEAL? OR SOMETHING ELSE.MY OVERALL CONCERN IS HOW MUCH MORE WATER IS COLLECTING IN THE SUMP JUST FORE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND CONSEQUENTLY GOING TO THE BILGE. I USE TO BE ABLE TO KEEP MY BILGE ALMOST ALWAYS DRY. ANY SUGGESTIONS ARE APPRECIATED.

 

[Ed Allen]

drip rate

What you have is not really a problem but if you want to slow it a bit you can. loosen the jam nut and tighted the stuffing box about one flat of the nut. and see if it is a bit better. if not just take up a bit more. If you get it too tight it will get hot. so you should run it a while in gear and then put your hand on it. if it is hot, its too tight. sometimes they will leak a bit when first put back in. it takes a little while to get run in. its common to have to tighten or sometimes loosen a bit after you start using the boat.

 

[Steve Dion]

4-5 drips/min.

Michael:The normal drip rate is usually about 10-15 seconds with flax packing. If you move up to some of the new packings, it can be eliminated all together. There is suppose to be NO drip when the shaft is not turning. If you H31 does not have a drain from the engine sump you may have a problem with it over flowing. As you know, there is no way to have a bilge pump in the engine sump area.

 

[Mike]

After tightening...

...and you probably should, it is possible you will see no drip at all. I purchased my '79 h33 last year and repacked the bearing and slowly tightened it. It stopped dripping altogether. I asked around and this is evidently not a problem unless the bearing heats up as Ed suggested. Mine is nearly room temperature. It should be an easy correction. Good luck.

 

[Jim]

tighten it

I also have a hunter 31. When they replaced the cutlass bearing they had to reinstall the shaft and packing. It just needs adjusted a little, on the hunter 31 you will need to remove the cotter pin and tighten the packing nut a flat at a time. Tighten 1 flat and run for awhile and check, then repeat if ness. My packing drips something around 1 drop a minute.