Shaft Packing

smoothsailing · Jan 2, 2012

Long Story said:
Today is a crisp -8 degree morning, with snow covered ground. I sit here thinking of my spring projects and getting my C-310 back into the water. I still have old style packing, and plan to stick with the setup for awhile. What I wanted to find out is; anyone had luck with the "Dripless" packing that you put in like clay and is supposed to be just that dripless? You still place it between two rings of conventional packing, so I get concerned about the potential to score the shaft?

Check this out.

http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/boat_projects

Go to:

Re-Packing A Traditional Stuffing Box

Scroll down and you will get your answer.

Bill

Stu Jackson · Jan 2, 2012

http://www.c34.org/wiki/index.php?title=Stuffing_box

One of them is one I wrote in 1999, with a link to Maine Sail's article. I bought the green goop and just used some more of it and still have some left! When I run out of it, I'll use the newer stuff, but it works just fine.

shipwreck66 · Jan 2, 2012

I was wondering about that stuff. I gave up trying to get the "perfect" setting on the stuffing box and have been snugging it up a little when I leave it, then back off a tad when I'm going to run the engine. I know it's not the correct method, but has worked so far.

Stu Jackson · Jan 2, 2012

Uhm, you say "it's not the right way to do it." So, why do you do it? Backing off is not the right way. There is no reason that when snugged up and not dripping and not hot when being run in gear that it won't work. Why go through the difficult access to the gland when you don't have to do it?

shipwreck66 · Jan 4, 2012

I had been told that it MUST drip while running, and after the cabin full of water due to pump failure, ice related, last winter, I'm hesitant to allow any dripping at all. Yeah, I know, I need to repack the whole thing, should have done it when I had the bottom painted last summer, but being 115 degrees for 45 straight days it just didn't happen. I am lakebound and never run engine more than 30 minutes at a time, needless to say, engine has low hours.

Stu Jackson · Jan 6, 2012

You might want to reread the link I provided. I have repacked mine in the water each time I've done it. Boat's still floating. If you don't want any water in the boat, then wrap a plastic bag around the shaft and tape it off.

shipwreck66 · Jan 6, 2012

I've actually got your article saved, great detail. I already have everything I need, just haven't done it. Question though, with as little as I run it do I really need the drip on the shaft as much as the people who motor for hours at a time? I'm still doing the new packing no matter what and using the green stuff in the center.

Stu Jackson · Jan 6, 2012

It's not how much you run, it's how hot the box gets. With new packing I have no drips and the box is not hot. Eventually, the box starts to drip and you tighten it about 1/8th turn and recheck the heat on the box, keep it so that you can keep your hand on it and not get burned.

Ralph Johnstone · Jan 6, 2012

Using Teflon Impregnated Flax Packing ................

............... allows your stuffing box to run stone cold and bone dry.
Attached is a shot from a thread I submitted some time back.

I've never used the green goop but I don't see why it wouldn't work every bit as well on a sailboat prop shaft due to its low surface speed.

You may want to check out the original thread.

http://forums.sbo.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?p=872589&highlight=Ralph Johnstone

I still can't understand why boaters would want a stuffing box to leak (when it's not needed) and keep their bilges perpetually wet. We use our bilge for storing the toilet paper.

Shaft Packing

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