Has anyone ever stuffed a stuffing box, what does it do (I imagine it prevents water from traveling up the propellar shaft?) where is it, and can I as a beginner stuff it my self, materials etc.. Do marinas regularly do this sort of thing? Responses appreciated. M.C.
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Richard Marble
Answers to your questions
# 1 Marinas will do it for you # 2 You can do it too # 3 It can be located in several places but in most likely just behind you engine. Look for a thick fitting on the prop shaft that should be it. # 4 It is a two piece fitting that screws together. One part has (if its the regular type) hemp in it , my Hunter 27 has 3/16 inch dia. Size hemp, anyway after you unscrew the two parts you can then either make or buy a tool to dig out the old hemp. You can buy new hemp at almost any marine store. Cut the hemp so that it will fit around the shaft. Do not cut it off at a 90 deg, angle, cut it at an angle more like 45 deg. So that one end will overlap the other end and squeeze together when you screw the two halves back together. Repack the part you took the old hemp out of placing the cut joint of each new ring of hemp you put back in so that it offsets the joint of the ring before it. When done screw the thing back together, do not over tighten or you can damage your shaft!! You should try to get about a drip or two a minute when done. The water keeps the shaft from overheating. PS if your old hemp it it now is too dried out and you over tighten it you can hurt your prop shaft. You should change you packing once in a while say every 3 years.
# 1 Marinas will do it for you # 2 You can do it too # 3 It can be located in several places but in most likely just behind you engine. Look for a thick fitting on the prop shaft that should be it. # 4 It is a two piece fitting that screws together. One part has (if its the regular type) hemp in it , my Hunter 27 has 3/16 inch dia. Size hemp, anyway after you unscrew the two parts you can then either make or buy a tool to dig out the old hemp. You can buy new hemp at almost any marine store. Cut the hemp so that it will fit around the shaft. Do not cut it off at a 90 deg, angle, cut it at an angle more like 45 deg. So that one end will overlap the other end and squeeze together when you screw the two halves back together. Repack the part you took the old hemp out of placing the cut joint of each new ring of hemp you put back in so that it offsets the joint of the ring before it. When done screw the thing back together, do not over tighten or you can damage your shaft!! You should try to get about a drip or two a minute when done. The water keeps the shaft from overheating. PS if your old hemp it it now is too dried out and you over tighten it you can hurt your prop shaft. You should change you packing once in a while say every 3 years.
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Mark Crociati
Stuffing Box reply
Thank you for the detailed info. I am in the preliminary stages of refurbishing a Hunter 25', I don't have possession of the boat yet though I have bought it. If memory serves me right about this boat, the Yanmar has little or no space around it. I am of course not even of amateur status when it comes to mechanics, however, it seems that I won't be able to get around the engine to the box. Do I pull the engine out? I'm sure I'm missing something here that I have'nt seen yet in the cabin. Please advise, thank you so much. Gratefully Mark
Thank you for the detailed info. I am in the preliminary stages of refurbishing a Hunter 25', I don't have possession of the boat yet though I have bought it. If memory serves me right about this boat, the Yanmar has little or no space around it. I am of course not even of amateur status when it comes to mechanics, however, it seems that I won't be able to get around the engine to the box. Do I pull the engine out? I'm sure I'm missing something here that I have'nt seen yet in the cabin. Please advise, thank you so much. Gratefully Mark
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Warren
Packing Gland
The hardest part of dealing with the packing gland/stuffing box is making up your mind to repack it. The next hardest thing is loosening the lock nut from the bearing cap. Some people swear by hitting the lock nut on one of its flats with a hammer to loosen it. Nigel Calder, in "Marine Diesel Engines" is one who suggests this. I don't have the nerve to do so. I suggest using lots of penetrating oil on the gland nuts and then using two properly sized wrenches, one to hold the bearing cap in place and the other to unloosen the lock nut behind it. Take a look at the link below and I think it will explain away a lot of the "mystery" about this critical part of your drive train.
The hardest part of dealing with the packing gland/stuffing box is making up your mind to repack it. The next hardest thing is loosening the lock nut from the bearing cap. Some people swear by hitting the lock nut on one of its flats with a hammer to loosen it. Nigel Calder, in "Marine Diesel Engines" is one who suggests this. I don't have the nerve to do so. I suggest using lots of penetrating oil on the gland nuts and then using two properly sized wrenches, one to hold the bearing cap in place and the other to unloosen the lock nut behind it. Take a look at the link below and I think it will explain away a lot of the "mystery" about this critical part of your drive train.
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Bill O'Donovan
Friendly caution
1. Do this out of the water to avoid all that burbling driving you crazy, or to the bottom. 2. Measure the diameter of the shaft. I suspect it's 1 inch, which requies 3/4-inch packing. I put in 3/8 to my regret. It worked but dripped. Size matters.
1. Do this out of the water to avoid all that burbling driving you crazy, or to the bottom. 2. Measure the diameter of the shaft. I suspect it's 1 inch, which requies 3/4-inch packing. I put in 3/8 to my regret. It worked but dripped. Size matters.
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scott
Mark, some info in the photo/project forum
Do a seach on "stuffing". There are both rudder and prop shaft posts there.
Do a seach on "stuffing". There are both rudder and prop shaft posts there.
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Steve
Hunter Web site say 3/16 inch
According to the Hunter web site, the correct size for a 1 inch shaft is 3/16th inch. I just bought some so I hope that it's the right size.
According to the Hunter web site, the correct size for a 1 inch shaft is 3/16th inch. I just bought some so I hope that it's the right size.
M
Mark Crociati
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