Just purchased 2000 Hunter 310. Does anyone know how the water gets to the bilge from the stuffing box area? Found 3" of water below engine. It appears water from the stuffing box has no drain hole. Packing water enters the engine cavity. Found 2 holes in close proximity to packing area, but they are at a higher elevation than the engine cavity. Used a garden hose to see where water would go if it found its way into these holes. Couldn't find any trace of this water going into bilge. Attached are pictures of drain hole and stuffing box.
Stuffing Box Water Drain
- Thread starter Revere
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The area immediately under the engine is a pan shaped piece of fiber glass and is intended/designed to capture/retain oil spills until you can wipe them up. It is not intended to drain into the bilge. There often is sea water that collects in the pan which comes from the spinning shaft. You should wipe this out of the pan as well. There should be some "limber holes" in the vicinity of the shaft packing nut that will allow for drainage of water coming from the packing. If you used a garden hose in this area the water would go to the bilge. From the looks of the residue in the pan it could use a good cleaning.
Steve
Steve
Your configuration is quite similar to that of my 1986 H28.5 I asked Hunter about the lack of proper drainage under the engine for packing gland drips and got the standard answer about "it being illegal to pump oily bilge water overboard." I guess Hunter is unaware of what commercial ships do. In any event, you probably have the same two rectangular holes at the higher, aft end of the engine compartment. In my case, they are on either side of the water strainer and you can see one of them in the foreground of the attached pic. In theory, these holes are supposed to let water drain down along the stringers to the bilge. In actuality, I place a shallow foil baking pan under the engine and up to and under the packing gland to catch drips. I then suck up the water with a turkey baster. While I do not get much water dripping from the gland, the next time I repack it I'll probably use dripless packing. You may want to give that a try, too.
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I put in a PSS drip-less seal and don't worry about it any more. I just check the boot once or twice a year and sail.
Dave
Dave
Steve, thanks for your advise. I don't see any "limber holes". I will probably change to dripless packing next time.
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