I'v owned the boat for 4 years .. I'm not certain when the stuffing box was last repacked ..I have never had a problem with leaking ... I've reviewed owners manual and I'm uncertain if I should do anyhting at all..
I repack mine every second year. It may not be leaking (hopefully you have not been tightening the nut continuously), but what happens is the minute bits of sediment that enter the gland in the cooling/lubricating water get trapped in the packing material and slowly grind away at the shaft over the many millions of revolutions. This eventually scores the shaft, making it even more prone to leaking and further scoring, and on it goes. Make it a annual or bi-annual spring launch duty and you will be further ahead. Don
Don, I would like to take your advice on repacking the stuffing box on my 272. Any details of how you did this on your 272 would be appreciated. How hard is it to do, what to watch out for, how long did it take? I'm trying to shorten the learning curve so I can do this type of maintenance on my boat. Thanks, Frank
Frank, I own a 25 with a diesel, not a 272, but I'm sure the shaft gland is similar in our 2 engines. I'm able to pack 3 or 4 rings of 1/8" flax packing string in, after digging out the old with a dental pick. Thats on a 1" diameter shaft. Be sure to stagger the ring joints as they overlap to reduce the chance of water channeling through the packing string. Read the article at the web site and you will become the expert 8>). Don
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