Stuffing size?

[Steelshooter]

Hi all, I'm getting ready to get my 1977 30 ready to put her back in the water and thought I would replace the stuffing in the stuffing box as a matter of preventative maintenance. I bought the boat last summer and have not had any problems but I also don't have any idea when the last time the stuffing was replaced. Within a week of launching we will be stetting sail for a 250 mile cruse and I want to reduce any surprises to a minimum.

The boat is now a couple of hours away so getting on board to measure which size stuffing I need would be a pain. I would like to get it ordered so I can install it the next time I get down to the boat. Do any of you have any idea what size I need to order? She has the Atomic 4 engine. Oh and do any of you have any options on the GFO packing?

 

[Stu Jackson]

Buy both 3/16 and 1/4 (some M25 engine arrangements have been reported to use the larger). Usually 3/16 will work is 99% of cases. Return what you don't use. Would think the same vessel with an A4 would be the same size flax.

GFOs the way to go.

 

[Bad Obsession]

I have been told that the new gortex based packing is really good stuff. I am about to repack my packing gland this year and bought some of the gortex packing to put in there. I will just keep the parts that I don't use and use those when I re-pack the packing gland in how ever long it lasts!

3/16th is what I have for mine!

 

[Bob S]

Bad O, where did you buy the GFO packing. I checked defender and West Marine, neither of them list it. Defender did have a GTU packing. Not sure it's the same.

http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|311|53222|292328&id=685465

 

[Stu Jackson]

Here's where to get it

http://www.emarineinc.com/products/gfopacking/packing.html

From a quick Google on "gore packing"

Don't go by their shaft sizing --- flax size chart. If your boat needs 3/16, but it. Most Catalinas of a certain size, i.e., 30, 34, 36 have 1" shafts with 3/16 flax. Some have reported 1/4, but it's rare.

 

[Bob S]

Stu,

Is there a difference between GFO and GTU listed under the Defender website? $7.00 vs $16.00 (pays for the UPS)