Traditional Stuffing or Dripless?

[Blitz]

In Mainesails article he was recommending a performance non-graphite packing called SynBraid® since it was is a 100% galvanically inert synthetic packing, not a “PTFE infused” product with acrylic or flax yarns making up the braid. The SynBraid® yarns are actually extruded with the proprietary lubricant in the yarn not “infused” after the yarns are extruded.

Does anyone know where this product or equivalent is since I expected it to be on the market 2018.

 

[Project_Mayhem]

In Mainesails article he was recommending a performance non-graphite packing called SynBraid® since it was is a 100% galvanically inert synthetic packing, not a “PTFE infused” product with acrylic or flax yarns making up the braid. The SynBraid® yarns are actually extruded with the proprietary lubricant in the yarn not “infused” after the yarns are extruded.

Does anyone know where this product or equivalent is since I expected it to be on the market 2018.

Gore GFO. He also mentions a couple of others in the article

 

[Blitz]

Gore GFO. He also mentions a couple of others in the article

Gore GFO, Duramax Ultra-x and GTU still all contains graphite and blended with PTFE. The idea to meet ABYC was to avoid graphite since it is high on the galvanic scale.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

For all the reading I have done on GFO, I still don't understand GORE GFO packing. Or for that matter, most marine packing products out there. They read like soap commercials. They're supposedly approved of by every self appointed group out there including God himself. But most of them contain graphite which, as we know, is disasterous to most shaft metals in salt water unless you have a shaft of Aqualloy 22 or better.

Even then, I STILL wouldn't trust a graphite bearing packing because not only is the shaft looking at possible galvanic corrosion, it's still fighting against crevice corrosion when not in use.

GORE alludes that GFO is made from 100% pure, unadulturated, virgin, GORE® GFO® Packing Fiber so buy some. C'mon, how can you go wrong ? But when you really get out there and dig, you find :

Gore® GFO Marine Shaft Packing

www.equalseal.com

Looks like GFO fiber is the same as every other graphite bearing packing out there.

I remember an article about packing which stated that "if it looks like graphite, it is graphite" and this stuff certainly looks like it contains a high % graphite:

GORE ads never mention the word "graphite" just their ultrapure, virgin GORE GFO packing fibre.

CAUTION : May contain graphite. Oh what the hell, truth be told, it's mostly graphite.

Looking at McMaster Carr's page on gland packing :

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.

www.mcmaster.com

..................... requires caution, as roughly half the packing products listed contain graphite.

Graphite : Great stuff. Low coefficient of friction, relatively high thermal conductivity, can cause corrosion in salt water .

 

[Tally Ho]

I didn’t realize GFO was only a poor choice in SALT water…I switched to a more traditional flax packing when I replaced my shaft (which was Aqualloy 22 I think)… I was worried about ruining my new shaft. And the regular flax was so leaky, I decided to go with the Volvo dripless seal the next year. but I sail on the beautiful, salt-free, tide-free, shark-free waters of Lake Michigan, so I guess I could have stuck with the GFO packing!

Oh well, I really like the Volvo dripless….wouldnt want to go back.

Greg

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

I didn’t realize GFO was only a poor choice in SALT water…

Actually, I think you're running a risk anytime you cosy up graphite against metal in any type of water. Doing so in salt water is even more of a death wish.

I have no idea WHAT Hunter used for shaft material when I bought my boat new in 1998 but after 26 years in service, I couldn't ask for better service. Even after sitting motionless for 6 months of winter, there's no sign of crevice corrosion unde the packing :

​

I currently use teflon impregnated flax from Western Pacific Trading :

​

................. and have no curiosity about what would happen if I tried one of the many graphite impregnated packings floating around. No interest whatsoever.

BTW, I wonder about who came up with the bull idea that flax rots inside a packing gland. I've left mine for 6 - 7 years between replacement and found no evidence of rot. I'm pretty sure the teflon encapsulates each fibre of flax and insulates it against water and oxygen intrusion.