Stuffing Box Adjustment

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dwarren

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This is my third season for my 37C. Last year, the newly repacked stuffing boxes needed adjusment. Luckily my boat yard owner is a nice guy and helped me out. It's one thing I've never done until last night when I splashed for 19. I "think" I done good. There is still a visible drip (probably more than I need) but adjusted from about 1 every 2 seconds to one every 5 to 10 seconds. Figured go conservative.

Question, does everyone adjust so there's almost none when at rest or maybe one per minute? I plan to re adjust once I use the boat a little and let the shafts work their way in.
 
depends on the type of packing. Flax needs to drip a little while moving gore does not need to drip at all once run in.
 
What Bruce said. Next time you haul the boat-spend a few bucks and go with the Goretex-you will not regret it. Much better on everything if you have a dripless stuffing box without the expense and potential dangers of going with a PSS dripless system.
 
You don’t have to haul out to replace packing. And yes Goretex is better.

Generally speaking you tighten the box so there is almost no drip at rest and a drop every few seconds at cruise. Also during the first couple of runs check to make sure the box doesn’t get too hot
 
quote:
Originally posted by PascalG

You don’t have to haul out to replace packing. And yes Goretex is better.

Generally speaking you tighten the box so there is almost no drip at rest and a drop every few seconds at cruise. Also during the first couple of runs check to make sure the box doesn’t get too hot

Click to expand...


[:-thumbu] Check for heat level even with no-drip Gore packing.
 
I said haul-out thinking that if he had never repacked a stuffing box, it could get a little tense having water coming into the boat, and who knows how long ago the packing nut and lock nut were exercised while trying to remove the old packing-assuming he has the proper tools and backups should things go south, then slip new packing in after watching a few videos on YouTube to learn how. I've done it a number of times, but on my latest boat, I found it extremely awkward as well as exhausting to replace the packing on my port engine last year.
 
Just to be clear, I"m familiar with the mechanics and have no fear at all repacking while boat in the water. The stuffing boxes were redone with shaft replacement in 16 so I'm almost assuming it was tex. I'm going to let it drip for short term and monitor heat (laser) underway.

Thanks everyone......
 
Would you be able to look up the maintenance records from '16 with bills which list parts including type of packing and how much of it? If it isn't Gore GFO dripless, you will need to maintain the drip.

http://gfopacking.com/
 
They were done in 2016. Old owner had all the work done when he ran agound and had to have all the running gear (and starboard shaft) replaced. Engines were pulled year prior.
 
You should have no drip at rest and only a drip every ten seconds or so with the shaft turning in gear at idle. If you have GFO Packing, you don't need to drip while turning at idle but as said above, feel the stuffing box at cruise to be sure not too hot. Should be able to hold hand on the packing gland comfortably. Unless you know for sure, I would not assume you have GFO packing. Most yards that I know of are still packing with traditional wax/flax because that's what they have in stock. I've never seen GFO on a store shelf anywhere.
 
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