new stuffing box

[redhead78]

Hey all, this past weekend I ran my new motor, after splash, I hand tightend packing nut, it was leaking pretty good, then ran engine at the slip very briefly, had a drip going and off. I tightened a little more drip stopped. I left the dock, motored for maybe, 1-3/4 hrs, had a good drip going, all seems well. The drip from the stuffing box was a blackish color. During the install of the shaft and cutlass brg ( all rubber) I was concerned it was a little to tight, I shot some WD -40 in the openings of the cutlass brg b-4 launch, probably should not have,I hope I am just seeing some break in residue?? At rest the packing looks to be holding. Weather did not permit any more motoring, so this weekend I plan to give it a much better test. Any ideas?? Red

[deniseO30]

make sure your bilge pump works??? wd 40 eats rubber and plastic hope you didn't shorten it's useful life. I've a pss dripless seal. stuffing box is supposed to drip they tell me. many use high tech packing.

[Icarus05]

Go to this link:

Re-Packing A Traditional Stuffing Box Photo Gallery by Compass Marine at pbase.com

Either click or cut and paste in your address bar.

There are many other projects on this site. The gentleman who produces this website has the most explicit, accurate, exacting, and sound advice I've seen on the web on this subject. He also recommends the proper types of product to use. There are many other useful projects on the website too. I think once I found this I spent 8 hrs over two nights reading the whole site.

Hope it helps.

[JimsCAL]

Sounds like the stuffing box is adjusted correctly. No drips when stopped, a slow drip when running the engine, and not overheating the stuffing box. Just watch it and make additional adjustments as necessary.

[SEMIJim]

Originally Posted by redhead78

Hey all, this past weekend I ran my new motor, after splash, I hand tightend packing nut, it was leaking pretty good, then ran engine at the slip very briefly, had a drip going and off.

When you say "ran engine at the slip," do you mean just running the engine, or were you turning the prop, as well?

Originally Posted by redhead78

I tightened a little more drip stopped.

Depending upon the answer to the above question: That may've been good, or may not.

Originally Posted by redhead78

I left the dock, motored for maybe, 1-3/4 hrs, had a good drip going, all seems well.

Define "good drip going." For Gore GTU or GFO packing material that can be up to one drip every 20 seconds. For traditional material: One drip every ten.

Originally Posted by redhead78

The drip from the stuffing box was a blackish color.

Assuming you're not in "blackish coloured" water: That's bad. That indicates something is wearing/burning. (N.B.: Gore GTU or GFO may result in some gray-ish-ness initially. After all: It's carbon impregnated material. But the drip should soon turn clear.)

Originally Posted by redhead78

During the install of the shaft and cutlass brg ( all rubber) I was concerned it was a little to tight,

This is a separate issue. The stuffing box is inside your boat, above the shaft log. The cutlass bearing is outside your boat, well below the shaft log and in the water. How would wear from the cutlass bearing reveal itself in the drip from the packing gland?

Originally Posted by redhead78

I shot some WD -40 in the openings of the cutlass brg b-4 launch, probably should not have,

No, you shouldn't have. Petroleum products are generally not recommended for rubber or plastic parts.

Originally Posted by redhead78

Any ideas??

See above. With the prop shaft turning you should get one drip every 20 seconds or less when using Gore GTU or GFO packing material, one drip every 10 seconds or less using traditional material. Also, the stuffing box should not get hot to the touch. Shouldn't get more than lukewarm, at the most. Any drip rates lowier than those, or a very warm or hot stuffing box will not only mean premature wear on the stuffing material, but you may score your prop shaft, after which you'll go thru stuffing material like, well, like water.

Btw: IME the Gore stuffing box material can take a lot of abuse w/o damaging it or your shaft. The first season I had it in, season before last, I was trying to get near the "optimal" one-drip-per-20-seconds adjustment. Couldn't get it. If I tightened just a hair past the per-10-seconds rate, the drip would stop entirely and the stuffing box a couple of times got down-right hot to the touch! So I settled for the 10-second rate. This spring we had the hose coupling the stuffing box to the shaft log replaced. The mechanics that did that job said the stuffing material and shaft were in fine shape.

Jim

[redhead78]

First, when I said I ran at the dock, that was just because it was a brand new engine ANd I wanted to hear it run, I could not leave till high tide 7 hrs later. I tightened it as soon as it hit the water as it was just a couple of threads on. Then I tighened a bit till it stopped. Hours later as I motored to my yacht club, it was leaking like a drip every couple of seconds, and after I shut it down maybe 1-3/4 hours tyhere was no leak. As for the position of the cutlass brg, and the stern tube, I have a center cockpit, the stuffing box is attached to what I call the front of the stern tube, which is around 3' long, it runs under rear cabin,, then the rear of it the stern tube with the cutlass brg in it. The water enters the tube thru the slits in the cutlass brg fills the tube then drips out the stuffing box end correct?? So I think I have a mix of dirty water that should eventually clear out..I hope Red

[jrd22]

New engine and cutlass bearing, did the shaft get aligned properly? If out of alignment it can be wearing the new cutlass bearing and that might be a source of the black you are seeing. If you are sure the shaft is perfectly aligned then I would guess it's coming from new packing. As long as it's dripping while in gear you should be OK.

[redhead78]

Since I just splashed it last week I think I will remove the coupler and look at the alignment again. This is a 1977 Jeanneau with a good 1 1/8" thick hull, so I don't think there was much flex......