How many rings of packing for the stuffing box?

[Angela]

We just had our stuffing boxes repacked. Our guy used the black/gray Gore stuff and he put six rings in the stuffing box. We cannot get it to leak at all, and during our first run thereafter, mostly at idle speed, the stuffing boxes would not drip and they did get warm - about 150°. We didn’t go far. The stuffing box is backed off so much that the nuts are only finger tight, and we can’t back it out anymore because we’re out of threads on the bolts. In other words, it doesn’t get any more loose than that. I thought it was supposed to be four rings. Are six rings of packing too many, and perhaps the reason why we can’t get water to drip and cool?

He’s coming back out today as I told him I didn’t want to run the boat until the stuffing boxes will drip and do their job. I do not want to heat up the shaft and cause metal fatigue which will bite me in the ass later.

[MikeP]

Ang,

I used 4 rings of that packing on our 53. One thing I discovered when I installed it the first time - if you over tighten, it won't matter how much you loosen the fitting, the packing will not loosen and it will not start dripping. I had to remove the packing and do it again, paying much more attention to the tightening process. If you follow the manufacturer instructions to the letter, it works perfectly. If you don't, it wont. Installing it based on experience with different types of packing will not work - you have to follow the instructions.

The packing can provide totally dripless operation but it takes careful attention - again - to the instructions. Ours are dripless at all times but it takes a few runs to get them that way, with SLIGHT adjustments (tightening) as you go along. Our boxes will run just noticeably warm to the touch running at WOT from Rock Hall to the Marina - about an hour - and they do not drip at all.

[Mel Tucker]

Or worse....your current situation could sink you. I recently had my stuffing boxes repacked at a yard as part of my checklist before leaving to go to the Bahamas. Too much packing resulted in a few threads holding everything together. I went down the Cape Fear river and tied up at the city docks in Wilmington, NC. I tied up into the swift current and left with guest to get some lunch. Came back an hour later and found the bilge pump lights all on!!! Quickly trying to find out what was going on I pulled the hatch covers and saw the starboard shaft turning because of the swift currnt and water pouring in because the nut had BACKED OFF! If I would have had another beer or we had taken 1 1/2 hours for lunch my 43 DC would have been on the bottom as the inflow was more than the pumps could handle!! Mel Tucker

[fissioneng]

Or worse....your current situation could sink you. I recently had my stuffing boxes repacked at a yard as part of my checklist before leaving to go to the Bahamas. Too much packing resulted in a few threads holding everything together. I went down the Cape Fear river and tied up at the city docks in Wilmington, NC. I tied up into the swift current and left with guest to get some lunch. Came back an hour later and found the bilge pump lights all on!!! Quickly trying to find out what was going on I pulled the hatch covers and saw the starboard shaft turning because of the swift currnt and water pouring in because the nut had BACKED OFF! If I would have had another beer or we had taken 1 1/2 hours for lunch my 43 DC would have been on the bottom as the inflow was more than the pumps could handle!! Mel Tucker

What a story! Thanks for sharing it.

[rsmith]

We just had our stuffing boxes repacked. Our guy used the black/gray Gore stuff and he put six rings in the stuffing box. We cannot get it to leak at all, and during our first run thereafter, mostly at idle speed, the stuffing boxes would not drip and they did get warm - about 150°. We didn’t go far. The stuffing box is backed off so much that the nuts are only finger tight, and we can’t back it out anymore because we’re out of threads on the bolts. In other words, it doesn’t get any more loose than that. I thought it was supposed to be four rings. Are six rings of packing too many, and perhaps the reason why we can’t get water to drip and cool?

He’s coming back out today as I told him I didn’t want to run the boat until the stuffing boxes will drip and do their job. I do not want to heat up the shaft and cause metal fatigue which will bite me in the ass later.

I dont know how the new stuff is but they typically wont drip until the excess wax melts out. you can pull the tightning collar back and give the shaft log a couple taps with a dead blow to loosen it up if you want it to drip more.

[bobk]

Don't you need a slow drip to keep oxygenated water on the shaft to prevent crevice corrosion? I've often wondered how that works out on dripless bearings when they sit a long time. Thoughts anyone?

Bobk

[MikeP]

I pulled one of our stuffing boxes two years ago when the boat was out of the water for bottom painting and there was no sign of any corrosion on the shaft. The Gore had been in place at that time for 5 years. Of course, if one is concerned, it could be adjusted to drip but then, IMO, there's no reason to spend the money for gore packing - if you are wanting it to drip, then just use flax packing.

[Blaine Thorpe]

I replaced the shaft packing on our 36C with GoreTex over the winter and just tightened them hand tight until we got back in the water. Even at hand tight the shafts did not drip when launched. I was concerned and checked the shaft with a digital thermometer. They didn't appear to be running hot.

We ran like that for two years before they started dripping.

Blaine

[Regal2800]

the gore packing as a pita to get right. I overtightened at first and my temps also went up to 150F. to loosen i simply backed off the collar at the dock and shifted between forward and reverse. did the trick for me. They also made a mess in the bilge with the black grease/wax.

[MikeP]

"They also made a mess in the bilge with the black grease/wax."

What brand of packing did you use? I used this: http://www.gfopacking.com There is no grease or wax in the packing at all - it is totally dry with a graphite sort of look/feel to it. There's nothing to cause a "mess," at least in THAT brand of dripless packing.