hunter sailboat stuffing box

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Re-Packing A Traditional Stuffing Box

The Stuffing Box (click any image to see a larger version)

While digging around in some old boat parts boxes I found a stuffing box from an older sailboat. I though it would be a good time to rig it up in my shop and illustrate how to replace the packing material inside one of these tried & true work horse style stuffing boxes. Stuffing boxes are also called stuffing glands, packing glands or packing boxes but they are really all the same thing.

For illustrative purposes I cleaned the stuffing box of it’s oxidation and grime with my a stainless wire brush. I used a piece of 1″ diameter stainless steel as my makeshift prop shaft to complete the picture and present this as it would look inside a boat.

In this photo what you are actually seeing are two nuts not just one. The larger of the two is where the flax resides. The thin nut, on the left, is the locking-nut . Once re-packed, & properly adjusted, you lock these nuts together with two large wrenches.

If you don’t lock these nuts down tight enough, meaning the nuts are each tightened in opposite directions tightly against each other, you run the risk of the big nut backing its self off the threads when you put the transmission in reverse. Over the decades there have been more than a few boats sunk by improper adjustments of the stuffing box nuts.

IMPORTANT: I am not advocating the use of perforated hose clamps on a stuffing box. I would strongly urge you to use non-perforated AWAB 316 SS hose clamps instead. This article was done in my shop and I used what was easily on hand to make the article work. On the day I shot this I did not have any  non-perforated AWAB hose clamps to fit this hose. The article is about re-packing the stuffing box not about the hose clamps.

Stuffing Box Wrenches

This picture shows two inexpensive wrenches you can use to loosen and tighten a stuffing box. One wrench is a traditional pipe wrench and the other is a spanner wrench designed for a sink drain. Both of these wrenches are available at Home Depot or any hardware store.

I find it easier to use the pipe wrench on the small & thin locking nut and the spanner wrench on the big nut. It’s very important to use wrenches that fit the nuts well. Water pump pliers will, in many cases, not work very well or will not get the nuts tight enough after adjustment. Use good wrenches and not pliers for safety’s sake.

TIP: While I show these wrenches as wrenches you can use I would urge you to purchase as set of proper stuffing box wrenches for your particular box. Buck Algonquin and others sell packing box wrenches and they can be purchased from vendors such as Hamilton Marine.

If you’ve tried the above method and the nuts don’t break apart use a little bit of PB Blaster or Kroil. Products such as WD40  DO NOT WORK WELL AS A PENETRATING OIL . I can’t stress enough how much of a difference there is between a product like PB Blaster or Kroil and lousy penetrating products such as WD40.

Here’s a direct quote from a reader who used this article for directions. Unfortunately after three hours, Liquid Wrench, and a broken tool he gave up and emailed me for advice:

Begin Quote:

“I knew where the cap and the locking nut were, I just couldn’t budge them. I went out and bought some of the PB Blaster you advised me about and sprayed it on. Ten minutes after spraying it broke loose. PBB rules. Thanks”

Tightening & Loosening

Here’s another view of the wrenches and the process.

* When loosening the nuts the two wrenches are moved towards each other

* When tightening the nuts the wrenches (as shown here) are moved away from each other.

Broken Free

In this photo it’s much easier to see the two distinct nuts. The thin one on the left is the locking nut and the big thick nut on the right is the packing nut.

This photo shows the threaded male end of bronze stuffing box and the packing-nut or the female end of the stuffing box separated from the male end. The white PVC pipe on the left is my dummy-mock-up of a vessels fiberglass shaft log.

The rubber hose connects the bronze stuffing box to the boats shaft log and needs to be replaced periodically .

If this rubber hose cracks, deteriorates or starts leaking, it can sink your boat. Most references suggest replacing the rubber stuffing box hose every seven to ten years.

Correct Hose vs. Incorrect Hose

If you happen have your shaft out, this makes for an opportune time to replace your stuffing box hose as well.

The thicker hose on top is specifically made for stuffing boxes. It’s a robust 6 ply hose , and meant to take the abuses of a drive train installation. The stuffing box hose on top is made by Buck Algonquin. Buck Algonquin a US manufacturer of quality bronze packing boxes and other drive-line components.

This Buck Algonquin hose, sized for a 1 3/4″ shaft log, can be purchased from Hamilton Marine for about $9.00 or less.

IMPORTANT: Please do not use wet exhaust hose, as  shown below the Buck Algonquin hose. There is a big difference between actual stuffing box hose and a wet exhaust or plumbing hose. Seek out hose specifically made for stuffing boxes.

If you can’t find Buck Algonquin hose in the size you need you could use a minimum of 4 ply non-wire reinforced hose. Please do not use 2 ply or 2 ply wire reinforced hose. A stuffing box is no place for wire reinforced hose.

WRONG HOSE… D’oh……

There are vast difference in hoses and most are not at all suitable for a stuffing box application. I take many pictures of bad installations but a reader sent me this one. This one takes the cake.

• Use the right hose
• Replace on a 7-10 year +/- cycle

Please do not use the wrong hose. This boat came darn close to sinking. Use 4 ply minimum, non-wire reinforced hose. The Buck Algonquin product is six-ply .

Incorrectly Clamped

Double hose clamps won’t do any good, and can actually be detrimental, if they are not clamping anything but air. Look at the inner clap on the shaft log. It is not clamping anything but rubber. Oops……

Please be sure your hose clamps are clamping what they are intended to clamp .

Stuffing Nut Shown WIth Old Flax Still In It

When you are replacing your packing you will most likely never see this view unless you remove the transmission coupling and take the nut off. When removing the flax, with a pick, this is what you are trying to dig out! I took this photo to show the female nut with the old flax still in it. You can see the shiny surface where it meets the shaft and the thickness (3/16) of the flax its self.

Today we are lucky to have more availability than the old stand-by antique plant based packing materials such as flax packing . Flax packing is prone to rot, expansion & contraction, which messe with adjustment, and has a higher propensity to score shafting.

Packing Material Types:

Flax Packing – This packing material is derived from flax plants and they require a higher drip rate for lubrication. Most flax packing materials are impregnated with paraffin/wax and animal lard. Some flax packing materials are impregnated with Teflon. Kind of like putting lip-stick on a pig. This type of packing absorbs water, swells/shrinks and is not well suited for vessels that get hauled for winter storage. It is an inexpensive packing but low in performance.

Synthetic Packing – While often called “ synthetic packing ” the individual yarns the braid is made from are most often made of acrylic. These packing materials absorb less water, are less prone to rot and are quite often impregnated with Teflon, paraffin or lard as a lube. The have a lower temperature performance rating than Teflon yarns and sit in-between flax and Teflon for performance. They require a medium drip-rate for optimal lubrication.

Teflon Packing- This packing material does not swell, does not rot and will stay adjusted longer. This type of packing is optimal for boats that are dry stored yearly and haul / launch usually requires no additional adjustments due to dry-out and re-absorb.. They also are available with added lubrication . These packing products are galvanically inert but are not readily available in the marine market.

Graphite Extruded Teflon – These products usually have the graphite lube physically extruded into the Teflon yarn before it is braided . Extruding the lubricant (graphite), mixed into the yarn, is a far superior process than “ impregnating ” the product after the extrusion & braiding process. This material offers the best heat transfer due to graphite’s inherent ability to transfer heat rapidly. The addition of graphite, as the performance lubrication, allows for minimal dripping and longer times between adjustments. The down side to graphite impregnated packing’s is that graphite is the most noble element on the galvanic scale. In other words graphite packing materials can cause localized damage to shafting and can increase anode erosion rates. The ABYC and Western Branch Metals (The largest prop shafting manufacturer in the US) specifically disallow the use of graphite packing materials. With the great performance come some cautions and risks.

This particular stuffing box is a 1 inch stuffing box and uses three rings 3/16 flax packing. These two surfaces, where the shaft and packing meet, tend to polish each other smooth, and if over tightened, can lead to premature shaft wear or excessive heat.

Over tightening of the packing-nut, and running the stuffing box with no water drips, will eventually wear a grove in the prop shaft and ruin it. It’s very important to allow a few drops of water per minute, when the shaft is spinning, for lubrication. Even the newer synthetic W.L. Gore GFO packing should have a drip or two per minute with the shaft spinning.

Empty Stuffing Box Nut

This is what the female stuffing box nut should look like, after you have removed all the old packing from it.

My Home Made Pick

I can’t remember where I found this pick, perhaps Sears, but it used to be straight and was designed for removing engine seals! I used a blow torch and a bench vice to create my own, custom made, flax removal tool and it works remarkably well. Even a sheet rock screw can be used to remove flax but in tight spaces it’s nice to have a couple of bends in your flax removal tool.

Getting Ready To Dig Out The Old Flax

In this photo I left about an inch between the male end of the stuffing box and the female nut. This is typical of the space you’ll have on many production boats.

WARNING: If you have not attempted this type of DIY job before it’s best to do it with the boat out of the water for obvious reasons. With the female flax nut removed water will flow into the boat from between the male end of the box and the shaft. Please be careful.

Grabbing The Flax

What you can’t see in this picture is the sharp end of my pick has been firmly embedded into the first flax ring and I’m ready to pull it out of the nut.

Removing Flax With a Pick

Success! The first ring of packing is on its way out..

Packing Nut Off & Old Packing Out

I don’t advise, and can’t with a good conscience, suggest the use of “miracle lubes” such as the moldable packing materials like the; “ West Marine Moldable Packing Kit “. While many have claimed good success with these miracle lubes others have not, including myself.

On a boat we had in 2000 I installed the “ West Marine Moldable Dripless Stuffing Kit ” and it eventually became a nightmare. The green stuff in the image is the “ moldable clay ” shown with the two rings of packing that came out of the female stuffing nut.

Article Edit: Since writing this article I’ve conducted extensive temperature testing of packing glands with a fixed temp probe mounted directly to a traditional bronze stuffing box. I have measured this now for over 6 years with various products. A digital temp display was mounted in the cockpit. What I have learned is that packing gland temperatures can be anything but static .

Why? What I discovered is that air can become entrapped in the shaft log and with no cooling water, meaning no drips, you can, quite suddenly and without warning, develop a massive temp spike. Some vessels are more prone to this than others. Our old Catalina 36 was quite prone to this issue. Even after converting to a PSS dripless seal, before they introduced the vent, I found that boat needed to be burped, due to entrapped air , multiple times per season.

At one point during testing we had motored for over 3 hours using a graphite impregnated packing set for less than a drip every three to four minutes. The temp stayed at steady at 85-102F for over three hours. We hit some prop wash from a large yacht and within 3-4 minutes the packing gland was pushing 300F. Ouch!  This same type of event happened about 14-16 times over a 6 month period using a very low drip rate. My goal in testing was to find the happy medium for the least-drips to the most consistently stable temps. I adjusted the gland for 1 drip per minute and the temp spikes were gone.

This is why stuffing boxes are intended to drip some. When they drip they also displace any entrapped air. Not all boats are prone to entrapped air in the shaft log, but many are. The simple act of backing down on an anchor can force air bubbles up into the shaft log and with no drip there’s no way for the air to escape.

It is my best guess that this is what happened with our “miracle clay” packing…

Packing Nut Showing Syntef & Teflon Flax

The idea behind this green moldable clay is that it will make your traditional stuffing box dripless . To install it you insert the first ring of flax, then pack in the green clay like substance and insert the second ring making, in essence, a green-stuff sandwich.

While the idea of a dripless shaft seal is not new this stuff, in my opinion, is probably not the ideal way to go dripless . Not only is it very, very tough to remove with a pick, and replace once installed, it also did not work as advertised for me. I would also note that since writing this article numerous readers have emailed me & reported similar overheating events.

What Happened?

Remember when I talked about air entrapment in a packing gland causing temp spikes, I suspect this was it. My suspicion is that the box became entrapped with air, the green-stuff then overheated by running totally dry. Running dry melted the green goo and it oozed out and completely plugged the male end of the stuffing box with a thick black sediment . This sediment now kept the stuffing box air entrapped and eventually a burning smell notified me to the problem in the bilge.

This black goo/sediment can only be described as, remnants of the green-goo lubricant . This gray/black goo totally plugged the stuffing box essentially preventing any cooling or lubricating water from getting to the female nut. If left alone for a long enough period it could have ruined the prop shaft or potentially started a fire or damaged the packing hose. When I went to inspect the burning smell I reached out to touch the stuffing box and blistered my finger tips with burns.

Again, many folks claim good success with the miracle-goo so take my advice as cautionary only and do your own research beyond what I’ve said.

Keep in mind that this box had been run in excess of 240 engine hours at the time of the melt down and this does not include the shaft rotation time for the prop free spinning while sailing . . Air entrapment is real, it can happen and does happen and if the box can’t drip, it can entrap air and  create problems. Even PSS seals are now plumbed to let air escape from the shaft log.

This Mess Of Green-Goo Really Messed Up This Stuffing Box

If you clicked on this picture to enlarge it you can see the black goo residue on the shaft caused by the green-goo moldable packing that had over heated and was clogging the stuffing box.

IMPORTANT: All traditional stuffing boxes require water for lubrication and this dripless-clay totally plugged the area between the shaft and the male end of the of the stuffing box as seen in the picture.

Even with the female nut totally removed, in the water, I was getting, at best, 4 drips per minute with the nut off! Please be cautious running any traditional stuffing box dripless.

Dripless Vs. Drip-Less

Once again the sleazy marketing mavens have muddied the waters and done their best to mislead the average boater.

Dripless = A stuffing box that has zero drips

Drip-Less = A stuffing box that drip s less but still needs to drip some

Dripless is a term that is best forgotten in regards to standard traditional stuffing boxes. The proper term is drip-less or a box that will drip less often.

The green-goo stuffing box actually got so hot, from the lack of water lubrication, that it started to smell and I burned & blistered my fingers when checking on it. This is what eventually can happen when you opt for dripless vs. drips less.

Keep in mind this did not happen instantaneously and took approx 240 hours of run time to accumulate enough Syntef/Clay gunk to clog the stuffing box. It ran at what I thought were normal temps during and after break in as I measured it with an infrared thermometer.

I now know that spot temp checks do not tell the whole story . Temp spikes and excessive heat are likely what caused this stuff to clog my shaft log over time. In my opinion this stuff is not suitable for a “tight” shaft log where you don’t have sufficient clearance between the shaft and the male end of the stuffing box.

How does air get in there? Docking or anchoring with quick blasts of reverse can send  air bubbles up into the shaft log. Sailing in rough weather can also lead to air entrapment. If the shaft log is totally sealed or “ dripless ” the air accumulates until the box has no lubrication.

There is a good reason traditional style stuffing boxes are meant to drip. These newer packing materials should not be considered “ dripless ” and should be consider to drip less often .

Beyond entrapped air causing lubrication issues, stagnant water in the shaft log can lead to crevice corrosion of a stainless alloy prop shaft, as you’ll see below.

Why It Should Drip Some

Real Tobin Bronze shafting has been long gone for many years now, and as such, alloys in the stainless family, such as Aqumet & Nitronic are now being used it its place. These alloys, like type 304 and 316 SS, can suffer from a phenomenon called crevice corrosion.

Crevice corrosion is worst when a stainless alloy is in contact with seawater, and also oxygen starved . Crevice corrosion can also happen to bolts between wet or leaking decks, chain plates, or in stainless keel bolts where they pass through the keel stub. Most folks are aware of chain plate and keel bolt corrosion but are often unaware that it can also happen to stainless alloy prop shafts. Allowing a packing box to drip helps to keep the water in the shaft log from becoming oxygen depleted .

Over the last 10-15 years there has been a startling rise in crevice corrosion of prop shafting. With the newer packing materials, and misleading advertising, that use phrases like drip-less, the problems have only continue to escalate . The unclear marketing has caused DIY’s & professionals alike to think it means “ dripless ” not drips less . In light of this muddy marketing owners have been starving the packing box area of oxygen by not allowing any fresh oxygenated water to pass through it.

Going full dripless can potentially lead to the destruction of your prop shafting from the effects of crevice corrosion. While some packing materials such as Gore GFO, Ultra-X or GTU may be able to be adjusted to be mostly dry, and still some what cool to the touch, it’s still a poor idea from a crevice corrosion stand point.

Another pit fall, when a stuffing box is run totally sealed and “ dripless “, is that they can trap air up in the shaft log. All it takes is a quick blast of reverse, and the resulting bubbles forced up and in. Sailing in rough weather can also lead to entrapped air in the shaft log. Once enough air becomes trapped up in the shaft log the packing box, you thought was cool to the touch, begins cooking while you least expect it.

If a stuffing box is allowed to drip, even at a slow rate , it allows for excellent cooling, longer shaft life, less opportunity for crevice corrosion and less opportunity for trapped air to run the box in a totally dry state and cook it.

0.05″ Of Shaft Wear

This shaft had roughly 0.05″ of stuffing box wear and was deemed scrap metal by the shafting shop. This owner was using a Teflon impregnated natural flax and thought when the advertising said “ drip-less ” that it meant it was supposed to be “ dripless “. This was an expensive mistake you should aim to not repeat.

New & Old Packing

This photo shows the old packing with the “miracle clay” and the new GTU packing. GTU is a knock off of Gore GFO, but it frays worse due to the poorer braid design.

The Gore is the one of the best of the flax type packing materials in terms of heat dissipation but it is at the very, very top of the galvanic scale, which can cause other issues.

These packing materials also need a few drips per minute to run cool and not damage the shaft. My one complaint with this GTU packing, made by Western Pacific Trading and sold through West Marine, is that it tends to fray easily and does not make the cleanest cuts even when using a brand new razor blade.

Scrap Tubing As A Cutting Jig

Many sail boats have a 1 1/4″, 1 1/8″, 1″ or 7/8″ inch prop shaft and a piece of scrap dodger tube, in your shaft size , works great as a cutting jig for new packing rings.

Use a set of calipers to make sure your “jig” of choice is the same O.D. as your prop shaft and then cut away. I usually cut the rings in this manner but you could also cut them on the actual prop shaft too.

Please cut the rings on the outside of the boat where the shaft exits the hull between the strut and the hull and not at the stuffing box. If you cut the rings on the shaft, at the stuffing box, you run the risk of scoring the shaft and causing a burr that can damage the new packing and inevitably leak more until the burr gets polished away from the friction. This could take a very long time unless you are in heavily silt laden water…

Cutting New Rings – Sub-Optimal

This may get a little confusing but there actually is a optimal way and a sub-optimal way to cut your packing rings.

In this photo I am holding my razor blade at a 45 degree angle parallel to the shaft. Unfortunately if I cut the rings in this manner they do not seal quite as well. Yes, it will work but it is not optimal . Because the shaft nut does not compress the flax on the circumference, like the action created by a hose clamp, cutting it 45 degrees & parallel creates a less than optimal seal .

Cutting New Rings – Optimal Method

In this picture it’s easier to see the 45 degree cut and how the two ends of the packing will join together. The packing nut will actually compress these two ends together and create a better butt-joint than if they were cut vertically for a circumference (think hose clamp) type compression. I told you this was a little confusing.

Once the ring is cut be very, very careful to minimize fraying before installing it. If you’re using impregnated PTFE or traditional flax packing fraying is usually not an issue. With GTU or Gore GFO etc. fraying can be an issue.

IMPORTANT: When you cut rings this way they will  not wind up the correct length. Cut it and then shave one end down until you get the correct fit over the shaft where the two ends butt perfectly. A perfect fit is with the rings neither being too large, so as to cause a gap with the ends butted, or too small so the ends won’t quite butt together..

Here’s Why

This is a good illustration of why the cut should be made the way I have shown above. The compression of the packing nut seals the butted ends together nearly perfectly. Little details like this make for an easily adjusted stuffing box with a correct drip to temp ratio.

Three Packing Rings Installed

This photo shows three rings installed. This packing nut fits three rings, some don’t and it’s not a huge deal if one does not fit more than two rings. Three rings is preferred and considered optimal. You can also go to four but beyond that cooling issues can happen.

Thread engagement is critical and my personal preference is for four full thread peaks of engagement between the female nut and male stuffing box threads. This is four thread peaks with three rings installed and seated.

Old Teflon RIngs & Syntef Shown With GTU Rings

Here are two of the new GTU rings and the old stuff. Note the fraying I discussed earlier even though I tried to minimize it. I have discovered that Western Pacific Tradings GTU frays considerably more than Gore GFO or Duramx Ultra-X. GFO and Ultra-X barely fray at all when cut. This is due to the braiding process used.

Perhaps, to prevent fraying with GTU, you could heat up a little wax in a bowl and as soon as you cut the ring dip the ends in the wax like whipping a line. There is actually a fair amount man-handling, of the rings, between the time when they are cut and inserted and some measure of fray prevention should be attempted when using Western Pacific Trading GTU or just use GFO or Ultra-X.

Different Braider

The product I used above for this article was Western Pacific Trading GTU from West Marine. Initially I thought it was some Gore GFO I had lying around but GFO has the words “ GFO ” embossed right on the packing and after going through the photos carefully I could not find the silk screened GFO logo.

I had never had Gore’s GFO fray but the GTU product does. The photo to the left is Duramax Ultra-X which has a very similar construction, and braid, to Gore’s GFO. It does not fray when cut like GTU does.

Johnson-Duramax Ultra-X can be purchased by the foot from Hamilton Maine and it cuts cleanly.

Duramax Ultra-X Cuts Cleanly

Here’s an image of a 45 degree cut. This one comes up a bit on the short side so be careful in your cutting.

This ring was cut from Duramax Ultra-X. It is important to keep in mind that these graphite impregnated/extruded packing materials can dull a razor blade quickly so rotate in a new blade if the old one is cutting poorly. Razor blades are cheap.

Start With Your Cut Rings Ready

One of the last things you want to do, if changing your packing in the water, is to cut your rings during the project. Please do yourself a favor and pre-cut your rings.

If you’re new at this I would recommend starting with 4-5 rings as you may damage one or two in the installation process.

Edit and Answers:

I’ve received far too many emails asking what this packing material is to ignore them, so here are the details.

This is the packing material I now use. It has been in the development and testing stages since 2013. Unfortunately it is not yet on the market and is still in the testing stages. As a marine electrician and corrosion specialist I have all but stopped using the graphite impregnated packing materials I used when I initially wrote this article back in the early 2000’s. They perform quite well, but as I discovered, can lead to a host of other issues most notably, galvanic incompatibility issues. I discuss this further down in this article.

This high performance non-graphite packing, SynBraid®, is a 100% galvanically inert synthetic high performance 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. I expect SynBraid® to be on the market sometime in early 2018.

Mark The Nut Where Your Seams Are

When doing this in a boat it is a very good idea to mark the exterior of the nut where each seam is so you can stagger them. Use a packing tool like I show below to compress them into the nut. Only when all rings are in the nut can you then tighten it.

Tightening the nut to seat the packing, especially with the newer more slippery packing braids, can move the seam and you’ll now be blind as to where your seams are and will need a dental mirror to confirm seal position.

You will be best to make yourself a packing seating tool.

New Packing Rings

This is the last step. In this picture I have two of the three rings wrapped around the shaft in a stepped and alternated order.

NOTE: Please ignore the fraying . This was not a real boat and in the process of photographing this I man handled the rings far more than you would. The butt ends of the rings should not look like this.

You’ll want to offset the rings butt-joints 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 for a three ring box or 1/2 & 1/2 or said another way 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock for a two-ring box.

It’s also perfectly fine to wrap one ring at a time and push the nut over it, but without turning it, until you get all three rings into the nut and staggered. It’s best when using this method of stuffing the rings to mark the outside of the nut with a Sharpie marker where the joints are and then when all rings are in the nut, and staggered, you can finally thread the female nut onto the male part of the box.

I custom made my own tool for this & it has a similar thickness to the flax for stuffing the nut (see the tool below). I don’t advise the use of a pick to stuff the flax into the nut as this can cause significant unlaying or twisting of the flax especially with GTU. When ever possible try to get at least three rings of packing in your stuffing box as most are designed for at least three. Some nuts can actually fit four & if so go for it but make sure you still have enough exposed threads to get sufficient thread engagement for the female nut.

IMPORTANT: You really need to use the correct size packing or else you will either have overheating or leaking issues.. Going one size to0 big can eventually wear a groove in the shaft and one size too small will never seal properly. Please use due diligence to determine the proper packing size for your particular stuffing box.

The Home Made Packing Insertion Tool

Many folks have asked me how I insert the packing rings into the female nut. Well, like anything dealing with boating, it’s not always easy but can be done with a little Yankee ingenuity.

I decided that in order to keep my ring joints staggered, and to get them properly seated, I needed a new tool. I wanted a tool that was to be perfectly parallel with the prop shaft when inserting and seating the flax but that did not involve twisting the nut or threading it onto the male end . .

You need to seat the packing without causing any twisting and there were no commercially available tools to do this, so I made one. Using a screw driver will not give you the correct angle to seat the flax properly and could potentially mess up the joints or put twists in the flax rings. Seating the packing with no twists is important.

Insertion Tool Clipped On Shaft

Making this tool took less than five minutes but can really save time and headaches. To build this device I decided to use a short piece of 1-1/4 inch PVC pipe with about 1/3 of it cut out so it would fit over a 1″ shaft.

I left just enough material so it could clip itself onto the shaft and stay in place without any hand holding.

For this process I cut the 1-1/4 inch PVC pipe to 2-1/2 inches long. I then inserted this 2-1/2 inch piece into my bench vise and used a hack saw to make two more cuts. These cuts removed just enough of the 1-1/4 inch PVC to create the device.

You’re probably wondering why I used 1 1/4 inch PVC if I had a 1 inch prop shaft? Well.. I used it because it’s all I had on hand and I also own a heat gun so it was very easy to heat the PVC and wrap it around a piece of scrap 1 inch dodger tubing for a perfect heat formed fit. If you don’t own a heat gun dropping PVC into boiling water will soften it enough to mold it to the shaft.  Once it cools down it will simply click into place .

Seating The Flax

This photo shows the female nut sliding over the packing insertion tool and seating the packing rings . The tool works very well and unfortunately no one actually makes one. Hey, I bet West Marine could sell one for $85.00… ( grin )

GFO, GTU & Ultra-X Warning

WARNING : While I do like the performance of graphite impregnated packing materials such as Duramax Ultra-X, Gore GFO or Western Pacific Tradings GTU they can be potentially dangerous to underwater metals. I have used it on my own vessel but inspect the Aqualoy 22 prop shaft yearly .

“RC, Why the warning then.?”

It’s all about corrosion. Graphite is the most noble element on the galvanic scale.. As such anything in the drive train becomes anodic or sacrifices itself to the packing. Older bronze shafts, really more of a brass because they had high zinc content, can be damaged by these new high tech graphite impregnated packing materials.

The damage shown in this photo happened in one season and with intact prop shaft anodes . The shaft was in perfectly fine condition when packed, and a year later this is what it looked like.

The packing used on this shaft was Gore GFO a graphite impregnated packing. If you have a bronze shaft please use extreme caution with graphite impregnated packing materials.

I don’t tend to see these issues with Aqualoy 22 shafting but I have seen it with bronze and lower grades of stainless. Please use these packing materials carefully. If you choose them please do check on the shaft periodically.

Also, please be aware that after you install a graphite impregnated packing you will see some accelerated anode erosion rates. No dire need to be alarmed at this  but do keep up with them and check them more often until you are familiar with the new erosion rate..

Here is where the ABYC Standards come down on graphite packing :

ABYC P-6: “6.7.4 Graphite impregnated packing material shall not be used because of the possibility of galvanic incompatibility with the shaft material.”

I suspect what we are seeing in this photo is exactly the “ galvanic incompatibility ” the ABYC warns against.

We now know where the ABYC stands on graphite packing but what about the largest prop shaft manufacturer in the United States, and possibly the world, Western Branch Metals?

Western Branch Metals: “ Do not use graphite packing in the stuffing box . Instead, use a packing material that causes the least abrasion after the lubricant wears away. The use of graphite-impregnated packing is not recommended because of the possibility of galvanic corrosion of the shaft material.”

Now we have not only the ABYC but one of the largest prop shafting manufacturers on the planet both saying exactly the same thing. Do not use graphite packing’s. As they say your boat, your choice.

With all that said there are still many happy boaters who have had decent results with these graphite packing’s. Please remember however that they should not be treated as a set it and forget it packing. If using these graphite impregnated packing materials I would strongly suggest checking the shaft at least yearly .

Here’s the finished product after installing three new rings of packing material.

When initially installing the rings of packing lightly tighten the nut just until you start to feel some resistance then stop. DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN THE NUT . The final adjustment will be made after running the motor and shaft for a while.

Setting The Drip Rate

Proper adjustment for GFO, GTU or Ultra-X is up to a few drops per minute when the shaft is spinning. You’ll ideally want it adjusted for nothing more than slightly different from the sea or lake water temp, about a 15 – 20 degree differential, or slightly warmer to the touch. Measure these temps after the shaft has spun for a while.

Adjustments should be made in either half a nut-flat or “one nut-flat” (of the nut) at a time. Adjust in small increments only and not more than one full flat of the nut at a time.

W.L. Gore recommends not adjusting the stuffing box until you have run the boat in gear for about two hours of time. This allows the packing to take a set and break in some.

When adjusting other types of flax the stuffing box should be relatively cool/warmish to luke warm, at most. With traditional flax packing it should drip and must drip while the shaft is spinning.

The cooler your stuffing box runs, the longer shaft life you’ll have. With GFO they claim temps up to the 125-130F range are technically safe for the packing. In my opinion & experience monitoring stuffing box temps over a 6+ year period, 125F – 130F generally means there is not enough cooling flow through the box.

Any entrapped air, with normal temps this high, can cause a big spike in box temp. Aim for 15-20 degrees warmer than the ocean or lake temp but a little higher, with GFO, GTU or Ultra-X, should not kill the deal .

Some boxes will even drip when the shaft is not spinning and this can be entirely normal depending on the condition of your shaft. Do not get stressed if you can not make it drip free at rest as not all shafts are in good enough condition for this to always be the case. Ideally they should be but many are not.

Please do not get in the habit of tightening the stuffing box when leaving the boat . Natural flax based packing’s are not elastic and do have a memory, in a sense, and they will not necessarily return to their uncompressed state . Doing this will severely shorten the life of your packing and it will start leaking, continuously, in short order.

I generally don’t like rules-of-thumb for drip rates and really hesitated to even put one on here. My reason for this is that every shaft has differing levels of wear and thus the drip rates are usually slightly different in every installation.

The best rule of thumb I’ve found over the years is this:

Aim for the least amount of drips when the shaft is spinning but before the box develops any heat rise beyond 15-20F, beyond sea or lake temps.

Again, it’s a drip to heat ratio not necessarily just a drip ratio. Little to no heat is the most desirable. Traditional flax packing can drip as little as about 5-10 drops a minute, if adjusted correctly, while running, and this drip rate allows lubrication of the shaft.

Do not make any adjustments to the packing nut, with traditional flax, for at least 24 to 48 hours after launching as the plant based flax packing will absorb moisture and swell. This swelling can cause overheating of the stuffing box, if it’s adjusted too quickly after launch.

Premature tightening of traditional flax packing can result in potential problems. A good and safe practice is to adjust the packing by half-a-flat turns after two hours of use or until you have your drip to heat ratio correct. You can actually use an infrared thermometer, often called a pyrometer, to make this adjustment process easier but usually your hand will suffice as a good gauge.

If you want a totally dry bilge then a dripless type seal such as a PSS or Las-Drop is the way to go. I’ve provided full installation instructions for that type of seal too in another article.

Good luck & happy boating!

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One comment.

I was used to using flax packing and adding a ring every year or few. An old diesel mechanic told me that he never removes the old packing, just adds a new ring. So when I switched to Gore-GFO, I didn’t realize that it would not wear away like the flax did. So every few years I added another ring until no more would fit. Deciding to remove all the old, I was surprised to find all of the rings, maybe 6 in all, intact with no disintegration. However, I found my bronze shaft had suffered some wear, probably due to over tightening. Word to the wise: When using these newer packings, tighten only enough to just stop the drip when not running, yet allowing a slow drip when shaft is turning.

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Service Your Stuffing Box

• By Steve D Antonio
• Updated: December 4, 2008

prop shaft and packing nut 368

When properly installed and adjusted, a stuffing box will provide hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of reliable, nearly leak-free service.

The keys to a stuffing box’s longevity are twofold. The first and most common cause of chronically leaky stuffing boxes involves the condition of the surface of the propeller shaft directly beneath the packing. If it’s in any way irregular, pitted, or damaged, the packing will be torn up each time the shaft rotates beneath it, which may be as many as 1,500 or 2,000 times per minute. The pitting or damage is often caused by the stuffing box’s oxygen-poor environment. If this is the case, then no amount of repacking-regardless of the type of space-age “leak-proof” material you use-or adjustment will resolve the problem. Two solutions exist: Replace the shaft, or use a longer or shorter stuffing-box hose to move the location of the packing over an undamaged section of shaft.

The second problem, which also results in chronic leakiness, is often caused by a sailor’s response to the first problem: overtightening the nut that contains the flax packing. When the nut is overtightened, the flax overheats, and the wax lubricant melts and runs out. Green or black sticky material under the box means that the stuffing box has overheated; the box must now be disassembled. Clean out all vestiges of packing and wax, then clean the shaft and lightly polish it using 400-grit emery cloth.

Overtightening the packing nut so that the stuffing box drips no water at all can wear a groove in the prop shaft and ruin it. When the shaft is spinning, the stuffing box must allow a few drops of water per minute for lubrication. A variety of formulas exist to establish the number of times a stuffing box should drip while the shaft is spinning. Forget ’em. As long as the box isn’t dripping too much and isn’t running too hot, then all is well. Some boxes, particularly those used on sailboats, need not drip at all to meet this criterion as long as the packing remains moist. Take the box’s temperature after running at cruising speed for half an hour or so; it shouldn’t be more than 20 degrees F above the ambient water temperature. If you use an infrared pyrometer, you can carry out this test while under way. If you use a contact thermometer or your hand (too hot to touch is usually between 130 F and 150 F), shift into neutral, then check the temperature right away.

After repacking the stuffing box, use two wrenches to jam the locking nut against the adjustable packing nut. Never use a single wrench for this procedure because you’ll run the risk of spinning the nut off. More wraps, by the way, aren’t better where stuffing-box packing is concerned. Most boxes work very well with just three rings of packing; place the seams or joints at angles of 120 degrees to each other. Using too many wraps causes the shaft and box to overheat, which leads to packing failure as well as to galling of the shaft.

Finally, carefully inspect the stuffing-box hose and clamps at least once every sailing season. Use only all-stainless-steel, non-perforated hose clamps; avoid using T-bolt clamps because they’re prone to crevice corrosion in this application. Replace hoses at the first sign of fatigue, every five years, or whenever the shaft is removed, whichever comes first.

Steve D’Antonio, a regular CW contributor, offers services for vessel owners, boatbuilders, and others in the marine industry through Steve D’Antonio Marine Consulting. Next month, he writes about prop-shaft alignment.

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> > Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. 30-03-2010, 03:11   Boat: '75 Hunter 27 SD I will try a little heat. My question is, looking at the amount of free space behind the actually packing nut, even if I do get it freed, it doesn't look like I will be able to back it off far enough to replace the packing. Does anyone els have any experience with a smaller (Hunter 27) packing replacement ? Is the little hole on the right end of the shaft near the coupling a taper pin or something that would allow me to remove the shaft without taking the coupling off? Thanks. 30-03-2010, 04:50   Boat: Feltz Skorpion mark 11A, Aluminium 39' sloop, constructed Hamburg. https://photobucket.com/eloise_01 31' , though it doesn't look as ugly as above! The solution is to remove the coupling and slide the prop shaft out enough to clear the end of the packing nut and remove it and repack the flax, whatever, then put it all back together. Or move the forward and put in a longer prop shaft,! cheers from Keith. 30-03-2010, 05:07   Boat: Newport 28 MKII . I've noticed several owners complaining about this problem on their website and it is not just the 27. As Keith said, most either seperate the shaft from the coupling or move the engine forward. Kind of ridiculous that they built it like that. Once you have it apart, maybe shortening the stuffing box hose (or threaded area) will be an option. Also, you might want to consider double clamps on the hose. I noticed a hole on the coupling; are you missing the bolt that holds the shaft in the coupling? 30-03-2010, 05:59   Boat: '75 Hunter 27 SD 30-03-2010, 06:05   Boat: cape dory 30 MKII 30-03-2010, 06:24   Boat: Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 45DS hose clip arrangement and probably replacing the hose while I'm at it. Greenman, you're not trying to do this in the are you ? FWIW, entire new stuffing boxes at Jamestown distributors are remarkably inexpensive. Duncan 30-03-2010, 08:01   Boat: '75 Hunter 27 SD . Damn. 30-03-2010, 15:02   Boat: None at this time . Good luck with the stuffing box. 30-03-2010, 15:34   Boat: Cascade 30-03-2010, 16:00   Boat: Ericson 27 & 18' Herrmann Catboat tools. If this works you can send a small gratuity to............ 03-04-2010, 06:35   Boat: Gib'Sea, 422, 42 ft, Erato instead. Mine is a . It does not last forever but then what does? It needs to be changed every five years or so. If you don't know what I'm talking about have a look at Cannot say for sure but the 'hole" on the coupling is probably filled with 2/3 split pins as I had on my 364. There should be the exact same hole on the other side of the coupling. If this is the case you need a punch or a rod the exact size of the diameter of the hole and a heavy hammer, to free your prop shaft, which must slide back for the stuffing box to come out and the seal to be fitted. It is easier doing it than talking about it. Thread Tools Rate This Thread : Posting Rules post new threads post replies post attachments edit your posts is are code is are are are Similar Threads Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post pressuredrop Construction, Maintenance & Refit 3 26-12-2009 18:04 cmesiam Propellers & Drive Systems 13 24-09-2009 10:09 TOM Propellers & Drive Systems 8 12-09-2009 21:34 Dave in Eugene General Sailing Forum 10 28-12-2007 15:45 Iain Propellers & Drive Systems 18 30-08-2007 06:32 No Threads to Display. - - - - - - - Privacy Guaranteed - your email is never shared with anyone, opt out any time. MarketPlace Digital Archives Order A Copy Stuffing box inspection and replacement The stuffing box is a critical part of the boat. It allows a driveshaft to spin through the hull without allowing water to pour into the vessel. These units are often deep down in the boat, behind the engine and with limited access. On many sailboats it is often under the cockpit with side access through a locker — a dark and damp place often forgotten about until the bilge pump kicks on every few minutes and one wonders where the water might be coming from. After removing all that resides in that locker, crawling inside and removing the small access panel — perhaps head first — the stuffing box becomes visible. Maybe it has been a few years since your last visit, but did you remember to bring two large stuffing box wrenches and a flashlight? To adjust the traditional stuffing box, you need two wrenches in order to loosen the backing nut off the cap nut. This requires two hands in this small space as well as being able to see what you are doing while breaking the nuts free. These nuts are tight and some two-handed muscle is required to free the nuts from their grip on each other. Proper wrenches are key; the adjustable stuffing box wrench might work for you, but a proper toolbox should include a set of fitted stuffing box wrenches to avoid a lot of pain and frustration. If you succeed here, the job of adjusting the stuffing box is fairly straightforward: Tighten up the cap nut until the water stops gushing in, then retighten the two nuts together. More often than not, these nuts are corroded and, without proper tools and leverage, a tough nut to crack. Now it’s time to crawl out of the locker, start the engine, put her in gear and re-enter that locker (don’t forget your flashlight) to see how the adjustment holds up in motion. The stuffing box should drip ever so slightly now, say a drop every five to 10 seconds. No drip is no good because without a little bit of water lubrication, the shaft will heat up and wear over time, creating a groove in the shaft that no amount of packing can stop anymore. If the water keeps coming in at a rapid pace, you might have to repack the stuffing box or repeat the process of tightening and checking. Don’t adjust the stuffing box while running the engine in gear! Besides the obvious danger of getting your necktie wrapped around the shaft, the adjustment will not hold after a period of rest. On larger sailboats and trawlers, the access to the stuffing box or boxes might not be a problem and adjustments can be made while sitting down and with good light. In these cases, the traditional stuffing box is a simple, well-proven maintenance item. However, if the stuffing box is as hard to reach as described above, a dripless stuffing box might be the solution. The dripless stuffing box does what its name suggests, leaving you with a dry bilge and, more importantly, with a low-maintenance stuffing box. No big nuts to adjust in tight spaces with big tools, no packing to replace with tweezers in this dark corner of the boat while hanging upside down in a rough sea. The expense of refitting a dripless stuffing box is well worth it if it is installed by the boatyard, but with the proper tools, this job can be done by the handy boatowner as well. Start by removing the prop outside the boat and the set screws in the shaft coupler inside the boat. The goal is to pull the shaft out of the coupler far enough to remove the old stuffing box off the shaft log. A shaft puller is the ideal specialty tool for this job — the dead weight of the slider jars the shaft out of the coupler in a few minutes. With the shaft pulled out of the coupler, the old stuffing box can now be removed and the shaft and shaft log can be examined. To order a new stuffing box, the shaft size and shaft log’s outer diameter need to be measured. For example, in this case it is a 1-inch shaft and a 1.75-inch shaft log. Clean and wet sand the shaft on the surface that will receive the new stuffing box and examine it for burrs and grooves. If the shaft shows severe grooves from an overheated stuffing box as described above, there is a chance that the new stuffing box will leak (more on that later), or maybe a new shaft is needed after all. The new stuffing box by PSS comes with three key components: a nitrate bellows, a stuffing box with carbon graphite flange and a stainless steel rotor. The rotor will be attached to the shaft and turn on the graphite flange to create a watertight seal by compressing the bellows with the rotor. The polishing of this stainless steel rotor on the graphite flange with the water nearby makes for a virtually maintenance-free seal. Install the bellows onto the shaft log and tighten the hoseclamps. The 3/8-inch nipple will point up. Connect a piece of 3/8-inch marine-grade fuel line to it, double-clamped, and run it 2 feet above the waterline. Secure this hose along the way — if it were to fall into the bilge, this vent hose would become a fill hose. Take the rotor and pre-position a set screw in each of the two holes with a drop of thread lock. Position the shaft so the stainless steel rotor can be installed onto the shaft. This is the tricky part because the rotor has two rubber O-rings inside it that must not get damaged during this installation. That’s why wet sanding the shaft is so important. Use soapy water — not grease or penetrating oils — to slide the rotor onto the shaft. Lock the shaft into position, as it will want to walk out while you are trying to push the rotor on. Use lots of soapy water and move the rotor at least an inch past the keyway of the shaft. Prepare the key and keyway, and reinstall the shaft into the coupler. Careful tapping will position the shaft and line the key up properly.  The shaft puller can now be used in reverse to re-install the shaft into the coupler to its old marks. The set screws can be wrenched down and seizing wire should be added. The prop can also be reinstalled. Now, the final touch on the stuffing box: The stainless steel rotor needs to be slid down the shaft to press upon the carbon graphite flange. The rotor will compress the bellows, but how much will depend on the size of the shaft. In this case, three-quarters of an inch of compression is needed for a 1-inch shaft. Mark the shaft at the point of touching just the flange, slide the rotor another three-quarters of an inch onto the shaft and tighten the set screws down. Here is the part were those old grooves on the shaft can be a problem. Test that last three-quarters of an inch and see if the groove is interfering with the rotor. Moving the bellows up or down the shaft log can relocate the final position of the rotor on the shaft. If all looks good, add the second set of set screws with thread lock glue on them as well. When the boat is launched and commissioned, inspect and run the engine in gear and observe. The rotor and the graphite will make a perfect seal almost immediately, but a little spray might occur occasionally. It should stop after a minute — if not, a bit more compression might be needed. A poor engine alignment can cause the shaft to shake a lot and make the dripless stuffing box drip. The stuffing box is now a lower-maintenance item and can be quickly inspected and cleaned with one hand, even if upside down in that locker. By Ocean Navigator Stuffing Box Maintenance By Morgan Williams The stuffing box is the seal around a boat’s propeller shaft that keeps the water out and allows the shaft to rotate freely. Ninety percent of all sailboats with auxiliary inboard engines have a flexible stuffing box with traditional packing gland that usually goes unattended until it begins to leak, usually at the worst possible time. The traditional stuffing box consists of stern tube which is slightly larger than the prop shaft. A gland nut or packing nut threads onto the stern tube. Inside the gland nut is the packing, which creates the seal. The packing is wrapped around the shaft and inserted into the gland nut. As the gland nut is tightened onto the stern tube, the packing is compressed against the shaft, creating a seal. Lubricating the seal requires that when the shaft turns, two to three drops of water per minute drips out of the stuffing box. There is also a locking nut on the stuffing box that locks the gland nut into position. There are three basic types of stuffing boxes. The rigid stuffing box is mostly used in powerboat applications. The flexible stuffing box is found in most sailboats, and the relatively new flexible shaft seals are used in both sail and powerboats. In a rigid stuffing box, the shaft comes through the stern tube where the stuffing box is bolted to the tube or hull and is affixed or part of the boat. In these applications, alignment of the shaft to the stern tube is critical for proper operation. Check your boat’s stuffing box immediately after launching,and regularly throughout the season. Note the correct installation of the hose clamps on this flexible stuffing box. In a flexible stuffing box, the stuffing box is connected to the stern tube with a short hose and four hose clamps – two on the stuffing box side and two on the stern tube side – that hold the assembly together. The hose is usually a four-ply steam hose, which is very strong and durable. Shaft seals do the same thing as a flexible stuffing box, but without the packing seal. The seals have a bellows hose which is clamped to the stern tube. On the end of the bellows is a carbon/graphite flange. At the engine end of the shaft there is a stainless steel rotor which mates with the carbon/graphite flange. The stainless rotor is pressed against the flange, compressing the bellows and creating a seal between the flange and rotor. When the shaft turns, the carbon flange is fixed and the stainless rotor spins with the shaft. The graphite provides lubricant and a thin layer of water provides the seal for the shaft. Most shaft seals have a nipple for a vent hose to ensure that the stern tube remains full of water for cooling the carbon/graphite flange. On high-speed applications, the vent tube is connected to the raw water side of the engine, so seawater can be injected into the stern tube for cooling. As with all jobs, disassembling a stuffing box is easier if you have the right tool, and the best tool for the job is the Ridgid E-110 wrench (you’ll need two). There are three basic types of stuffing box packing: flax packing, Teflon packing, and graphite packing. Flax packing has been around for 100 years. This greasebased packing can last for years and is very reliable. The one drawback to flax packing is that if the stuffing box gland nut is overtightened, flax packing can heat up in the gland nut, which causes dangerous temperatures and scoring of the shaft. So, when adjusting a stuffing box with flax packing, hand tighten the nut, adjusting it to reach the two to three drops per minute rule. Teflon packing is great to use, and can last longer than flax packing. But this white material is hard to cut properly and requires a fresh razor blade. It’s also tricky to adjust the packing gland to get two to three drips a minute, and a number of adjustments may be needed to get it right. Graphite packing is excellent because it’s a lubricant, which reduces the chance of burning the shaft. There are two drawbacks with graphite packing. It is very expensive and it can promote corrosion because graphite is high on the galvanic table, although I have been using it for years without an issue. This “cutaway” photo, courtesy of the Chesapeake Bay Alberg 30 One-Design Association, shows the orientation of parts inside a flexible stuffing box. © alberg30.org Repacking a stuffing box is a simple task. You’ll need two adjustable wrenches or two pipe wrenches. The tool that works the best is the Ridgid E-110 wrench. You must grab the gland nut and locking nut in opposing directions, to reduce the torque on the stuffing box hose. Once you have broken the lock nut and the gland nut free, spin the gland nut off the stuffing box towards the transmission. Now the fun really begins: removing the old packing. The best tool to use is the corkscrew-like tool available at any ship’s store. You screw the tool into the packing inside the gland nut and pull out the old packing. To make properly sized rings of flax packing, wrap a length tightly around the prop shaft and cut across the rings with a sharp razor blade. Now it’s time to size up the new packing. Packing comes in various sizes, with 3/16 inch and ¼ inch the most popular sizes for shafts in the one-inch range. It is very important to match the size of the packing to the opening in the gland nut. To cut the packing to length, wrap a length of packing around the shaft five times and pull it tight around the shaft. Using a sharp razor blade, cut across the rings with a diagonal cut. You now have four or five sized rings of packing. Now, insert the packing rings into the packing nut, offsetting the joints of packing from one wrap to another by 120 degrees. Generally, three to four rings will fit inside the nut. Once the packing is in the gland nut, tighten the gland nut on to the stuffing box. I usually hand tighten the gland nut and then give it ¼ turn with a wrench, and then lock the nut to the gland nut. I make final adjustments after the boat is launched. As soon as your boat is launched, check the stuffing box. If it is leaking before you start the engine, it needs to be tightened up. Only tighten the nuts one quarter turn at a time. When the water stops dripping, start the engine and put the transmission into gear for a few minutes. Then shut down the engine and feel the stuffing box. If it is hot, the packing gland is too tight. Adjust the gland, restart the engine and recheck the stuffing box. Some warmth is okay in the beginning while the packing sets in. Remember to watch for the two to three drops a minute coming from the stuffing box while the shaft is turning. Rings of flax packing should be inserted into the packing nut with the cuts offset by 120 degrees from one ring to the next. While working on a stuffing box, it’s also a good time to inspect the hose clamps for corrosion and wear. Take a look at the hose for cracking or softness, indicating it’s time to replace it. Happy motoring. Morgan Williams operates Holmes Marine Services Inc., a full service mobile marine business specializing in sailboat repairs including diesel engines, electrical and charging systems, steering and propulsion. Morgan can be reached at 203-395-1051 or HolmesMarine@sbcglobal.net Share this: Previous article, next article, one thought on “stuffing box maintenance”. Pingback: Boat Propeller Wrench – pier73yachtclub.com Leave a Reply Cancel reply You must be logged in to post a comment. 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The companys aim was high-volume production, keeping prices low by standardizing design, making as few tooling changes as possible, and offering its boats fully equipped-while other companies were selling things like bow pulpits and lifelines as options on a 30-foot boat. The original Hunter boats were marketed as the affordable fantasy and came with sails, dock lines, fenders, life jackets, and fire extinguishers, in what Hunter called the Cruise Pak of standard features. About the only option available on the early Hunters was a choice of shoal- or deep-draft keel. Photo by CeCe Stoldt In 2012, Hunter Marine was sold to David Marlow, the builder of Marlow Yachts. With this change of ownership came a change in corporate goals and product offerings. Hunter Marine began-like its chief competitor, Catalina Yachts-with a small group of standardized models. From 1974 through 1977, it offered only the Hunter 25, 27, and 30 models, and from 1977 through 1979, the builder added only the 33 and 37. Today, Hunter-Marlow makes nine production models ranging from trailerable daysailors (15 to 22 feet) to mid-size (27 to 37 feet) and large (40 to 50 feet) keelboats. Also, Hunters high-volume-production business model has been replaced with the Marlow ethos, which is more focused on yacht-level quality than production volume. Marlow-Hunter produces about 100 boats each year, including trailerable and cruising sailboats, as well as Mainship powerboats, according to Greg Emerson, Marlow-Hunters director of sales. The Hunter 30 Designed by John Cherubini and built from 1974 to 1983, the Hunter 30 is a coastal cruiser that was designed to offer a lot of boat for little money. With a focus on streamlining construction to boost production volume, Hunter aimed to offer an affordable coastal racer-cruiser. More than 1,000 Hunter 30s were built over the nine-year production run; however, a number of them were sold as Quest 30s, which was essentially a sail-away, bare-hull kit boat, and the purchaser completed the interior and the fitting out. For this report, we checked out a 1980 Hunter 30 (hull #934) and a 1978 model (hull #568). In contrast to later Hunters, the early Cherubini-designed models were conservative and conventional in design. The longer sister models-the 33 and 37-were, in our opinion, good-looking boats, moderately styled, with an attractive bow line and sheer, and a pleasing coachroof. The smaller boats, the 25 and 27, instead traded in some styling characteristics in order to pack a lot of room into a short waterline, which left them with higher-sided with boxier cabinhouses. The 30 lies somewhere in between-handsome from some angles but a bit too flat in the sheer and high in the cabintop to impress traditionalists. Still, most of those traditionalists would consider it a much more attractive boat than the modern Euro-styled Hunters. The 30s hull is very full-to maximize interior space-but otherwise, its quite typical of the racer-cruisers of the 1970s. Overall, the boat is 29 feet, 11 inches long-the maximum allowable length under the then-popular Midget Ocean Racing Club (MORC) rule. The short overhangs result in a long waterline, fundamental for sailing speed. The beam, at just a hair over 10 feet, is moderate by 1970s standards, but narrow in comparison to the big 30-footers that have appeared since. The Catalina 30, for example, is nine inches wider, and many current boats carry a foot more beam (and carry it further aft) than the Hunter 30. A conventional fin keel, drawing 5 feet, 3 inches, was standard, with a 4-foot shoal keel as an option. We test-sailed the deep-keel version, and suspect it is much to be preferred, unless you absolutely need the shallower draft. Company literature lists the displacement and ballast as identical on both models. That would make the shallow-keel version more tender, requiring crew to reef early as the wind pipes up. The foredeck is on the smaller side for anchor work and sail handling because the cabinhouse extends quite far forward. The 1978 and later models have an anchor well built into the foredeck that is self-contained and large enough to hold over 400 feet of rode, or enough for two anchors. The test boat we sailed had a furling jib, a desirable option in view of the smallish foredeck. A significant shortcoming of the boats design is the narrow sidedecks. The wide cabinhouse makes it clear that the designers top priority was interior room, with deck work being a distant consideration. Its near impossible to get past the chainplates, especially on the leeward side when under a press of canvas, without climbing atop the cabinhouse. The boat has a good cockpit, a bit smaller than some other 30-footers (again, a result of maximizing cabin space). A wheel was standard on the boat; its small, which is good for moving around the cockpit, but less than ideal for helming, in our opinion A T cockpit became standard following the 1980 models, and some people preferred that arrangement; however, you could lie down on the older bench seats, and you can’t with the T. The bench seats would benefit from some sort of drain arrangement since they trap water. A deep lazarette behind the cockpit offers additional on-deck storage. A peculiarity of the decks on the early Hunters is that the nonskid pattern was not molded in as is customary on fiberglass decks. Instead, a nonskid aggregate was painted on. Given the age of the Hunter 30, the original aggregate is likely long gone, and owners have had to apply fresh nonskid paint or nonskid mat. Fortunately, such a repair is straightforward and an easy (although time-consuming), do-it-yourself project (see PS August 2008 and November 2013 online). On the boats we examined, there was minimal sail-handling equipment on deck-one pair of jib-sheet winches, a small halyard winch for the jib, no winch for the main halyard, no Cunningham or vang, no control lines on the traveler, no flattening reef, a single jiffy reef block, two jib lead blocks out on the toerail, and no backstay adjuster. However, most H30 owners have added deck gear over the years, including a running backstay, so what youll find on Hunter 30s today will run the gamut. A large number of Hunter 30 owners who responded to our survey reported that their boat was rigged for singlehanding, making it easy to sail with a short- or single-handed crew. The original Hunter 30 owners manual was a great example of a good, clear, simple manual. It has always amazed us how many other boat builders provide the buyer with little or no printed information. If you happen to own or buy a Hunter 30 (or pretty much any older Hunter model) thats missing its manual, simply download the PDF of the original from the Hunter-Marlow website. courtesy of Kasi McCain The 30s interior was a strong selling point for the Hunter 30. Almost every owner that responded to our survey commented on the size of the boats interior-often relative to low price-when talking about their reasons for buying the 30. The interior is well laid out, but plain. Theres a lot here for the money, however. Some of the original details could use changing-the alcohol stove, lack of vents, and small water tank-and many owners have upgraded or modified these systems. The Hunter 30s layout is conventional, with a good V-berth forward, then a head with small hanging locker opposite, settee berths on each side of the saloon with a double, a drop-leaf table in the middle, an L-shaped galley, with the sink underneath the companionway, and a quarter berth, with a small chart table at its head. The berths are of good size, and on some boats, the port settee can convert to a double berth. The head area is roomy with enough space for comfortable showering and a door for privacy. The interior also offers lots of storage for a boat this size: The hanging locker can accommodate plenty of clothes and has an overhead shelf; and there are three large storage lockers in the V-berth, plus a host of drawers and under-seat storage in the saloon. The icebox on the boat we looked at had minimal insulation and would benefit from several more inches all around. Many owners reported having upgraded with icebox conversion kits. The deckhouse is high and wide, and this gives a look of spaciousness below. The white hull liner overhead helps offset the extensive teak veneer on the bulkheads, ceilings, sole, and furniture. There are adequate ports and hatches to allow in enough light. The opening portlights-Hunter was one of the first production boats to offer numerous opening ports as standard-offer good ventilation. If youre considering buying a Hunter 30 that has not had any ventilation upgrades, you will probably want to add some Dorades or solar vents to keep the air moving when the ports and hatches must be closed. The finish downbelow is typical of low-cost production boats, which depend on pre-fab components that can be rapidly installed in the hull. In our owner surveys, there were a great many complaints about the original joinerwork, door hinges, and hardware. The original cabin sole was made of teak veneer, so in instances of water damage, it often cannot be repaired but must be replaced. For the first four years of the Hunter 30s production, a 12-horsepower Yanmar diesel was standard. After 1978, standard power was a 15-horsepower Yanmar, followed by an 18-horsepower Yanmar. The 12 was a particularly noisy engine; the later models were less so. Most of the owners who completed our survey thought the engines were minimal for powering the boat, especially in any kind of head seas; however, by traditional standards, even the 12-horsepower model should be adequate for the weight and length of the boat. Although the 12 is highly praised for its reliability, many people will find the later Hunter 30s to be more desirable because of their larger, smoother-running engines. Engine accessibility was criticized by almost all of the owners who completed our survey. Access is awful, said one. You must be a left-handed midget to work on this engine. We thought accessibility was far from ideal, but not excessively bad for this size boat. With a big interior and a small cockpit, its hard to stuff an engine under the cockpit sole without cramping. The Hunter 30 we sailed (with a Yanmar 12) was well behaved under power; it backed nicely, turned crisply, and drove through strong winds (in protected water) with no problem. Our impression was that the engines vibration and noise were more of a concern than its power. Anyone buying the boat with the Yanmar 12 will probably want to spend the time to get perfect alignment. Wed also look closely at the engine mounts and the shaft-strut mounting. Some owners have re-powered their boats, usually opting for a Yanmar 2QM15 or Yanmar 2GM20F diesel with good results. A two-blade solid prop was standard, but a number of owners refitted the boat with a three-blade solid prop to improve powering. We doubt if the gain would offset the loss in sailing ability. Theres a full skeg ahead of the rudder. If you have to remove the propeller shaft for some reason, youll have to remove the engine first, or tear the skeg off. On the shoal-draft version, the skeg also is something of a grounding vulnerability as the rudder is about as deep as the foot of the keel. We were pleasantly surprised by the sailing performance of the Hunter 30. We sailed one in a long, triangular race-two triangles, then windward-leeward-windward legs-in heavy air, a little over 20 knots at the start. Considering that the test boat had almost no sail controls and old sails, and that the underbody was rough and a bit weedy, the boat moved very well, going to weather respectably in a serious racing fleet, and reaching and running competitively. The jib we used was the 130-percent genoa on roller furling, and this was about right for the boat in those conditions. When the wind faded near the end of race, the boat was clearly under-canvassed. The boat is slightly under-rigged with its short mast. To sail well in light air, especially with the solid prop that most 30s have, a sizeable genoa is required. One Florida Panhandle-based owner reports that she sails with a 155 or 170 genoa, both of which are ideal in light winds and can be reefed with furling if the wind picks up. This boat sails nicely and does better in higher winds than light wind. …. It responds very quickly when tacking and can almost sail itself in steady winds, she explained. We agree: The 30 is a good sailing boat, responsive and easy to steer. Its PHRF rating of 186 (New England fleet) would probably be very favorable. If the boat were rigged with a full complement of sail-handling gear and modern sails, it should be able to stay with other 30-footers of the same era, such as the Pearson 30, Catalina 30 (not the tall rig), and ODay 30. Since sailing is what sailing is all about, our opinion of the Hunter 30 was improved dramatically when we took a first in the races main-and-jib class. Conclusions The Hunter 30 was a boat built to a price point-to appeal to the sailor who wanted a lot of boat at an affordable price. As long as a buyer understands that, not expecting custom quality at barnyard prices, the Hunter 30 can be a good value in a used boat. Many on the used market today have been repowered and had systems upgrades added like refrigeration. Be sure to look for delamination issues, check the nonskid, and examine the cabinhouse around the mast for sagging, as many of these Hunters have had compression post issues. Its easy to pay too much for a used boat these days, but for a good-condition, roomy coastal cruiser that can make a good showing around the buoys, the Hunter 30 can be had at a decent price-a lot of cruisability for minimal investment. Youll find Hunter 30s on the used-boat market to be priced about the same as comparable boats (Catalina 30 and Pearson 30), with an average pricetag of about $13,500. Pros -Many have been re-rigged for easy singlehanding from the cockpit -Roomy cockpit for a 30-footer -Minimal topside brightwork -Sizeable anchor well on deck -Many have been upgraded to furling headsails -Handholds run the full length of cabin Cons -Limited foredeck space -Very narrow sidedecks -Standard, original ventilation was lacking, needs upgrades -Pre-1980 bench seats trap water, need drain added Hunter Marine built the 30 with an aim to maximize interior space. 1. The galley came standard with an alcohol stove, a deep ice box, and a small sink; many owners have updated the cooktop and added some type of refrigeration. The sink is too small to effectively wash dishes. 2. The settees offer full-length berths. 3. The H30 fits a fair bit of interior storage in a small space, including drawers behind and under the settees. 4. The V-berth has additional storage under the bed, which is large enough to comfortably sleep two (friendly) adults. 5. A very small nav desk and a full-length quarter berth are situated to port of the companionway. Electronics can be mounted inside the companionway. In construction, the Hunter 30 is very conventional—an economical, solid-glass layup in the hull and a balsa-cored deck with plywood for backing under cleats. A conventional flange, with a through-bolted aluminum toerail joins the hull and deck together. The basic construction is quite a contrast to that of present-day Hunters, which can generally be described as highly engineered and Euro-styled, at the opposite end of the spectrum from the early Hunters like the 30. Testers’ opinion of the fiberglass work was that it was good but a little light—marginal for offshore sailing but strong enough for typical coastal cruising. On one of the Hunter 30s we looked at, there was extensive delamination of the cockpit sole and the bench seats. There also were signs of sloppy glass work—ragged edges and un-resinated glass—in compartments and other out-of-sight places. Quality-control problems also were cited by a surprisingly high number of the Hunter 30 owners we surveyed for this article. The problems often mentioned included improperly hooked-up fuel-return lines, chafed hoses, leaking ports, poorly fitted hatch boards and lazarette covers, improperly installed exhaust systems, and so on. The Hunter 30 compares favorably, in price and performance, to other production boats in the same size range and of similar vintage. Marlow-Hunter Hunter Owners Group RELATED ARTICLES MORE FROM AUTHOR Great review and enlightening! Thanks for your knowledge! Great coverage on the 30! I owned a Hunter 30 1994-2000. Live aboard at Harbor Island San Diego. Very nice experience. Yes, the Yanmar 15 was a bit noisy. I thought For a while there was mechanical issues but Found out it was it’s nature. Good article. I bought a 1977 Hunter 30, and it does sail surprisingly well for a older production boat. The engine works okay but is a bit noisy. It will soon be for sail as my daughter is the sailor and moved overseas for college. Almost 40 years in my 1978 27 ft. Your comments were all on the mark. The original 8 hp gave out after 30 years and repowered with the 15 hp and replace the packing stuffing box with seal. Replaced the ports in the head and vee. For the time available I had to sail it worked out well. Fifteen years on Great Lakes and 22 plus in FL. LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply Log in to leave a comment Latest Videos The Perfect Family Sailboat! Hunter 27-2 – Boat Review Pettit EZ-Poxy – How to Paint a Boat The Boat From True Spirit – Sparkman & Stephens Top 5 Boat Hacks – Boat Maintenance Tips and Tricks Latest sailboat review. Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Personal Information Online Account Activation Privacy Manager Forums New posts Unanswered threads Register Top Posts Email What's new New posts New Posts (legacy) Latest activity New media Media New media New comments Boat Info Downloads Weekly Quiz Topic FAQ 10000boatnames.com Classifieds Sell Your Boat Used Gear for Sale Parts General Marine Parts Hunter Beneteau Catalina MacGregor Oday Help Terms of Use Monday Mail Subscribe Monday Mail Unsubscribe Stuffing box- Uh Oh! (H310) Thread starter wdonovan Start date May 2, 2022 Hunter Owner Forums Mid-Size Boats Yeah... so I probably should have repacked the stuffing box off season but I didn't, owing to the fact that next year I promise to replace it with a dripless. After splash from dry dock, I have a drip about every 3 to 5 seconds. Going tonight to adjust it but I really don't know the age of the packing and read some scary things about this thing that is installed primarily to sink my boat while I'm not looking. My concern is dried out packing that will disintegrate if I overdo the gland nut. My plan is to bring a caliper to the boat and remove the nut. I will determine the size of the packing and get a length of it. When I renew the packing, can I pull out all the old packing or will the boat instantly sink? If the best plan to leave one loop intact to seal it while I work and replace the outer 2 or 3 or 4? Don't know how many there are. If I sink our boat my wife will make me wish I was never born so some guidance please???   Davidasailor26 First I would look at it now that it’s been in the water a couple days. It’s possible that the packing was dried out and shrank a little, and could swell back up to reduce the drips. Others have written about replacing the packing with the boat in the water. Doing it there for a first-timer wouldn’t be ideal, but it is technically possible.   SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John Check that your bilge pump is in good working order. set up your stuffing material. It is cheap so get a couple of sizes. You can return the extra. Get some tubing, Wrap stuffing flax around a piece of tubing the same outer diameter as your prop shaft. cut 3-4 pieces using th etenique explained by MaineSail. Get a piece of string or a rag to slow the inflow of water when you open the stuffing box. Concentrate on getting all of the packing out of the box nut. Place the new packing in be sure to alternate the cut ends. remove the rag, and close the stuffing box. snug it up hand tight. Repeat till stops. When ready start engine and adjust the box nut till 1-3 drips a minute while running, no drops when shaft is not turning. Richard19068 jssailem said: Do not get excited. Calm is the key. Work smoothly and you will work fast. Wait maybe that is in shooting.. No. It works for Stuffing boxers as well. First get a good understanding of the stuffing box and the risk of doing in the water. MaineSail on his website gives excellent training instructions for repacking the stuffing box... Re-Packing A Traditional Stuffing Box - Marine How To Check that your bilge pump is in good working order. set up your stuffing material. It is cheap so get a couple of sizes. You can return the extra. Get some tubing, Wrap stuffing flax around ......... It can be done in the water. Click to expand To each their own. I'd wait and do it on dry land.   Hello Below Siamese said: To each their own. I'd wait and do it on dry land. Click to expand On my last three boats, the bilge pump kept up with the flow easily. No drama whatever.   I would try it, but be prepared to just add 1 new ring in the nut and and put it back together if you are worried about water ingress. I had to pull the clamp off my Volvo shaft seal this weekend to shim it (a tad too big for the shaft log)…and I loosened it, got worried, tightened it, got a little more prepared (tools, rags, courage), and finally did it…successfully. You can fix it. Greg   For my H 310 4 rings 3/16 inch Teflon. Tim   This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies. Accept Learn more… Forum Listing Marketplace Advanced Search About The Boat Gear & Maintenance SailNet is a forum community dedicated to Sailing enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about sailing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, repairs, reviews, maintenance, and more! stuffing box replacement: traditional or dripless Add to quote Recently had to replace the prop shaft on my Passport 37. The Tides PSS dripless shaft seal that I wanted to use to replace the traditional stuffing box will not fit in the space between the gear box and where the shaft exits the hull, but apparently the Volvo Rubber stuffing box will fit. I'm skeptical, has anyone had experience with the Volvo product? Am I better off just reinstalling the original stuffing box? If the Volvo product wears out or has a problem, boat must be hauled and shaft removed, which from my standpoint is an unacceptable option. Any suggestions?   To each their own, but I like the simplicity of the plain old conventional stuffing box. Use Gore GFO or GTU packing material (they're the same thing). Jim   My my that space must really be short! the PSS is only about the same length as a traditional stuffing box and looking the volvo (I don't like it) http://www.volvopenta.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/Penta/Parts%20brochures/Rubber%20Stuffing%20Box%20%28Eng%29.pdf It doesn't look all that short either. I love the PSS   the downside of have a dripless seal is the bilge water gets pretty... err.. nasty LOL   What bilge water? If you have a PSS and water in the blige, your PSS is ready for rebuild Another good thing about a PSS is you won't have to worry about losing a prop shaft, because the PSS will act as a retainer and keep the shaft from leaving the boat.   Our GTU/GFO-stuffed box doesn't drip that much. After about 1-1/2 to 2 hours of motoring, last weekend, and about the same the weekend before, I looked and there was maybe one or two bilge sponges worth of water in there. I left it. Jim   Have had the Volvo for three maybe four years now and am more than happy with it.   Denise, Why don't you like the Volvo ?   tdw I think i didnt like it because the pdf file I found did not have allot of tech info to read. My boat had some other kind of dripless before we changed to the PSS. it was basically a lip seal right on the shaft. forget the name. it was badly worn but didn't leak much at all.   Finding onfo on these things is pretty difficult, no doubt. I think I must have the same sheet you did, verges on being a flyer not a spec sheet. The lip seal thingy right on the shaft sounds suspiciously like the Volvo btw. cheers td   The conventional flax packing that I had was over 6yrs old, just the fibers remained. I re-packed with GFO, took 1/2 hr and I would not recommend anything else. This stuff is great!! So far no leakage and it remains cool-warm to touch.   I replaced the Volvo seal on my boat with a PSS. The Volvo seals need to be cared for properly or they will fail. They need grease injected at regular intervals. They also must be burped after launch and should be checked after bottom cleaning as air from the diver will get trapped in them. One big downside to the PSS is the difficulty of engine alignment. This is because they push on the transmission flange. I would use a conventional seal. Very straight forward and easy to service. Here is a write up I did showing the Volvo and new PSS if interested. PSS Shaft Seal Gene   the big question on stuffing boxes Thanks for all the input on trad. v. volvo stuffing boxes. However, nobody answers the real question in my mind, which is, How do you justify choosing the volvo when the company itself recommends replacement in 500hrs (which means a haul and shaft removal that could run $1,000 or more in a yard) v. a traditional stuffing box that will never need anything but do it yourself repacking???   I would think you could answer that question for yourself. I wouldn't put one in. I wanted to try a PSS as I have never had one, but I like the simplicity and versatility of a standard packing box. Cost of haul out shouldn't really be exaggerated however. I got free haulout with my bottom paint job and installed the PSS myself. So cost was about $250 with extras. A normal gland would be maybe $80, or about the same as a Volvo dripless. You will need to haul the boat at regular intervals anyway. Gene   There was something wrong with our trad stuffing box that required it being replaced. (five years ago, cannot remember what it was). Boat was already out of the water for annual tub down anyway. Other users of the Volvo were positive about the thing so I decided to give it a try. Alo the Womboat is steel...best kept dry inside if possible. Pardon my ignorance here but I've heard mention of ceramic stern glands that can fail catastrophically. Avoiding that was one reason given as a plus for the Volvo. Where does the PSS sit ?   ?             176K members Top Contributors this Month 279 COMMENTS "Stuffing Box"? 4,638. Hunter 46 Point Richmond, CA. Oct 12, 2020. #6. Based on your description you have a Glenwood Marine Morse-type stuffing box as shown in their catalog page 35 and in the photo below. Suggest repacking and tighten it in the water before you haul the boat, which should cost < $500 for a haul-out for your size sailboat. How to adjust stuffing box on 1996 Hunter 29.5 If bronze, it is helpful to apply some anti seize compound to the box threads. This helps to prevent the box and lock nut from seizing due to sea water corrosion. Hand tighten the box plus a quarter turn is about right for drip adjustment on our boat. Usually once a year adjustment is about enough. A little help with a Hunter 28 stuffing box This is a picture I took of the OEM white stuffing box that was on my 1986 Hunter 28.5. IMHO, don't bother trying to replace the packing in this unit; throw the whole thing away and replace it with a bronze gland. You'll be able to service it more easily and your boat (and you) will be a lot safer. Stuffing Boxes, Shaft Seals and Shaft Bearings Regular flax: Properly installed flax consists of cut lengths of flax, bent into rings, which have their splits staggered around the shaft to minimize leakage. Properly packed flax is compressed and watertight, but decomposes into blackened fluff over time. Note: A properly adjust stuffing box will allow two or three drops of water per minute to enter the boat when the engine is running and ... Re-Packing A Traditional Stuffing Box Scrap Tubing As A Cutting Jig. Many sail boats have a 1 1/4″, 1 1/8″, 1″ or 7/8″ inch prop shaft and a piece of scrap dodger tube, in your shaft size, works great as a cutting jig for new packing rings. Use a set of calipers to make sure your "jig" of choice is the same O.D. as your prop shaft and then cut away. Stuffing Boxes for Dummies Then tighten the box nut, by placing a wrench on the stuffing box and the box nut, and tightening the box nut toward the stuffing box ¼ turn. Finally, tighten the lock nut by placing a wrench on the lock nut, and the box nut, and tighten the lock nut away from the stuffing box. Check the rate of leakage. If the same, tighten the stuffing box ... Stuffing box questions I just bought a Hunter 340 and the stuffing box was leaking at a rate of about 1 drop per second. I backed up the lock and gave the one containing the floss about 1 full turn and the leak stopped and seems to be now every 15-20 seconds. I tighten the lock nut by hand and the question is how tight does the lock nut need to be? How to replace stuffing box on sailboat, removing old prop ... For this boat project I'm replacing the stuffing box, cutlass bearing, getting my prop shaft and propeller reconditioned and all put back together.https://ww... Service Your Stuffing Box Service Your Stuffing Box. Maintain this gland around the prop shaft to keep leaks at bay. From "Hands-On Sailor" in our January 2008 issue. Fiber packing is wrapped around the prop shaft inside the packing nut. The packing nut is then tightened and held in place by a locking nut and creates a nearly watertight seal around the shaft. Hunter 27 Stuffing Box Problems Hunter 27 Stuffing Box Problems Click Here to Login: Register: Vendors FAQ: Community: Calendar: Today's Posts ... It will absorb shock and vibration. I wouldn't remove it if it were my boat. Good luck with the stuffing box. 30-03-2010, 15:34 #9: Solitude. Registered User . Join Date: Nov 2008. Location: West Coast, BC , Canada. Boat: Cascade ... stuffing box on 34 Hunter 28. Hunter 34 Black Creek. Apr 4, 2010. #1. I just saiiled my new to me '83 Hunter 34 up from Seattle to Vancouver Island. I knew that the existing stuffing box leaked excessively so checked the blilge often. However, the water from the box pooled in the engine compartment pan and then spilled out onto the teak and holly sole. Stuffing box inspection and replacement To order a new stuffing box, the shaft size and shaft log's outer diameter need to be measured. For example, in this case it is a 1-inch shaft and a 1.75-inch shaft log. Clean and wet sand the shaft on the surface that will receive the new stuffing box and examine it for burrs and grooves. If the shaft shows severe grooves from an overheated ... Stuffing box leaks SD is there a correlation between tightness of stuffing box and whether the shaft spins when under sail (if tranny is in neutral). strane thing happened during wed nite race before start - shut engine down - put gear in neutral - and was under main doing about 4.5kts under sail when all of a sudden the bloody shaft starts turning (note I have a martec folding prop). Propeller Shaft Seal Animation Learn more at https://www.retmarine.com/shop/self-aligning-shaft-seals-sa-series/A detailed 3D animation of a boat's propeller shaft and stuffing box featuri... Stuffing Box Care Beneteau 311, Catalina 310 and Hunter 326 Used Boat Comparison. Maine Cat 41 Used Boat Review. Cheoy Lee Clipper 36 & 42 Used Boat Review. ... A leaking stuffing box can cause a number of issues, from corrosion (the spinning shaft slings excess water all over your engine compartment) to sinkings, particularly if the boat is left unattended in ... Stuffing Box Maintenance The stuffing box is the seal around a boat's propeller shaft that keeps the water out and allows the shaft to rotate freely. Ninety percent of all sailboats with auxiliary inboard engines have a flexible stuffing box with traditional packing gland that usually goes unattended until it begins to leak, usually at the worst possible time. Stuffing Box Mystery Jan 22, 2008. 3. Hunter 37.5 Montreal (currently docked, Wi QC. Apr 12, 2009. #1. Greetings, My 1991 Hunter Legend 37.5 has a plastic/teflon stuffing box, which I have been tightening a bit every few months for that two years. I would like to change the stuffing. I backed off the aft-pointing nut, and I cannot find the current stuffing. Hunter 30: Still the Affordable Fantasy Youll find Hunter 30s on the used-boat market to be priced about the same as comparable boats (Catalina 30 and Pearson 30), with an average pricetag of about $13,500. Pros & Cons: Hunter 30 ... The original 8 hp gave out after 30 years and repowered with the 15 hp and replace the packing stuffing box with seal. Replaced the ports in the head ... Stuffing Box Maintenance, Part 2: In With the New This photo shows a stuffing box leaking. If this isn't addressed, this boat could sink. Once the vessel is launched, make sure the stuffing box isn't leaking excessively. If it is, use a wrench to tighten it, but just enough to stop the leaking. Then run the engine in gear for a few minutes to set the rings. Stuffing Box Repacking, What Size Hunter 34 Lake of Two Mountains, QC, Can. Aug 31, 2014. #2. From an old note I had kept: When repacking stuffing for prop shaft boxes use 1/4" packing on plastic stuffing boxes, 3/16" on bronze stuffing boxes with 1" shaft, 5/16" on bronze stuffing boxes with 1 1/4" shaft. Don't forget to get the old packing out completely, then do 3 wraps ... Stuffing box- Uh Oh! (H310) Concentrate on getting all of the packing out of the box nut. Place the new packing in. be sure to alternate the cut ends. remove the rag, and close the stuffing box. snug it up hand tight. rest, get a beer , observe the water ingress as it dwindles down to nothing. If not stopping, give a 1/4 turn to the nut. stuffing box replacement: traditional or dripless stuffing box replacement: traditional or dripless. Recently had to replace the prop shaft on my Passport 37. The Tides PSS dripless shaft seal that I wanted to use to replace the traditional stuffing box will not fit in the space between the gear box and where the shaft exits the hull, but apparently the Volvo Rubber stuffing box will fit. catamaran gulet motorboat powerboat riverboat sailboat trimaran yacht