DRIPPING BOX..How much is too much..how much is not enough

wowzer52 · Post by **wowzer52** » Mon Aug 09, 2010 11:33 am

Don't panic. If you have a stream, tighten it up. If the other one doesn't drip at all I would loosen it a bit to get the amount you want. As long as you don't take the nut off all the way while in the water there is nothing to be concerned about. If it does come off, put it back on and check out some of these threads and links for repacking. And yes it is okay to bring up an old thread. YOU DID GOOD.

rooferdave · Post by **rooferdave** » Mon Aug 09, 2010 9:53 pm

wowzer52 wrote:Don't panic. If you have a stream, tighten it up. If the other one doesn't drip at all I would loosen it a bit to get the amount you want. As long as you don't take the nut off all the way while in the water there is nothing to be concerned about. If it does come off, put it back on and check out some of these threads and links for repacking. And yes it is okay to bring up an old thread. YOU DID GOOD.

thank you!

rossjo · Post by **rossjo** » Tue Aug 10, 2010 3:13 pm

Actaully you need to take the nut off all the way to re-pack it. I do it in the water.

Stripermann2 · Post by **Stripermann2** » Tue Aug 10, 2010 5:53 pm

I just repacked my Starboard shaft with teflon packing, smooth as silk and as Rossjo points out, easily done in the water...

Don't worry when times come to repack, it's really very simple. In the meantime, remember that you'd rather have it leak a bit, then not leak at all.

alexander38 · Post by **alexander38** » Wed Aug 11, 2010 1:35 pm

repack in the water is ok to do if you know what your doing. If not I'm sure someone around you has done it.. For general info NEVER USE GRAPHITE packing. It'll cost you a shaft maybe 2..

Done by last owner..

captainmaniac · Post by **captainmaniac** » Wed Aug 11, 2010 6:46 pm

alexander38 wrote:repack in the water is ok to do if you know what your doing. If not I'm sure someone around you has done it.. For general info NEVER USE GRAPHITE packing. It'll cost you a shaft maybe 2.. Done by last owner..

Can you elaborate about why not to use graphite packing? What happened?

davidsmith · Post by **davidsmith** » Wed Aug 11, 2010 8:54 pm

Anyone know why not to use graphite packing? It`s what we use in industrial pumps all the time. Pretty much the same thing. Some pumps have stainless shafts and some with bronze sleeves.

rooferdave · Post by **rooferdave** » Wed Aug 11, 2010 9:39 pm

alexander38 wrote:repack in the water is ok to do if you know what your doing. If not I'm sure someone around you has done it.. For general info NEVER USE GRAPHITE packing. It'll cost you a shaft maybe 2.. Done by last owner..

the people in my club tell me I have to pull out of the water to repack

captainmaniac · Post by **captainmaniac** » Wed Aug 11, 2010 10:18 pm

rooferdave wrote:the people in my club tell me I have to pull out of the water to repack

I have done mine while in the water (multiple times...). Out of the water is obviously safer, but not necessarily necessary... Think of if this way : the gap between the shaft and body of the stuffing box is < 1/32". It's not like you have a garden size or fire hose size opening in the bottom of the boat. You will get some water through, but the keys are :
1) be prepared with the new rings of packing already cut,
2) have rags ready to wrap around the stuffing box to stem the flow if you start getting nervous while trying to pick the old packing out
3) if you get too nervous, just push the nut back on and re-tighten it

alexander38 · Post by **alexander38** » Thu Aug 12, 2010 7:40 pm

The graphite packing can cause pitting of the s/s steel shaft. Salt water,bronze and s/s and then graphite and the zincs on the shaft and all this equals pits. And my grounding system is hooked up to the shafts, only zincs on the boat. Understand about the uses of it on valves and pumps. But we would find the same pits on Navy systems to. Even 1200 psi steam valves. It just not the right stuff for this job. IMO. And two 14' x 1 3/8" inch shafts.

Big D · Post by **Big D** » Thu Aug 12, 2010 9:54 pm

Don't use graphite, as mentioned, could damage shaft. Flax & wax, there's a reason why it's been around for so long, it works just fine if properly set.

rooferdave · Post by **rooferdave** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 8:47 am

just a follow up for me, with the help of one of the guys in our club we tightened up the nut about a 1/ turn and no more leak

I was able to turn it wit two fingers after we cracked the locking nut. Thanks for the advise all!

Dave

rossjo · Post by **rossjo** » Sat Aug 14, 2010 11:53 am

"NO" leak? You might want an occasional drip - just to be sure it gets water underway.

As for re-packing in the water - no big deal.

I changed my stbd strut in the water - with no water coming in (except when I pulled a dowel pin to see what would happen - it shot up a 1/2" stream about a foot - wow!).

Big D · Post by **Big D** » Sat Aug 14, 2010 12:04 pm

Dave, take her out for a ride and check her again. I like to have a drip while the shaft spins, indicates it`s not too tight and ensures lubrication. If it`s too tight you`ll damage the shaft. If you see wax dripping out, it`s too tight. You can also check the temp while under way with a lazer temp gun. After the run is over, see if you have excessive dripping again.

rooferdave · Post by **rooferdave** » Sun Aug 15, 2010 9:06 am

took the boat out for its first ride and the port which I tightened dripped while underway, however the starboard stuffing box (brand new by previos owner) did not drip and I forgot my heat gun grrr. going to loosen it today when my headache goes away