New packing box too tight!

[Fred Dentinger]

I’m doing a refit on my 79 Ericson 30. Thruhulls, shaft, packing box, engine rebuild, headliner & cabin siding, cushions, perhaps some portlights. I must be nuts doing it all at once.
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Old shaft was gouged/worn pretty bad at the gland & worn at the cutlass bearing. Packing box was pretty crusty. Thought about going to a PSS dripless, but the access is so poor, decided to stay with what I know how to do – packing adjust is pretty easy & thought I would try some of the dripless mouldable packing. Had new shaft and half coupling made up. Bought a new Buck Algonquin packing box & installed it. Started to slide the shaft in…… clunk!
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The packing nut bore is fine but the box bore is tighter & will not fit. Anyone run into this before? Should I return it, hone it with a brake cylinder hone, take it to a machine shop and have it bored? Suggestions welcome!
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Fred Dentinger fdentin@comcast.net

 

[Frank Langer]

I don't know if your 1979 E30 is the same as my 1984 E30+ (I think they changed to the E30+ in 1977 but I'm not sure). If so, I have the PSS shaft seal and love it. It fits fine, is no maintenance, never needs adjustment and works well. So if you can't get yours to install easily, you might want to reconsider the PSS. Just a thought based on our experience...
Frank

 

[Fred Dentinger]

PSS vs Packing Gland

Well, I got your response and thought since I bought the packing gland and the old one was pretty easy to deal with I'd stay the course. I honed it out so it fit the new shaft..... then I tried stuffing it. The new one called for 3/8" packing..... old one 1/8". Now I know why others have complained about trouble with packing. It was amazingly difficult to stuff. The old gland was a piece of cake in comparision.

I finally gave up and went and bought a PSS..... which is not installed yet. Thanks for the advice, even if I was slow on the uptake.

Fred