I just got my 1987 E34 last summer. At present, I don't remember the condition of the SBox hose, but do remember the Sbox nut leaking a few drops, but not excessively, which I know is appropriate. I am planning on cruising from Toledo to northern Mich; possibly further if things go well. I have been reading about replacing the SBox hose and cutless bearing and repacking the Sbox. At present I don't know if any of this has been done. I did replace the C bearing on my Cal 2-27 years ago when I was young and confident. Has anybody replaced the SBox hose and the C bearing, and is it as daunting as I am imagining, or am I just being a puss about it? I am mechanically inclined, but I am concerned about mucking up the alignment, and have never replaced the hose at all. I am aware of using hose specifically for that, and Buck Algonquin has a good looking unit for about $80. Any thoughts, input, suggestions???? Thanks in advance!!!!!!
stuffing box hose and cutless bearing
- Thread starter hdlEric
- Start date
supersailor
Contributing Partner
Stuffing Box Etc.
Hi,
You picked a great boat! They are wonderful sailors! I picked up my 1987 E-34 two years ago. The stuffing box should drip a little while under power. It keeps the box from overheating. The survey when you bought the boat should have mentioned it if the cutlass bearing was in need of replacement. I am going to replace my cutlass bearing, install a Vetus Bullflex and replace my engine mounts this year as I think I have excessive vibration under power. The engine mounts are original and the shaft log is too. I have some trouble getting into my shaft log as I also have a battery in the same area as the log. I am putting a Norscot shaft seal in. No more drips and no more attempting to get wrenches on the darn thing! The Norscot is the only seal short enough to be used in combination with the Bullflex. I like the idea that it uses an oil bath in the seal area. I may be spoiled by my previous boat having a new Volvo sail drive. It was silky smooth.
Good luck with the new boat.
Hi,
You picked a great boat! They are wonderful sailors! I picked up my 1987 E-34 two years ago. The stuffing box should drip a little while under power. It keeps the box from overheating. The survey when you bought the boat should have mentioned it if the cutlass bearing was in need of replacement. I am going to replace my cutlass bearing, install a Vetus Bullflex and replace my engine mounts this year as I think I have excessive vibration under power. The engine mounts are original and the shaft log is too. I have some trouble getting into my shaft log as I also have a battery in the same area as the log. I am putting a Norscot shaft seal in. No more drips and no more attempting to get wrenches on the darn thing! The Norscot is the only seal short enough to be used in combination with the Bullflex. I like the idea that it uses an oil bath in the seal area. I may be spoiled by my previous boat having a new Volvo sail drive. It was silky smooth.
Good luck with the new boat.
Stuffing box
I purchased a 90 34 in Oct of '12. While I had the engine out last fall to detail the engine compartment and install new sound proofing I replaced the stuffing box seal never once giving it a thought about being a difficult job to replace the hose also. Evidently the PO had this done when it was re-engined.
Ccaptain
I purchased a 90 34 in Oct of '12. While I had the engine out last fall to detail the engine compartment and install new sound proofing I replaced the stuffing box seal never once giving it a thought about being a difficult job to replace the hose also. Evidently the PO had this done when it was re-engined.
Ccaptain
hijacking to an E34 thread
Sounds ok to me. I do LOVE my E34......she does love the air and water......goes like a bat.........but I did learn that it seems better to shorten the main when it get above 18MPH wind speed, then the headsail to if it gets about 20mph......it's much more comfortable and I feel I have more control also.
I am not sure HOW to the hose is attached to the hull; if indeed it is. I do know that you have to uncouple the shaft log from the trans, and that can sometimes cold weld itself after so many years, + you only have about .1000-.2000 of an inch variance.
Sounds ok to me. I do LOVE my E34......she does love the air and water......goes like a bat.........but I did learn that it seems better to shorten the main when it get above 18MPH wind speed, then the headsail to if it gets about 20mph......it's much more comfortable and I feel I have more control also.
I am not sure HOW to the hose is attached to the hull; if indeed it is. I do know that you have to uncouple the shaft log from the trans, and that can sometimes cold weld itself after so many years, + you only have about .1000-.2000 of an inch variance.
sailcarole
New Member
Ericson 32 1986 hull 671 replace strut, cutlass bearing, stuffing box hose, etc.
Hi fellow Ericson owners with same age/challenges,
I replaced the original stuffing box and hose 3 years ago when there were obvious cracks in the hose, and the stuffing in the nut had turned to a solid and immoveable.
Three weeks ago my boat started sinking at the dock when the shaft log failed. A difficult leak to detect. The log had cracked and crumbled without any engine vibration to warn me in advance. (Indeed, 36 hours earlier was sailing in Gulfstream off Florida coast, and motoring in ICW with heavy traffic--no problem, no leak.)
The Owners Manual gives (Chapter 3) fair instructions (warning) that the entire steering quadrant and rudder must be disassembled to pull the shaft to replace strut and/or cutlass bearing. Three years ago, the stuffing box replacement only required pulling the shaft aft enough for the hose to slip onto the fixed forward end of the fiberglass shaft log. Good instructions on the brutal job of extracting the shaft from an old coupling.
Unfortunately, the shaft log cannot be accessed without ripping out the fuel pump and Racor filter, or the hot water heater if atop the platform, and the muffler and its platform. The strut requires cutting a hole through the hull and then rebuilding it. This is an expensive repair/replacement to be avoided if at all possible. Unknown to me, the engine shaft was resting on the bottom of the shaft log without creating any vibration or loss of compression. The strut was moveable slightly. (Probably started by running through ocean debris which wrapped the prop and stopped the engine, and once freed gradually worked the shaft downwards and the strut loosened without noticeable vibration. ????)
If you have to pull the shaft for any reason, be sure to inspect the inside of the shaft log. Scrape gently inside with a bent screwdriver to see if the fiberglass is disintegrating. The two inches exposed in the engine compartment needs a sharp inspection with mirror and flashlight to see if any hairline cracks are forming. Failures such as mine should be few, but then my engine has more than 8000 hours on it, never before needed to change the cutlass bearing or pull the shaft out completely.
It's probably the most expensive 14-inch replacement job on the entire boat.
Hi fellow Ericson owners with same age/challenges,
I replaced the original stuffing box and hose 3 years ago when there were obvious cracks in the hose, and the stuffing in the nut had turned to a solid and immoveable.
Three weeks ago my boat started sinking at the dock when the shaft log failed. A difficult leak to detect. The log had cracked and crumbled without any engine vibration to warn me in advance. (Indeed, 36 hours earlier was sailing in Gulfstream off Florida coast, and motoring in ICW with heavy traffic--no problem, no leak.)
The Owners Manual gives (Chapter 3) fair instructions (warning) that the entire steering quadrant and rudder must be disassembled to pull the shaft to replace strut and/or cutlass bearing. Three years ago, the stuffing box replacement only required pulling the shaft aft enough for the hose to slip onto the fixed forward end of the fiberglass shaft log. Good instructions on the brutal job of extracting the shaft from an old coupling.
Unfortunately, the shaft log cannot be accessed without ripping out the fuel pump and Racor filter, or the hot water heater if atop the platform, and the muffler and its platform. The strut requires cutting a hole through the hull and then rebuilding it. This is an expensive repair/replacement to be avoided if at all possible. Unknown to me, the engine shaft was resting on the bottom of the shaft log without creating any vibration or loss of compression. The strut was moveable slightly. (Probably started by running through ocean debris which wrapped the prop and stopped the engine, and once freed gradually worked the shaft downwards and the strut loosened without noticeable vibration. ????)
If you have to pull the shaft for any reason, be sure to inspect the inside of the shaft log. Scrape gently inside with a bent screwdriver to see if the fiberglass is disintegrating. The two inches exposed in the engine compartment needs a sharp inspection with mirror and flashlight to see if any hairline cracks are forming. Failures such as mine should be few, but then my engine has more than 8000 hours on it, never before needed to change the cutlass bearing or pull the shaft out completely.
It's probably the most expensive 14-inch replacement job on the entire boat.