Stuffing box

Re: Ericson 26 III (1987) w/ M12 engine: What is the configuration of the stuffing box or packing gland in this model? What website or links might provide a diagram and maintenance info?

Thanks!

Which

For the rudder post or the prop shaft?

Afrakes said:

For the rudder post or the prop shaft?

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The rudder post has no packing gland.

Pete in Vermont said:

Re: Ericson 26 III (1987) w/ M12 engine: What is the configuration of the stuffing box or packing gland in this model? What website or links might provide a diagram and maintenance info?

Thanks!

Click to expand...

Pete,
I have a 1984 E26-2. There's nothing exotic about the stuffing box/packing gland. It's simply a short length of hose affixed to the fiberglass prop shaft tube (shaft log) on the aft end with a garden variety bronze stuffing box on the forward end. (I'm assuming, of course, that a previous owner of your boat didn't replace it with a dripless system.)

What is it that you want to know? How to replace the packing? There is nothing about this job that is E26 specific. You might want to look here for a good tutorial: http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/stuffing_box

My E26--and most likely yours--has a 3/4" stainless prop shaft. My stuffing box takes 1/8" packing. However, even for a given prop shaft size different stuffing boxes can take different diameters of packing. Therefore, while it's not certain that yours will take 1/8" I'd say it is likely. The packing needs to fit snugly but if you have to beat it in then the size would too large. You certainly don't want it too lose or it will leak. This is the stuff I used: http://www.westmarine.com/buy/western-pacific-trading--gtu-gore-shaft-packing--P008224636

Let us know if you have additional questions. There are plenty of highly competent folks on the list who will weigh in with suggestions and I'll be glad to throw in my two cents if you'd like.

Pictures

Here are some pictures of what you should be looking at. Extreme right the packing nut into which the flax packing goes. Middle is the locking nut which prevents the packing nut from spinning loose. Left is the tube which, via a rubber hose, attaches to the shaft log and is threaded to accept the locking and packing nut.

Stuff Box

Hi Respected Sailors
Great picture of the stuff box! I used that 1/8 packing on our 28+ too. That prelubed packing from West works great. West has a stuff box grease called Syntef that works very well too.
My stuff box looks exactly like Als and ours takes 5 rings to fill it. It can be very hard to get out the old stuffing. "Carlos the kid next door" is 5'6" and he gets the job done pretty good with a dental pick from the hardware store.
BTW our Edson wheel shaft does have a stuffing box on it. Uses stuffing rope. Can't recall the dia but it is much bigger than 1/8.
Best Regards
Pat O'Connell
1981 E28+ Chips

Pat O'Connell said:

Hi Respected Sailors
Great picture of the stuff box! I used that 1/8 packing on our 28+ too. That prelubed packing from West works great. West has a stuff box grease called Syntef that works very well too.
My stuff box looks exactly like Als and ours takes 5 rings to fill it. It can be very hard to get out the old stuffing. "Carlos the kid next door" is 5'6" and he gets the job done pretty good with a dental pick from the hardware store.
Best Regards
Pat O'Connell
1981 E28+ Chips

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I see no reason to "fill" the stuffing box with packing. The whole point is to provide some lubrication and cooling to the shaft while keeping water ingress to a minimum. (Ideally you would have no water coming in when the shaft is at rest and a slight weeping when turning.) I would pack it with enough rings to accomplish that but no more, as extra rings are just adding additional and unnecessary friction, and giving you extra work and expense when it comes time to change it out. My guess is that 3 rings would probably do it, but you could experiment and see.

Pack that packing.

Folks, Let me jump in here to say that the number of rings is probably determined by the capacity of the cup. As to dripping or not, I use the somewhat latest in Teflon impregnated packing as well as the Teflon gel and green sticks. My shaft doesn't leak at all, not one drop, runs freely (I can hand run it with ease) and has not needed to be adjusted for the last three to five years if not more. Glyn Judson, E31 hull #55, Marina del Rey CA

This is the argument against dripless shaft seals: apparently the new packing material really reduces or eliminates "traditional" drips.

I have a DSS, which works fine. However, if the bellows fails offshore, there is no repair, since the shaft has to come out. I carry latex and hose clamps to reduce or stop the water ingress from a failed bellows, but would no longer have propulsion.

Hi Respected Sailors
Thanks for the remarks and good consult. We just packed the stuffing box with the #rings that I found in it when I did the first repack in about 1984. I really don't now what the suggested number of rings should be. It is interesting that my stuff box never drips either. Shaft turns freely and easily. The last repack before this year was, ten years ago. I should be ashamed of that! We have a relatively short season in NH maybe that is why we got away with it?
Best Regards
Pat O'Connell
1981 E28+ Chips

Glyn Judson said:

Folks, Let me jump in here to say that the number of rings is probably determined by the capacity of the cup. As to dripping or not, I use the somewhat latest in Teflon impregnated packing as well as the Teflon gel and green sticks. My shaft doesn't leak at all, not one drop, runs freely (I can hand run it with ease) and has not needed to be adjusted for the last three to five years if not more. Glyn Judson, E31 hull #55, Marina del Rey CA

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Hi, Glyn. Hope to see you over at the Island sometime! (I'm often at Two Harbors and sometimes pick up a mooring on J-row, where you apparently frequent. Do you lease a mooring there?)

RE: adjusting the stuffing box: Here's an interesting thread from the SBO site that happened sometime back. It presents some of the different views on adjustment techniques, etc. I think it's worth a look: http://forums.sbo.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=153899&#post1042750

Also, you are surely correct that the number of rings relates to the size of the cup. My only point is that although the size will determine the maximum number of rings one can cram into it, there is no necessary requirement to "fill it." For instance, my old Catalina 30 box could hold 5 rings but I never used more than 3 in it. My present box would hold, I would guess, about 4 rings, but again 3 seems to be about right. The point is not a particular number of rings but getting the desired result. Should that require 5 rings, as Pat has, then that's what one should use. But there is no reason to install 5 merely because 5 will fit.

Pat O'Connell said:

Hi Respected Sailors
Thanks for the remarks and good consult. We just packed the stuffing box with the #rings that I found in it when I did the first repack in about 1984. I really don't now what the suggested number of rings should be. It is interesting that my stuff box never drips either. Shaft turns freely and easily. The last repack before this year was, ten years ago. I should be ashamed of that! We have a relatively short season in NH maybe that is why we got away with it?
Best Regards
Pat O'Connell
1981 E28+ Chips

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Pat,
No need for guilt! If you are not getting excessive leaking (apparently you have none) AND if the packing gland is not running hot, then it ain't broke so don't fix it!

On my setup I have a digital temperature probe attached to the stuffing box nut so I can see the temperature at a glance in the cockpit. (http://www.amazon.com/Digital-tempe...0KVFQ/ref=aag_m_pw_dp?ie=UTF8&m=A2OXMMY6UKNCC) Yes, I am a very sick man....

Stuff Box

Hi Respected Sailors
That meter sounds very slick! My major concern is "The kid next Door." Is 16 and if I wait until he is 26 to repack he probably will be married and living in CA. I will be 79 and will have a real problem on my hands? My wife will be only 74 so hopefully she will do it?
Best Regards
Pat
1981 E28+ Chips

Off topic, age.

Pat, Take a page out of my book given that I've reached a certain point of maturity. From now on, express your age differently, so next time someone asks how old you are, tell them you're 25.5 Celsius and not 78 Fahrenheit. Now I ask you, doesn't that sound a lot better? It works wonders for me at the tender age now of 21.6. Glyn Judson, E31 hull #55, Marina del Rey CA

Hi Glyn... I like the way your are spinning that! Truck boat haulers that I have been using for about 25 years told me this Spring that the "Boat looked pretty good." I mentioned "It is getting old," They said "It is a good fit." Best Regards Pat

One more pic

I should have included this shot earlier. Note the inward bevel. That directs the packing flax against the prop shaft as it is compressed.

Alan Gomes said:

Pat,
No need for guilt! If you are not getting excessive leaking (apparently you have none) AND if the packing gland is not running hot, then it ain't broke so don't fix it!

On my setup I have a digital temperature probe attached to the stuffing box nut so I can see the temperature at a glance in the cockpit. (http://www.amazon.com/Digital-tempe...0KVFQ/ref=aag_m_pw_dp?ie=UTF8&m=A2OXMMY6UKNCC) Yes, I am a very sick man....

Click to expand...

Oh great! Another datum that I was perfectly happy not knowing. Until now.
Actually, I was planning to do the exact same thing to monitor the motor temperature of the winches on my Jeep and equipment trailer. Except in that case, it would do double duty to report the external temperature when the winch isn't in use.

Let's see... I repacked the stuffing box in... 2011? And it just started dripping a tad excessively this summer. I tightened it a smidgeon and the drip stopped. (Previously, it never dripped at rest.) And, of course, the crescent wrench that I put on board specifically for that purpose wouldn't quite open wide enough. Good thing I didn't discover this on a cruise.

Repacking the stuffing box in the water.

Guys and gals, I have over the years, replaced the packing with the boat in the water and relied upon the bilge pump to keep up with the flow around the shaft once the au was unthreaded. A rag around the water flow has helped a lot to contain and slightly reduce the flow. Now, here's a though I've had since and I emphasize, only a thought and not a practice but I can't see why is wouldn't work. Bring a wax poilet bowl ring to the job and after sliding the cup away, jam chunks of wax into the flow until it stops. Proceed with the new packing and either remove the wax or leave it in place before screwing the cup back on. Does any one see a glaring flaw in that idea? GLyn

I am thinking that the wax requires some external compression force to keep it in place.

Instead, I would bet on a couple of wraps of "rescue tape" or some other self-fusing stretchy tape that works when wet.

Again, just a thought experiment.

Glyn Judson said:

Guys and gals, I have over the years, replaced the packing with the boat in the water and relied upon the bilge pump to keep up with the flow around the shaft once the au was unthreaded. A rag around the water flow has helped a lot to contain and slightly reduce the flow. Now, here's a though I've had since and I emphasize, only a thought and not a practice but I can't see why is wouldn't work. Bring a wax poilet bowl ring to the job and after sliding the cup away, jam chunks of wax into the flow until it stops. Proceed with the new packing and either remove the wax or leave it in place before screwing the cup back on. Does any one see a glaring flaw in that idea? GLyn

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I guess wax could staunch the flow, but then you would have to clean up the wax mess afterwards. On my boat, at any rate, it would be a solution in search of a problem; my bilge pump easily keeps up with the flow. There is no rush at all for me to get the packing swapped--which is a good thing, because shortly after I got the boat I had a #$%^%^ of a time getting out the old packing. The packing that the P.O.'s mechanic used was too large and he apparently just hammered it in! :0