Stuffing box leak

[CREID]

I am crusing and my stuffing box is leaking about a gallon a day. It
leaks at rest as well as under weigh. I had it re-packed 4 years ago. I am tempted to let it go till the end of the season (about 2 weeks for me) and just have it re-packed before spring launch. I once had it adjusted as a temporary measure but don't know how to do it myself. Could someone paint a picture for me as to making the adjustment myself or do you think the leak is excessive and I should bite the bullet and go into a marina? Thanks in advance for sharing your comments.

[seadog6532]

you should just turn in on the cap on the stuffing box. Turn it in clockwise "righty tight" I like to turn it in pretty snug to seat the packing and then turn it out just a little. After you adjust it you need to keep an eye on it for a while to make sure it is not getting hot while you are under power and to see how much it is leaking. Unless it is a dripless packing you want it to drip a little bit to keep the shaft lubricated and cool. hope this helps. you will need a packing nut wrench to do this. It looks like a big funny looking pair of channel locks. If you have the 2007 West Marine catalog it is on page 314 for $12.99 mod#390280. I did have one boat that I needed two wrenches to adjust. Hope this helps.
Mark

[Russell]

If you dont have a packing nut wrench you can use a screwdriver and a hammer, this is what I use.

[Chris Reinke]

One point to mention if you have never done it yourself. The packing nut usually has a second nut, aft of the first, that is snugged up against the packing nut to keep it from vibrating loose. You should first loosen the aft retainer nut by turning it further down on the packing gland (also righty tighty"). Once you have it down a few full turns you can adjust the packing nut by turning it in. In a perfect world you would want it tight enough so no water drips while at rest and a few drips per minute while underway. In practicality, just turn it in a few turns and see if the drips slow down to 3 or 4 per minute. Then snug the retaining nut up against the packing nut and you should be all set.

To loosen the nuts with a wide straight blade screwdriver you need to hold the screwdriver vertical and place the tip of the screwdriver on the right side of the nut. By striking the handle of the screwdriver down with a hammer you should be able to break the retaining ring free, then the same for the packing nut.


Best of luck.

[Dean Abramson]

I am trying to do this for the first time myself.

I was behind the engine, behind the stuffing box, facing forward. I assumed that the smaller, aft, nut is the jam nut. I held a screwdriver on one of the nubs on the jam nut, on the port side, and hit down on it with the hammer, attempting to back of the jam nut by turning it counter-clockwise from my viewpoint. I assumed that I would be backing the jam nut off (moving it aft), then turning the packing nut the same direction as to make it advance aft and compress the flax, then snugging up the jam nut by tightening it clockwise (moving it forward) against the packing nut.

Despite having used PB Blaster and a lot of force, the jam nut would not budge.

Am I somehow looking at the whole thing backwards and hitting it it the wrong direction? What am I missing here?

Or does it just take more Blaster, time, and oomph?

Dean

[Jim Davis]

I have found that it is often easier to loosen the packing nut first. This normally seperates the locking nut from the packing nut. Then back the lock nut out of the way and adjust the packing. Personally I like to use two wrenches and save the hammer method for desperate moments on someone elses boat.

[Parfait's Provider]

If you have the wrenches, you can set one up on the packing nut against the port hull while you tap the one on the locking nut to the port as well. Much easier to get one to move without the other, no matter which wants to move, and you can't do that with a srewdriver.

Another trick in an emergency or on someone else's boat would be to use locking pliers on one of the nuts while you tap with a screwdriver and hammer on the other.