stuffing box and shaft size

[Bob Loewenstein]

I will be replacing the seal for my CD27 stuffing box. The boat is currently in storage and I thought maybe someone in this group will know the answer to this question, saving me a trip to the yard and a crawl in the dark to measure things:

I'll probably go with teflon and not flax unless someone steers me off of teflon.

What size packing material do I need? (diameter/thickness).

Thanks in advance

Bob



rfl@yerkes.uchicago.edu

[Tom Coons]

I will be replacing the seal for my CD27 stuffing box. The boat is currently in storage and I thought maybe someone in this group will know the answer to this question, saving me a trip to the yard and a crawl in the dark to measure things:

I'll probably go with teflon and not flax unless someone steers me off of teflon.

What size packing material do I need? (diameter/thickness).

Thanks in advance

Bob

Bob: I switched to teflon packing about three years ago. I've been very satisfied with it so far. I used the "Drip Free" brand. You get enough in the pkg to do two jobs. I have a CD 31 so may not have the same size shaft as you do, but bought the size the yard recommended for my one inch shaft. It turned out to be about twice as thick as I needed. The one I bought was about 1/4 inch in diameter. I just split it down the middle with a razor blade. I tightened it by hand to start and all dripping stopped. I had to back it off from even a hand tightening job. I have never felt any warmth there at all. After motoring for 18 hours felt it and it was stone cold -- as cool as when I started. If you decide you don't like it, you can always rip it out at the next haul out and go back to flax, but I doubt you won't be impressed with no drip at all and what appears to be easier on the shaft too. Time is the test on these things, but so far I'm impressed.

TacCambria@thegrid.net