Should stuffing box drip when...???

[D. Stump, Hanalei]

Captains' Commanding,

Should a stuffing box leak when the shaft is NOT turning? Hanalei drips in about a gallon of sea each week. This fills the pan under the engine almost to overflowing and floats my oil drip catch cloth. I'm thinking of tightening the stuffing box to eliminate this drip. As long as it drips while the shaft is turning, there shouldn't be a problem right??? Any comments appreciated.....

Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei

[Bill]

hi Dave

Your comments agree withwhat I have read and been told by others....The drip should be when turning...4 - 6 drops per minute.

Fair winds

bill

Captains' Commanding,

Should a stuffing box leak when the shaft is NOT turning? Hanalei drips in about a gallon of sea each week. This fills the pan under the engine almost to overflowing and floats my oil drip catch cloth. I'm thinking of tightening the stuffing box to eliminate this drip. As long as it drips while the shaft is turning, there shouldn't be a problem right??? Any comments appreciated.....

Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei

cd25d@rhapsodysails.com

[Larry DeMers]

Dave et al,

No, you should not have any dripping at all when the engine is not driving the shaft. If you are using the teflon goop approach (we are), you may be able to forestall any drips at all, as the teflon is so incredibly slippery that there is little friction produced heat that the water needs to remove. The drip rate that straight flax packing needs for lube purposes is about 1-2 per minute while running..none while static.

Cheers!

Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30 Sailing Old Lake Superior

Captains' Commanding,

Should a stuffing box leak when the shaft is NOT turning? Hanalei drips in about a gallon of sea each week. This fills the pan under the engine almost to overflowing and floats my oil drip catch cloth. I'm thinking of tightening the stuffing box to eliminate this drip. As long as it drips while the shaft is turning, there shouldn't be a problem right??? Any comments appreciated.....

Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei

demers@sgi.com

[Tim Smale]

My stuffing box flax was replaced 2 years ago and, although I don't have the drip rate mentioned, I've left it alone. It's very difficult to reach the area to ensure proper drip rates, but set it up for the drip every 10-15 seconds at first. After a month or so the drip rate stopped, and over time there is the telltale green corrision that salt water does indeed find a way through. I have tested the shaft temperature (and during) long passages ov up to 10 hours and it remains cool to the touch. Would you leave it alone as I have, or go back in to establish the drip rate again? I know what the right thing is to loosen it up some, but last time it was alomst impossible to get it right, and am wondering if anyone else is seeing a similar occurance. I'm hauling it out in winter of 2001/spring 2002 for bottom paint and through-hull R&R. Any thoughts appreciated.



tim@iga.org

[Larry DeMers]

You should be fine just monitoring the temps. In order for the shaft to get scored, it needs to have friction. Friction produces heat. You will feel heat, so can reduce the friction with a greater flow of water.
Don't forget that flax packing takes time to absorb water in the spring, after launching, so it probably will drip a bit more initially, then slow or even stop. I have seen both many times on our boat. Switch to Teflon packing next time though, and you will not be sorry.

Cheers!

Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30

My stuffing box flax was replaced 2 years ago and, although I don't have the drip rate mentioned, I've left it alone. It's very difficult to reach the area to ensure proper drip rates, but set it up for the drip every 10-15 seconds at first. After a month or so the drip rate stopped, and over time there is the telltale green corrision that salt water does indeed find a way through. I have tested the shaft temperature (and during) long passages ov up to 10 hours and it remains cool to the touch. Would you leave it alone as I have, or go back in to establish the drip rate again? I know what the right thing is to loosen it up some, but last time it was alomst impossible to get it right, and am wondering if anyone else is seeing a similar occurance. I'm hauling it out in winter of 2001/spring 2002 for bottom paint and through-hull R&R. Any thoughts appreciated.

demers@sgi.com

[Don Sargeant]

My, My, am I feeling a little better about my flax. Two hours after launching Coquina last Friday and motoring out to her mooring, I discovered a significant amount of water in the bilge (and the engine tray was full). I bailed it all out and two hours later the engine tray was still nearly dry. The next morning the engine tray was about half full. I checked the drip rate and found it to be one drop per minute with the engine off, one squirt every 12 seconds with it running without the shaft turning. Of course, because I’m a geezer, it didn’t occur to me to put it in gear and check. I’m curious to see what it will look like this weekend – I’m much too large to fit in the seat locker so I hope it has subsided even more.

Don Sargeant
~~COQUINA~~
CD25D #189
Getting over that sinking feeling in Greenwich Cove

You should be fine just monitoring the temps. In order for the shaft to get scored, it needs to have friction. Friction produces heat. You will feel heat, so can reduce the friction with a greater flow of water.
Don't forget that flax packing takes time to absorb water in the spring, after launching, so it probably will drip a bit more initially, then slow or even stop. I have seen both many times on our boat. Switch to Teflon packing next time though, and you will not be sorry.

Cheers!

Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30

My stuffing box flax was replaced 2 years ago and, although I don't have the drip rate mentioned, I've left it alone. It's very difficult to reach the area to ensure proper drip rates, but set it up for the drip every 10-15 seconds at first. After a month or so the drip rate stopped, and over time there is the telltale green corrision that salt water does indeed find a way through. I have tested the shaft temperature (and during) long passages ov up to 10 hours and it remains cool to the touch. Would you leave it alone as I have, or go back in to establish the drip rate again? I know what the right thing is to loosen it up some, but last time it was alomst impossible to get it right, and am wondering if anyone else is seeing a similar occurance. I'm hauling it out in winter of 2001/spring 2002 for bottom paint and through-hull R&R. Any thoughts appreciated.