Would appreciate any help with procedure to take down the stuffing box and replace packing. Have reviewed past messages on this subject here, but am a newbie at this. Have not checked this area yet and the boat (CD25D) is two years in my possession. It currently is NOT weeping, but also did not get hot all last year when operational. Is replacing the cutlass bearing mandatory with this procedure--if so does that require removing the entire prop shaft? Thanks ahead.
Mimi Litsche
s/v QUEST CD25D #54
mlitsche@hotmail.com
Stuffing Box Maintenance
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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Boyd
Re: Stuffing Box Maintenance
Hi Mimi...
I assume you are out of the water. It can be done in the water but very messy.
I did mine last year. Used the flax packing from Spartan and the green stuff from West Marine. No drips and it runs cool.
Just remove the lock nut first then undo the main cap. Use a straightened fish hook to pull out all the old packing. Wind three turns of flax around the shaft and cut thru with a single edge razor on the diagonal to get 3 rings of flax packing the correct diameter.
Carefully stuff in the rings between the shaft and the fitting. If you are using the green stuff follow directions on the package. Replace the cap and tighten by hand. Put on the lock ring nut. When in the water losen the lock ring and with a screw driver or chisel and hammer tighten the cap gently until the dripping stops. Run the engine for a while. Adjust the cap nut until you get a drip every minute or so. If using the green stuff no dripping will be present. Dont overtighten. Set the lock ring. Take the boat out and run her on all rpms for a while. Check for dripping or the fitting getting to hot. You should be able to hold your hand on the warm fitting comfortably.
I didnt replace my cutlass bearing since it was still tight. If you are going to replace the cutlass bearing then the shaft does have to come out. Getting the shaft out of the flange is quite a challange. Usually you have to cut the flange off. Not fun. They are traditionally interference fitted.
Good luck
Boyd
s/v Tern
CD30 MkII #1
Fort Lauderdale, Fla
boyd@wbta.cc
I assume you are out of the water. It can be done in the water but very messy.
I did mine last year. Used the flax packing from Spartan and the green stuff from West Marine. No drips and it runs cool.
Just remove the lock nut first then undo the main cap. Use a straightened fish hook to pull out all the old packing. Wind three turns of flax around the shaft and cut thru with a single edge razor on the diagonal to get 3 rings of flax packing the correct diameter.
Carefully stuff in the rings between the shaft and the fitting. If you are using the green stuff follow directions on the package. Replace the cap and tighten by hand. Put on the lock ring nut. When in the water losen the lock ring and with a screw driver or chisel and hammer tighten the cap gently until the dripping stops. Run the engine for a while. Adjust the cap nut until you get a drip every minute or so. If using the green stuff no dripping will be present. Dont overtighten. Set the lock ring. Take the boat out and run her on all rpms for a while. Check for dripping or the fitting getting to hot. You should be able to hold your hand on the warm fitting comfortably.
I didnt replace my cutlass bearing since it was still tight. If you are going to replace the cutlass bearing then the shaft does have to come out. Getting the shaft out of the flange is quite a challange. Usually you have to cut the flange off. Not fun. They are traditionally interference fitted.
Good luck
Boyd
s/v Tern
CD30 MkII #1
Fort Lauderdale, Fla
Mimi Litsche wrote: Would appreciate any help with procedure to take down the stuffing box and replace packing. Have reviewed past messages on this subject here, but am a newbie at this. Have not checked this area yet and the boat (CD25D) is two years in my possession. It currently is NOT weeping, but also did not get hot all last year when operational. Is replacing the cutlass bearing mandatory with this procedure--if so does that require removing the entire prop shaft? Thanks ahead.
Mimi Litsche
s/v QUEST CD25D #54
boyd@wbta.cc
-
Kevin LeMans
Re: Stuffing Box Maintenance
Mimi,
There is an article in this months (last months?) edition of "Good Old Boat" magazine all about stuffing boxes and how to care for them. It includes some excellent diagrams of a stuffing box that will help you understand what you are looking at.
Good Old Boat magazine is carried at most West Marine stores, but is not easy to find on news stands. At least not out here!
Good Luck
Kevin LeMans
CD30 Raconteur
San Francisco
(Emery Cove)
lemans@gte.net
There is an article in this months (last months?) edition of "Good Old Boat" magazine all about stuffing boxes and how to care for them. It includes some excellent diagrams of a stuffing box that will help you understand what you are looking at.
Good Old Boat magazine is carried at most West Marine stores, but is not easy to find on news stands. At least not out here!
Good Luck
Kevin LeMans
CD30 Raconteur
San Francisco
(Emery Cove)
lemans@gte.net
-
Charlie Palumbo
Re: Stuffing Box Maintenance
mimi,Mimi Litsche wrote: Would appreciate any help with procedure to take down the stuffing box and replace packing. Have reviewed past messages on this subject here, but am a newbie at this. Have not checked this area yet and the boat (CD25D) is two years in my possession. It currently is NOT weeping, but also did not get hot all last year when operational. Is replacing the cutlass bearing mandatory with this procedure--if so does that require removing the entire prop shaft? Thanks ahead.
Mimi Litsche
s/v QUEST CD25D #54
Mr Boyd did a great job in explaining the procedure. I would like to add a couple of things. You really are better off ordering precut flax packing from spartan marine. The best way to remove the old packing is with a packing hook that looks somewhat like a corkscrew.
ask around to locate the source of purchasing one or e mail me.
If you have never done this before DO NOT do it with your boat in the water. It is a pain in the butt job because the stuffing box is usually located where you have to stand on your head to get to it.
If you are pressed for time or get frustrated easy, have the yard do it....it is not a fun job but not that hard.
good luck, Charlie
jcp1347j@aol.com
-
Ken Coit
Re: Stuffing Box Maintenance
If you can get cleanly cut rounds of flax in the correct length you are ahead of the game. Standing on you head to cut them is not fun. The shaft should be 1" in diameter, so any 1" OD pipe can act as a cutting surface.
As for the corkscrew tool, the smallest one I could buy at West Marine was too large and I had to modify it in the middle of the job. I am going to use straightened fish hooks the next time and have several on hand so I can drop them into the bilge without a care.
Installing the rounds, with or without the green goop, which I think works well, is also problematic. Install one and then run the packing nut down to pack the flax into the base of the nut. Back the nut off and add another round with the cut displaced 180 degrees from the first. Run the packing nut down again to pack the second round in. Third round should fit if all is well, but it was touch and go when we replaced the flax on Parfait.
Good luck!
Keep on sailing,
Ken Coit
CD/14 #538
CD/36 #84 Parfait
Hailing Port: Raleigh, NC
Sailing from: Beaufort, NC
parfaitNOSPAM@nc.rr.com
As for the corkscrew tool, the smallest one I could buy at West Marine was too large and I had to modify it in the middle of the job. I am going to use straightened fish hooks the next time and have several on hand so I can drop them into the bilge without a care.
Installing the rounds, with or without the green goop, which I think works well, is also problematic. Install one and then run the packing nut down to pack the flax into the base of the nut. Back the nut off and add another round with the cut displaced 180 degrees from the first. Run the packing nut down again to pack the second round in. Third round should fit if all is well, but it was touch and go when we replaced the flax on Parfait.
Good luck!
Keep on sailing,
Ken Coit
CD/14 #538
CD/36 #84 Parfait
Hailing Port: Raleigh, NC
Sailing from: Beaufort, NC
Charlie Palumbo wrote:mimi,Mimi Litsche wrote: Would appreciate any help with procedure to take down the stuffing box and replace packing. Have reviewed past messages on this subject here, but am a newbie at this. Have not checked this area yet and the boat (CD25D) is two years in my possession. It currently is NOT weeping, but also did not get hot all last year when operational. Is replacing the cutlass bearing mandatory with this procedure--if so does that require removing the entire prop shaft? Thanks ahead.
Mimi Litsche
s/v QUEST CD25D #54
Mr Boyd did a great job in explaining the procedure. I would like to add a couple of things. You really are better off ordering precut flax packing from spartan marine. The best way to remove the old packing is with a packing hook that looks somewhat like a corkscrew.
ask around to locate the source of purchasing one or e mail me.
If you have never done this before DO NOT do it with your boat in the water. It is a pain in the butt job because the stuffing box is usually located where you have to stand on your head to get to it.
If you are pressed for time or get frustrated easy, have the yard do it....it is not a fun job but not that hard.
good luck, Charlie
parfaitNOSPAM@nc.rr.com
-
Bill
Re: Stuffing Box Maintenance
When replacing the flax on Rhapsody, I used a short section of 1" PVC pipe cut to form two halves around the shaft (I cant think of a better way to describe it) and the used the packing nut, pushing on the flax to "seat" it (flax) (on each round). It was still a bit tough while standing on your head, but it worked.
Good luck....
Bill
CC
S/V Rhapsody
cd25d@rhapsodysails.com
Good luck....
Bill
CC
S/V Rhapsody
Ken Coit wrote: If you can get cleanly cut rounds of flax in the correct length you are ahead of the game. Standing on you head to cut them is not fun. The shaft should be 1" in diameter, so any 1" OD pipe can act as a cutting surface.
As for the corkscrew tool, the smallest one I could buy at West Marine was too large and I had to modify it in the middle of the job. I am going to use straightened fish hooks the next time and have several on hand so I can drop them into the bilge without a care.
Installing the rounds, with or without the green goop, which I think works well, is also problematic. Install one and then run the packing nut down to pack the flax into the base of the nut. Back the nut off and add another round with the cut displaced 180 degrees from the first. Run the packing nut down again to pack the second round in. Third round should fit if all is well, but it was touch and go when we replaced the flax on Parfait.
Good luck!
Keep on sailing,
Ken Coit
CD/14 #538
CD/36 #84 Parfait
Hailing Port: Raleigh, NC
Sailing from: Beaufort, NC
Charlie Palumbo wrote:mimi,Mimi Litsche wrote: Would appreciate any help with procedure to take down the stuffing box and replace packing. Have reviewed past messages on this subject here, but am a newbie at this. Have not checked this area yet and the boat (CD25D) is two years in my possession. It currently is NOT weeping, but also did not get hot all last year when operational. Is replacing the cutlass bearing mandatory with this procedure--if so does that require removing the entire prop shaft? Thanks ahead.
Mimi Litsche
s/v QUEST CD25D #54
Mr Boyd did a great job in explaining the procedure. I would like to add a couple of things. You really are better off ordering precut flax packing from spartan marine. The best way to remove the old packing is with a packing hook that looks somewhat like a corkscrew.
ask around to locate the source of purchasing one or e mail me.
If you have never done this before DO NOT do it with your boat in the water. It is a pain in the butt job because the stuffing box is usually located where you have to stand on your head to get to it.
If you are pressed for time or get frustrated easy, have the yard do it....it is not a fun job but not that hard.
good luck, Charlie
cd25d@rhapsodysails.com
-
D. Stump, Hanalei
Re: If it ain't broke don't.........
Captain Litsche,
Mimi, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! ! ! Stuffing boxes are NOT a routine maintenance item. Routine adjustment, yes, but not routine replacement. A properly adjusted stuffing box should last for years. Replace the packing only when needed. You stated that the unit doesn't drip, and it runs cool. Sounds just right! So, why do you want to change it? As far as the cutlass bearing goes, wiggle the shaft before she is launched. A very slight amount of play is normal, if a lot, then I would think about replacing the cutlass, but again, only if it needs it.
As others have said, this is not a fun task, there is probably a lot of other things aboard that DO require routine maint. Go for those things and leave the stuffing box alone......FWIW....IMHO.....
Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei CD-30C
Mimi, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! ! ! Stuffing boxes are NOT a routine maintenance item. Routine adjustment, yes, but not routine replacement. A properly adjusted stuffing box should last for years. Replace the packing only when needed. You stated that the unit doesn't drip, and it runs cool. Sounds just right! So, why do you want to change it? As far as the cutlass bearing goes, wiggle the shaft before she is launched. A very slight amount of play is normal, if a lot, then I would think about replacing the cutlass, but again, only if it needs it.
As others have said, this is not a fun task, there is probably a lot of other things aboard that DO require routine maint. Go for those things and leave the stuffing box alone......FWIW....IMHO.....
Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei CD-30C
-
Mimi Litsche
About the wiggle..Capt. Stump
Where do we check the wiggle--on the prop end or the flange end of the shaft? And what does FWIW...IMHO.. mean??D. Stump, Hanalei wrote: Captain Litsche,
Mimi, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! ! ! Stuffing boxes are NOT a routine maintenance item. Routine adjustment, yes, but not routine replacement. A properly adjusted stuffing box should last for years. Replace the packing only when needed. You stated that the unit doesn't drip, and it runs cool. Sounds just right! So, why do you want to change it? As far as the cutlass bearing goes, wiggle the shaft before she is launched. A very slight amount of play is normal, if a lot, then I would think about replacing the cutlass, but again, only if it needs it.
As others have said, this is not a fun task, there is probably a lot of other things aboard that DO require routine maint. Go for those things and leave the stuffing box alone......FWIW....IMHO.....
Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei CD-30C
mlitsche@hotmail.com
-
Tom
Re: About the wiggle..Capt. Stump
Prop end because you're testing the cutlass bearing. The end bolted to the engine won't move at all. (FWIW) For What It's Worth. (IMHO) In My Humble Opinion. (BTW) By The Way. (LOL) Laughing Out Loud.
TomCambria@mindspring.com
Mimi Litsche wrote:Where do we check the wiggle--on the prop end or the flange end of the shaft? And what does FWIW...IMHO.. mean??D. Stump, Hanalei wrote: Captain Litsche,
Mimi, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! ! ! Stuffing boxes are NOT a routine maintenance item. Routine adjustment, yes, but not routine replacement. A properly adjusted stuffing box should last for years. Replace the packing only when needed. You stated that the unit doesn't drip, and it runs cool. Sounds just right! So, why do you want to change it? As far as the cutlass bearing goes, wiggle the shaft before she is launched. A very slight amount of play is normal, if a lot, then I would think about replacing the cutlass, but again, only if it needs it.
As others have said, this is not a fun task, there is probably a lot of other things aboard that DO require routine maint. Go for those things and leave the stuffing box alone......FWIW....IMHO.....
Dave Stump
Captain Commanding
s/v Hanalei CD-30C
TomCambria@mindspring.com
-
Scott Ritchey
Re: Stuffing Box Maintenance
On my CD27, the shaft pressed out of the flange easily using the old "long screw trick" with a socket taped between the flanges to push on the shaft. I had almost no rust/corosion and wet it all down with liquid wrench a few days before starting.
Boyd wrote: Hi Mimi...
I assume you are out of the water. It can be done in the water but very messy.
I did mine last year. Used the flax packing from Spartan and the green stuff from West Marine. No drips and it runs cool.
Just remove the lock nut first then undo the main cap. Use a straightened fish hook to pull out all the old packing. Wind three turns of flax around the shaft and cut thru with a single edge razor on the diagonal to get 3 rings of flax packing the correct diameter.
Carefully stuff in the rings between the shaft and the fitting. If you are using the green stuff follow directions on the package. Replace the cap and tighten by hand. Put on the lock ring nut. When in the water losen the lock ring and with a screw driver or chisel and hammer tighten the cap gently until the dripping stops. Run the engine for a while. Adjust the cap nut until you get a drip every minute or so. If using the green stuff no dripping will be present. Dont overtighten. Set the lock ring. Take the boat out and run her on all rpms for a while. Check for dripping or the fitting getting to hot. You should be able to hold your hand on the warm fitting comfortably.
I didnt replace my cutlass bearing since it was still tight. If you are going to replace the cutlass bearing then the shaft does have to come out. Getting the shaft out of the flange is quite a challange. Usually you have to cut the flange off. Not fun. They are traditionally interference fitted.
Good luck
Boyd
s/v Tern
CD30 MkII #1
Fort Lauderdale, Fla
Mimi Litsche wrote: Would appreciate any help with procedure to take down the stuffing box and replace packing. Have reviewed past messages on this subject here, but am a newbie at this. Have not checked this area yet and the boat (CD25D) is two years in my possession. It currently is NOT weeping, but also did not get hot all last year when operational. Is replacing the cutlass bearing mandatory with this procedure--if so does that require removing the entire prop shaft? Thanks ahead.
Mimi Litsche
s/v QUEST CD25D #54