Repacking the shaft troubles

[waterfront]

I just repacked the shaft on my trawler. It is a Present 35 with a Perkins 6-354 and a 1 1/2 shaft. The P O had left packing aboard that was 1/2 inch. When I pulled out the old packing there were only 2 rings. I had three rings cut but can only get 2 rings into the nut even after tightening it down and then backing it off. Has anyone else had this problem or have I put the wrong size in ?

 

[skipperdude]

Could there still be a few rings in there?
How did you remove the old rings?

I have seen them really packed in there.
Then if they get hot and compressed. For some reason they can really turn into rocks.

SD

 

[O C Diver]

The original shaft in my boat was 1 1/4" and the packing was 1 piece that wrapped twice around the shaft. Never had a problem with it. When I repowered and went to a 1 1/2" shaft, I switched to a dripless seal.

Ted

 

[waterfront]

I actually used lond deck screws and vice grips to pull the old packing. If there was an additional ring left in the nut it sure felt like metal to me. I can adjust the nut down to no drip with the two rings and then back of to get drips and no heat on the box. I have always been able to use three rings on all the other boats that I have owned, but they were all sailboats with smaller shafts and packing. Maybe I should a. worry, b. not worry,or c.try a smaller size packing.

 

[skipperdude]

When the packing went in it should go easy Just snug

In other words it should fit right in and be expanded by tightening.

If it works I.E. No heat and drips when running. I would say you are good to go.

I have heard of people just adding a new ring once in a while when she starts dripping bad. Not something I would do. It is really an easy job to just replace all of it.
1/2 inch. Huh I can't recall what size I used.

I work on to many boats.

Sd

 

[O C Diver]

I actually used lond deck screws and vice grips to pull the old packing. If there was an additional ring left in the nut it sure felt like metal to me. I can adjust the nut down to no drip with the two rings and then back of to get drips and no heat on the box. I have always been able to use three rings on all the other boats that I have owned, but they were all sailboats with smaller shafts and packing. Maybe I should a. worry, b. not worry,or c.try a smaller size packing.

I go with B - not worry. If you can adjust it to where it drips properly without heat, the worst that going to happen is that it starts dripping a little more. It's not like the packing is going to come out if the jam nut is cinched up tight.

You do have good bilge pumps don't you.

Ted

 

[waterfront]

Sounds like I am making a mountain out of a mole-hill so mabe the best thing to do is just wait and see. By the way, the bilge pumps are new.

 

[skipperdude]

I think you are right. The main thing is you will keep an eye on it.

And that is a good thing.

Some times you just need to tinker, adjust, tweek,

Boats sometimes need so much attention they are like a high maintenance wife.

Gotta love em.
Sd

 

[psneeld]

the diameter of the packing isn't about how many rings but the space between the shaft and the gland.....never have seen one that you couldn't put at least 5 rings to start....I wouldn't feel comfortable with less than 4 to start with.

 

[Adelaide]

Th PO left the hook from this set......

4 Piece Pick and Hook Set


It makes pulling the old packing breeze. Using a screw, or anything else just seems overkill. I used 4 rings, staggered, on each of mine (albeit a different boat). Good luck.

 

[psneeld]

Th PO left the hook from this set......

4 Piece Pick and Hook Set


It makes pulling the old packing breeze. Using a screw, or anything else just seems overkill. I used 4 rings, staggered, on each of mine (albeit a different boat). Good luck.

You'll bend or break those tools and just frustrate yourself if the packing is a little old and packed tightly. Maybe teflon would be a little less of a problem...haven't worked with all the brands yet.

I broke 2 "professional" spring packing removal tools on my last boat and that's when I discovered the deck screw and vice grip game...works like a champ and cheap/free.

 

[RickB]

These are the correct tools. They can be purchased separately or with a kit that includes longer and stronger versions of the O-ring tools you linked.

They have flexible shafts and the screw is very strong and sharp at the tip. They are not unbreakable, if you get one stuck in a lantern ring or a cooling water inlet hole and pull too hard the hardened tip will break but these things have billions of man-years of use successfully pulling hardened packing from steam valves and feed pumps and that is way more difficult than pulling packing from a little shaft packing gland.

Google "packing hooks"

 

[O C Diver]

the diameter of the packing isn't about how many rings but the space between the shaft and the gland.....never have seen one that you couldn't put at least 5 rings to start....I wouldn't feel comfortable with less than 4 to start with.

What do you think is going to happen with less than 4? It's not like the packing is going to come out.

Ted

 

[Northern Spy]

What do you think is going to happen with less than 4? It's not like the packing is going to come out.

Ted

Leaving hard packing in place can score your shaft over time. I've seen countless worn pump shafts due to poor packing practices. Mind you pump shafts are turning usually 1800 or 3600 RPM.

Even the best millwrights resort to screws and needle nose vice grips and other implements of destruction when the packing gets hard.

 

[psneeld]

What do you think is going to happen with less than 4? It's not like the packing is going to come out.

Ted

I just think most glands are designed for way more than 2-3 rings so without at least 4....just not sure they will squeeze up properly....

I would be very interested to see the depth...my gland held 7 rings to full out adjustment. If the gland in question fully bottomed out...one ring may work. And it depends on the packing I would think...once some starts to get a little harder you may just not have the right combo of packing mass and the ability to stop the flow by squeezing more...can't really say anything 100 percent...just a feeling.

 

[Northern Spy]

I just think most glands are designed for way more than 2-3 rings so without at least 4....just not sure they will squeeze up properly....

I would be very interested to see the depth...my gland held 7 rings to full out adjustment. If the gland in question fully bottomed out...one ring may work. And it depends on the packing I would think...once some starts to get a little harder you may just not have the right combo of packing mass and the ability to stop the flow by squeezing more...can't really say anything 100 percent...just a feeling.

Agreed. The hard packing isn't doing anything for you. Once packing is compressed, it doesn't uncompress (?). Might as well have a bushing in there.

Very remote possibility that there is a lantern ring in there? Can't see why, but hey, who knows?

 

[Forkliftt]

What is a lantern ring?

 

[RickB]

What is a lantern ring?

One of these ...

 

[O C Diver]

Leaving hard packing in place can score your shaft over time. I've seen countless worn pump shafts due to poor packing practices. Mind you pump shafts are turning usually 1800 or 3600 RPM.

Even the best millwrights resort to screws and needle nose vice grips and other implements of destruction when the packing gets hard.

My comment wasn't about not replacing the packing, it was about the number of rings.

FWIW, I replace my rudder packing every year and did the shaft packing every year until I went to a dripless. The boat has a 13' prop shaft with a carrier bearing. The bearing failed one year costing me almost $3K between 2 lost charters and the haulout. So every year I pull the rudder, pull the shaft, clean the bilge, replace the stern bilge pump (only one that ever runs), replace the bearing, replace the packing, and reassemble. Whole process takes about 6 hours and <$150 in parts. Great piece of mind and it's really easy to dig the old packing out when it's only a year old. I know that replacing the packing is really excessive, but a couple bucks for the rope and 15 minutes of work is a no brainer to me.

Ted