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Old 06-06-2013, 12:56 AM   #1
MurrayM
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City: Kitimat, North Coast BC
Vessel Name: Badger
Vessel Model: 30' Sundowner Tug
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 5,946
Flax packing swell rate?

So...

The maintenance log said 3/8 inch flax packing was used last time the stuffing box was repacked, so that's what we bought. This was my first time, so I didn't closely compare what came out to what was going in.

Take a gander at the old (longer white one) compared to the new (smaller darker one) in the photo below.

Does flax packing swell that much, or do you think there was a change in the stuffing box dimensions that wasn't mentioned in the log?

I counted how many turns released the stuffing box, and it took almost double to even begin to feel resistance putting it back on. Me-thinks I'll have to measure the inside of the stuffing box, subtract the shaft size, and divide by two...but still wondering how much it swells in the first 24 - 48 hours.
Attached Thumbnails
Badger packing sizes?.jpg  
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