Stuffing box movement?

Left Galveston this am. I've been checking the stuffing box drip and have noticed a little wobble in the stuffing box. Also a bit of vibration I don't remember before.

Is any vibration or stuffing box acceptable, or will something fly apart soon. I'm on my way to FL so....

I ran aground last summer but have used the boat quite a bit since. Checked the cutlass bearing when I did haulout recently. Seemed Ok to me but maybe I checked it wrong.

Wobble gets worse with higher RPM.

I'm about to enter the stretch in Louisiana where there's not much in the way of services so wondering what to do.

Stuffing box movement

Video doesn't really show the movement oddly. This is at 2200 rpm. It's worse at higher rpm.

https://youtu.be/7YdfZA3uuoM

Stuffing box movement? 2

Is any acceptable? I'm on a trip to FL, just left Galveston and getting to the area of Louisiana where there's not much in services. Should I turn back?

Feeling some vibration I didn't feel before also.

Took a video but it doesn't seem to show the movement. I can see it wobble with my eyes at my normal 2200 rpm cruise.

Also, my packing gland keeps leaking too much. I tightened it up last night but leaking again underway. Would a vibration cause that?

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Greetings,
Mr. 01. IF your stuffing box is the one with the short length of rubber tubing with the hull fitting on one end and the packing gland on the other, no. I don't think there should be ANY movement at all. When was the last time the gland was re-packed?

Two years ago. Yes it's a short length of black hose with the nuts on the end.

I did hit bottom last summer and it killed the engine. Could I have bent something?

I can definitely see the thing wobbling. Smh.

Greetings,
Mr. 01. I strongly suspect hitting anything hard enough to cause a stall would have bent something. I have no idea what but...

cardude01 said:

Two years ago. I did hit bottom last summer and it killed the engine. Could I have bent something?

I can definitely see the thing wobbling. Smh.

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Prop or prop shaft needs to be checked. The stuffing box rides on the shaft. Because the stuffing box does not move or turn its the shaft that creates that vibration movement.

Well damn! Guess I will turn back towards Galveston.

I didn't notice anything all year movement or vibration wise but didn't really use the boat that much.

Yes, the stuffing box rides on the end of the stuffing box hose, so it can move a "little" but its pretty much only the propshaft that can move it. As was said, if you hit something firmly enough to stop the engine and you feel any new vibration, then you bent something. Best to get it fixed sooner rather than later to avoid co-lateral damage.

Ken

Cardude, it can be as simple as barnacle growth on your prop or you picked up some crab trap rope! I would check the simple things first. Had this horrible vibration on mine last summer...barnacles on one blade of my prop.

Well, I recently hauled out at a yard for a bottom job. The prop was a little loose and I removed it, cleaned all the growth off and reinstalled. So it's clean.

Maybe the prop is falling off.

Guess I'm turning around and going back to Galveston to get hauled.

You should see very little prop shaft movement in a proper aligned and set up prop, no more than a few thousandths. But I have run engines with 10-20 thousandths of radial play for a long time without catastrophic failure.

I see a little vibration in your video, less than 5 thousandths I will bet. I think I would keep the rpms low and limp into Galveston. Tracking down that small vibration won't be an easy job, so get to some place comfortable to do it.

David

djmarchand said:

You should see very little prop shaft movement in a proper aligned and set up prop, no more than a few thousandths. But I have run engines with 10-20 thousandths of radial play for a long time without catastrophic failure.

I see a little vibration in your video, less than 5 thousandths I will bet. I think I would keep the rpms low and limp into Galveston. Tracking down that small vibration won't be an easy job, so get to some place comfortable to do it.

David

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To the naked eye the wobble is very noticeable. Don't know why the video smooths it out.

I don't want to worry about it for 1000 miles so turning back to Galveston. It's not a huge vibration but I can really feel it.

Yes need to find a good yard. With good people.

Sounds like a bent shaft dude,

A long shaft w/o an intermediate bearing may wobble a bit but not much if it's quite straight. No shch thing as a straight shaft. I worked at a machine shop that did quite a few boat shafts. We went to Seattle to get the shaft stock and all of them went on the lathe 1st thing. Never even checked to see if they were straight. They wer'nt straight when they went out to the customer either. But they ran out less that .002.

Generally if the shaft is "straight" wobble at idle should be next to nil. If that shaft wobbles a lot at higher rpm it's probably ballance or some irregularity like one prop blade bent. Engine mounts can cause wobble too.

I had a rattle and thought it was comming from my bottom rudder bearing. Hauled the boat as we were headed to Alaska. Had a small cutlass bearing. Ten years leter the boat has the same rattle. It's comming from behind one of the water tanks where I can't even reach. Hate the rattle but don't want to R&R the water tank.

It's probably a wobble that will not cause more problems but it's hard to predict not being able to actually see the wobble. The flexability of the hose and it's length could be working for or against you. Also consider that the stuffing box (that's no longer a box) acts as an intermeadiate bearing to some extent. Check your bilge pumps and pump switch so if the packing gland fails big time the bilge pump will keep the water level low until you notice it.

I think I'd slow down a bit and check on the shaft system often. If you're not comfortable w that stop and pull her up for a look. I think your odds of escaping unscathed are better than 50/50 but again, I have'nt seen the wobble.

Here is the wobble at 2400 rpm. More noticeable.

https://youtu.be/EFlgWGi4r1k

Before you head back....any chance of a Diver to check and wiggle the prop?

The cost is something but maybe less than the fuel to return?

I have sent plenty of shafts wobble, as long as it is slow RPMS, say less than 2000.....not much damage is probably occurring....some wear to Cutless bearings but not in 50 hrs or so till you get to better service areas.

Leaking is to be expected with wobble, big deal as long as a small pump can keep up.

A big wobble would be over a 1/4 inch or so but that is VERY clearly visible.

Then again....if you did hit something, good chance a prop blade is out, less so a shaft, but possible.

https://youtu.be/EFlgWGi4r1k

This is 2400 rpm. Zoom in and look at the nut. It's moving a good 1/8 or more?

Hell it's probably been wobbling like this since I ran aground last summer and I just never noticed it. What made me pay attention was that the packing gland started leaking and I can't really seem to get it stopped.

I'm going to get a good boat mechanic to look at it hopefully. I just don't know enough to make the call.

All that packing gland goo on the bilge is new.

Cardude you're making the right call to stop and check it out. You'll sleep better at night.

Dude, One thing you may want to try is to see if you can rotate the prop shaft by hand. I can generally turn mine by hand and evenly. If you can't turn it or it turns a partial turn and then gets hard or stuck, you likely have something bent. Rope, heavy weeds or other entanglements can cause a significant vibration though so rule these out first.

Cardude if you're near Lake Charles try calling Olmstead shipyard. They specialize in prop/shaft work along with haulout. 337-477-912.

If it is leaking a lot it could just be a loose stuffing box from compressed stuffing...but I didn't see it throwing a lot of water.

Slow it down to 1500 and I would have a better idea.

If you feel serious vibes throughout the boat...probably not great to run it that hard.

If not, running at reduced rpm and that much or less wobble I have seen plenty of times....and run below normal cruise for a bit without further damage.

Always good to check things. But limping places is a time honored gamble.

LaBomba said:

Dude, One thing you may want to try is to see if you can rotate the prop shaft by hand. I can generally turn mine by hand and evenly. If you can't turn it or it turns a partial turn and then gets hard or stuck, you likely have something bent. Rope, heavy weeds or other entanglements can cause a significant vibration though so rule these out first.

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Ok. I will try that when I get back to Offatts. At least I get to experience that nice anchorage again!

I have to get better at my pre trip prep. This is embarrassing.

A diver could check your prop for $100, a short haul might be $300, but I suspect you are going to be hauled and blocked. If you stalled the engine you bent the prop. I would repack the stuffing box while you're waiting for repairs.

ragin cajun said:

Cardude if you're near Lake Charles try calling Olmstead shipyard. They specialize in prop/shaft work along with haulout. 337-477-912.

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I was actually only a couple of hours past Galveston so I'm turning back.

Hitting hard enough to kill the engine is not good. You may wish to also check motor mounts and shaft alignment. Good luck, wish you the best.

psneeld said:

If it is leaking a lot it could just be a loose stuffing box from compressed stuffing...but I didn't see it throwing a lot of water.

Slow it down to 1500 and I would have a better idea.

If you feel serious vibes throughout the boat...probably not great to run it that hard.

If not, running at reduced rpm and that much or less wobble I have seen plenty of times.

Always good to check things. But limping places is a time honored gamble.

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I tightened the packing this am and it was good for awhile but now it's back to throwing water out, in the air.

The thing that worries me is when I hauled the boat recently for a bottom job the prop was a bit loose, so I removed it, cleaned it then reinstalled it with a new key. Maybe I didn't tighten it up correctly?

cardude01 said:

I tightened the packing this am and it was good for awhile but now it's back to throwing water out, in the air.

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The wobble is causing an elliptical motion rather than rotary so it's compressing packing out of round. Ignore it unless the bilge pump can't keep it. Find an rpm with minimal vibration.

Well...lots of possibles....it comes down to whether you feel comfortable guessing which.

Just because you went aground and choked off an engine doesn't mean you have damage...it could, but I have done it and have seen many others as an assistance tower where sometimes there was damage and other times not.

As someone suggested...start with the simple things and work your way up to the haul and inspect.

That is ultimately the final step, but often not required.

cardude01 said:

I was actually only a couple of hours past Galveston so I'm turning back.

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Just a couple of hours out, then definitely turn back. Could be a biggie, or it could be something trivial. But not worth taking the risk. Stuff happens.

My bet is slightly bent shaft, but if you whacked the prop bigly, it could be out of true too. You should get an expert in running gear alignment to give it a work up. It's not ever just one thing. It is a process. Send prop to a prop shop for truing, sending the shaft to a machine shop, aligning the cutlass bearing (and housing), and ONCE IT IS BACK IN THE WATER, aligning the whole deal together as a unit. It's not as expensive as it sounds, but does take some time.

HOWEVER, I would, indeed, get a diver down there first. Could be something simple.