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Dripping stern gland grease


YSA

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Hi everyone

 

I've never had any issues with the stern gland grease dripping into the bilge but have had that happening on and off for the last four days or so, is this something that happens when it gets warmer? 

 

Editing to add that I've been doing viewings and have been running the engine for those and also for hot water for the shower.

Edited by YSA
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The threaded bars and bolts got changed by an engineer in February, haven't had any issue over winter.

 

Don't the prope shaft and gland get hot anyway if you're running the engine?

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6 minutes ago, YSA said:

The threaded bars and bolts got changed by an engineer in February, haven't had any issue over winter.

There you go, he has over tightened it!!

 

Don't the prope shaft and gland get hot anyway if you're running the engine?

Should only be warm.

 

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7 minutes ago, YSA said:

The threaded bars and bolts got changed by an engineer in February, haven't had any issue over winter.

 

Don't the prope shaft and gland get hot anyway if you're running the engine?

 

The gland might get warm to the touch, but certainly not hot. In view of the history you kindly gave us, I would not be surprise if the gland was not repacked when the bolts were changed ant it has bedded own now so it is, in effect, loose.

 

As long as the gearbox is not a Lister LH150 try turning the propshaft by hand, you will probably have to grip the coupling. You should feel a slight resistance, but if it is stiff, then the gland is over tight or the shaft is out of alignment. If the shaft turns with virtually no resistance, then the gland is too slack - that is what I suspect. Tighten both nuts up evenly, one flat at a time, while feeling for a slight increase in resistance on the shaft..

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1 minute ago, rusty69 said:

And you should be able to turn it by hand when it is out of gear. 

(preferably when the engine isn't running) 

 

Point of order. Generally 100% correct but you won't on an LH150 that drop into ahead if the engine is not running or if it is an old planet & sun gear gearbox. The can be very hard to turn by hand.

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2 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

Point of order. Generally 100% correct but you won't on an LH150 that drop into ahead if the engine is not running or if it is an old planet & sun gear gearbox. The can be very hard to turn by hand.

Fair enough. I stand corrected. 

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1 hour ago, YSA said:

The threaded bars and bolts got changed by an engineer in February, haven't had any issue over winter.

 

Don't the prope shaft and gland get hot anyway if you're running the engine?

If you don't put the boat in gear, then no

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I will usually put the throttle into gear when running the engine whilst stationary as I got told by a marine electrician that I had to do that to get a proper charge on my batteries, it also sounds way less clunkier and is easier to listen to! 

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Just now, YSA said:

I will usually put the throttle into gear when running the engine whilst stationary as I got told by a marine electrician that I had to do that to get a proper charge on my batteries, it also sounds way less clunkier and is easier to listen to! 

 

And yet C&RTs instructions are that you must not do that - it damages the bankside.

 

You must not run it in gear whilst moored, leave it in neutral and run it at around 1200-1500 rpm.

 

Of you are running it to charge the batteroes do you have any way of monitorong the charge going into the batteries ?

 

Run at whatever revs give you the highest charge, after a short while the 'best charge revs' will fall so you reduce the throttle, and again after a period you will reduce the revs again, repeat, repeat .........................

 

This method gives you maximum charge rate and yet doesn't use excess fuel running at high revs when you don't need to.

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7 minutes ago, YSA said:

I will usually put the throttle into gear when running the engine whilst stationary as I got told by a marine electrician that I had to do that to get a proper charge on my batteries, it also sounds way less clunkier and is easier to listen to! 

 

I think that you probably pull a button out, push one in or pull the whole control lever out, so you can rev the engine up in neutral. That is fine and won't cause the shaft to turn (in most cases). If you don't do that and rev it up in gear while tied up it is very bad form and against CaRT requirements because you wash away parts of the canal.

Edited by Tony Brooks
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I might be using the wrong terminology, I don't have the propeller engaged when I'm running the engine and stationary. The toggle under the throttle is pulled all the way out and I'm pushing the throttle forward. 

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7 minutes ago, YSA said:

I might be using the wrong terminology, I don't have the propeller engaged when I'm running the engine and stationary. The toggle under the throttle is pulled all the way out and I'm pushing the throttle forward. 

 

That is absolutely what you should do, and it is what I guessed you meant, but to save a future problem it was best to check exactly what you actually do.

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44 minutes ago, YSA said:

I will usually put the throttle into gear when running the engine whilst stationary

 

24 minutes ago, YSA said:

might be using the wrong terminology, I don't have the propeller engaged when I'm running the engine and stationary.

 

 

Ok, so you are not putting it into gear, you are simply increasing the revs.

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Assuming the shaft is nicely aligned with the stern gland (And it frequently is not) then tightening and repacking the stern gland is an infrequent task. The packing is pretty hard stuff and not very 'squashy' My stern gland (I'm sure that is a line from a carry on film) just gets nipped up when I leave it in the autumn and then slackened off when I return to the boat. (can't even type that without doing it in a Charles Hautry voice)

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