Repacking stern gland in water

[OldGoat]

2 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

I am with this. I have no idea why you need to push the shaft back, It won't give any more clearance between the "stuffer" and the gland face. Maybe you think you need to remove the stuffer but as long as there is a gap with the stuffer pulled forward between the stuffer and face of the gland equal or a bit larger than the packing thickness I don't see why you can't do it the "normal" way. It may make more sense to take the coupling off the shaft before messing with the gland, so you have more working room, but is seems a faff.

Given there's another reason - maybe there's something obstructing his access to the stuffing box??

I put a posh CVT type thingy coupling on our boat and there was room to pack the gland without any extra fiddling around.

[Tony Brooks]

Just now, OldGoat said:

Given there's another reason - maybe there's something obstructing his access to the stuffing box??

I put a posh CVT type thingy coupling on our boat and there was room to pack the gland without any extra fiddling around.

 

No image so no chance of offering suggestions, but I still don't see how dropping the pusher off the shaft will help much  unless space is so limited the pushed can not be pulled 6mm/8mm/10mm or whatever clear of the gland.

[Peugeot 106]

2 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

I am with this. I have no idea why you need to push the shaft back, It won't give any more clearance between the "stuffer" and the gland face. Maybe you think you need to remove the stuffer but as long as there is a gap with the stuffer pulled forward between the stuffer and face of the gland equal or a bit larger than the packing thickness I don't see why you can't do it the "normal" way. It may make more sense to take the coupling off the shaft before messing with the gland, so you have more working room, but is seems a faff.

This is the problem. I thought it would be easiest and the way I did it previously  to slide the shaft into the stuffing housing and then the pusher can be taken out giving lots of access to the housing. Without taking it it out there isn’t room to replace the packing. I can dismantle the coupling with difficulty as there is very little room to get the bolts out and I could give this a try without pushing the shaft clear as you suggest. I have had the engine out a couple of times to solve oil leaks but always on dry land and I know lengthwise clearance can be a problem. I think I have have had to lever the engine slightly to get then in.

i was trying to avoid this by pushing the prop back as this is the cway i’ve done it before to drop out the pusher but this may not be such a good idea on the water. It would also avoid having to undo 16 coupling bolts!

Thank you for your interest

[ditchcrawler]

Someone, I don't think  it was the OP posted a photo on Facebook with the screw in type where you use a C spanner to tighten the packing in and that had such a short distance between the packer and the coupling I doubt you would fully unscrew the adjuster. Not sure if all that will make sense to you all.

 

Just seen the photo above and it was as tight as this one is.

Edited May 29, 2022 by ditchcrawler

[Tony Brooks]

37 minutes ago, Peugeot 106 said:

This is the problem. I thought it would be easiest and the way I did it previously  to slide the shaft into the stuffing housing and then the pusher can be taken out giving lots of access to the housing. Without taking it it out there isn’t room to replace the packing. I can dismantle the coupling with difficulty as there is very little room to get the bolts out and I could give this a try without pushing the shaft clear as you suggest. I have had the engine out a couple of times to solve oil leaks but always on dry land and I know lengthwise clearance can be a problem. I think I have have had to lever the engine slightly to get then in.

i was trying to avoid this by pushing the prop back as this is the cway i’ve done it before to drop out the pusher but this may not be such a good idea on the water. It would also avoid having to undo 16 coupling bolts!

Thank you for your interest

 

 

What an ill fitted setup.

 

You will need the shaft in the packing area to ensure the new packing stays centralized. The best you can do is turn the rudder through 90 degrees if possible and that normally gives the maximum space to push the shaft backwards.

[Tracy D'arth]

43 minutes ago, Peugeot 106 said:

This is the problem. I thought it would be easiest and the way I did it previously  to slide the shaft into the stuffing housing and then the pusher can be taken out giving lots of access to the housing. Without taking it it out there isn’t room to replace the packing. I can dismantle the coupling with difficulty as there is very little room to get the bolts out and I could give this a try without pushing the shaft clear as you suggest. I have had the engine out a couple of times to solve oil leaks but always on dry land and I know lengthwise clearance can be a problem. I think I have have had to lever the engine slightly to get then in.

i was trying to avoid this by pushing the prop back as this is the cway i’ve done it before to drop out the pusher but this may not be such a good idea on the water. It would also avoid having to undo 16 coupling bolts!

Thank you for your interest

 

 

I would take the flex coupling out, 8 bolts,  pull the shaft forward to get room to pull the pusher forward and then you can  check the alignment at the same time on reassembly.

Edited May 29, 2022 by Tracy D'arth

[Peugeot 106]

9 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

What an ill fitted setup.

 

You will need the shaft in the packing area to ensure the new packing stays centralized. The best you can do is turn the rudder through 90 degrees if possible and that normally gives the maximum space to push the shaft backwards.

It is what I have which is not ideal but generally fine. With my 25’ boat there us not a lot of room in the engine room even with a small LPWS2 engine. It is only a couple of inches off the front bulkhead.

just to clarify are you confident that the ingress of water won’t be massive when I push the shaft back and presumably lose grease?

[Peugeot 106]

16 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

 

 

I would take the flex coupling out, 8 bolts,  pull the shaft forward to get room to pull the pusher forward and then you can  check the alignment at the same time on reassembly.

Good plan though I need to check the clearance so that I can get all the bolts out. Also i’m not sure if i’ve got enough  overhang to pull the shaft forward. 

The alignment should be fine - it was at the end of last year but would be good to confirm

many thanks for your help.

[Tony Brooks]

4 minutes ago, Peugeot 106 said:

It is what I have which is not ideal but generally fine. With my 25’ boat there us not a lot of room in the engine room even with a small LPWS2 engine. It is only a couple of inches off the front bulkhead.

just to clarify are you confident that the ingress of water won’t be massive when I push the shaft back and presumably lose grease?

 

As long as the shaft and front bearing is not badly worn and you use the greaser before and when you have pushed the shaft back very little water should leak in unless the shaft goes right back, but I can't see that being possible. Any leakage you do get should be easily dealt with by the bilge pump.

[Peugeot 106]

OK thank you

To add some context I am sitting on day 13 of our supposed holiday having caught covid and haven’t moved for 10 days. My wife is on day 8 and has a rotten cough. We are planning two months  cruising but haven’t gone  any where yet! We should be off next week when we are covid clear.  I noticed a bit of water getting in on day 2 and tightened the pusher so am hoping that’s all it is. It hasn’t leaked for 10 days but we haven’t moved other than to the water point 200 yards away. When I fitted it 3 years ago I had it on a bit tight for a short while and am worried I may have cooked it. It’s done some 500 hours since then which may not be a lot but.....

so thank you very much all for your very good advice. I have tools on board and now feel I have explored every angle with your help for the job if it proves necessary.

 

[David Mack]

There's plenty of adjustment left on the pusher. Why do you think the gland needs repacking, rather than just taking up the adjustment a bit?

[Tony Brooks]

6 hours ago, David Mack said:

There's plenty of adjustment left on the pusher. Why do you think the gland needs repacking, rather than just taking up the adjustment a bit?

 

Especially if the locknuts are moved from between pusher and gland and put behind the main nuts, but from what the OP says that would need the shaft/coupling moving so probably when repacking.

[Peugeot 106]

12 hours ago, David Mack said:

There's plenty of adjustment left on the pusher. Why do you think the gland needs repacking, rather than just taking up the adjustment a bit?

I was worried that I may have only put 2 coils of packing in when I originally packed it rather than 3. Also that I may have overtightened it originally and burned it. Sorry I’m a worrier!

 

6 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

Especially if the locknuts are moved from between pusher and gland and put behind the main nuts, but from what the OP says that would need the shaft/coupling moving so probably when repacking.

Yes you can get the studs out if you take the bolts out of the clamp to get more room. I fitted them last year as the originals were part threaded and incouldn’t tighten it any further.

 

This morning I tightened it up 2 flats and ran for 5 mins on the mooring. The bank is bricks and deep. It was 

moderately difficult to turn by hand and ran quite hot so I backed it off half a flat. It was then pretty easy to turn and ran cool with very little leakage. After I stopped it I stopped the leakage with the greaser. The thread is BSW rather than BSF so adjustment is quite coarse. I have cleaned the shaft and face of the pusher and there is no grease leakage into the boat.

 

 

[OldGoat]

 Ummm - Lots of discussion about repacking etc, but nowt about greasing the packing?

The packing will take a lot of grease "over time" (methinks mot of it goes straight through) before - suddenly - there's resistance to more grease and the gland stops dripping a lot and becomes manageable. It too me some years for that to happen!

 

Whereas driving a car doesn't need a daily check a boat does and what you check depends on your what you find need checking (badly explained, but I hope you understand...) So many threads on here are of the "suddenly we have no fuel / no gas / water in the bilge" variety which could be avoided by daily checks?

 

 

 

[Peugeot 106]

Today it seemed to be quite hot with the gland not leaking but when I slackened it off a touch it ran cool but leaked. I decided to bite the bullet after supper. I took the coupling off and was able to slide the shaft freely with no leakage  at all. I got the old three rings of packing out using an electricians screwdriver as I found the bendy corkscrew extractor i

had bought useless. I couldn’t get it to bite. The screwdriver worked well. The packing looked actually in pretty good nick but I replaced it. I then couldn’t get the coupling bolts in so I took out the last ring, did the coupling up tight (46NM 8:8 bolts) and then managed to squeeze the last piece back in through a gap about 1/8” wider than the ring. It was all a bit of a performance but i managed it. It’ll be a lot easier next time. Before starting I used the greaser while turning the shaft and was able to slide it in and out willy nilly without any leak whatever. I was able to examine the shaft which i’m relieved  to say is not worn or necked at all .

Tomorrow it should get a good trial (12 locks) . Fingers crossed and whitworth spanner at the ready.

 Thank you Tracy and Tony

 

 

 

[Peugeot 106]

On 29/05/2022 at 18:48, Tracy D'arth said:

 

 

I would take the flex coupling out, 8 bolts,  pull the shaft forward to get room to pull the pusher forward and then you can  check the alignment at the same time on reassembly.

Just to report back it did still leak. I found a Screwfix after a long walk and bought some feeder gauges. The flanges were not in line. I corrected it in one corner until it is now within 0.2 mm and the leaking has almost completely stopped and the box runs cool.

i do listen Tracy!