Can I start ignition whilst charging starter battery?

[hackenbush]

A small 'Leak' from here is normal afaik. It's certainly my been experience despite regularly doing the greaser. But this is a tiny amount of water and why we have bilge pumps. How long are you leaving the boat unattended?

I'm doing 12 hour shifts at work, so those times - 3 days a week. the build up of water isn't great but if I forget to check it it begins to look scary and I fear it may damage the engine if it got higher.

Edited November 20, 2016 by hackenbush

[Jak]

You may have a more significant leak. A properly sorted stem gland is not going to sink you. The PO left Ajax for months at a time. As suggested you need to look at the drip rate. Should only be a drip every few mins or something isn't right...

[hackenbush]

You may have a more significant leak. A properly sorted stem gland is not going to sink you. The PO left Ajax for months at a time. As suggested you need to look at the drip rate. Should only be a drip every few mins or something isn't right...

it's pretty much a constant drip. could it be that it just needs re-packing?

[Tony Brooks]

It seems to me that we have not established the type of stern gland the OP has. I agree its probably a packed gland and on the face of it the packing needs replacing but we do not know for sure.

 

I have also had a number of boaters who thought that turning down the greaser was packing/adjusting the gland. I fact I can see no reference to the OP saying they turned the greaser down.

 

It may be a packless gland and in which case it should never drip.

 

It may just need regular greasing.

 

If the greaser is being used and the adjusting the gland is exactly that then it sounds as if more then just repacking may be required.

[Arthur Brown]

As much as packing a stern gland needs greasing, However tight, a greaseless bit of jute will not keep water out (it will wear the shaft into grooves though) . Do you grease the gland? Every trip? There could be a grease nippple or a refillable greaser on the tube, or a remote greaser on an extension pipe.

 

A bilge pump is an item that can and does fail so a spare in a cupboard is a great idea.

[PaddingtonBear]

Our stern 'traditional' stern gland drips about a mug full in 24 hours on average although I have never understood why the flo rate varies so much. We don't have a pump just an enamel pie dish. I think the key to the OPs problem is contained in his use of the word "remember", there are all sorts of things you have to remember when boating.

[Iain_S]

 

 

The leak is sterngear. it's an insignificant but steady drip (which becomes significant because of time). I was told a drip from the sterngear is expected. I tighten it after every journey and recently when stationary. Was this good advice?

 

Is that screwing down a greaser, or tightening nuts?

[ditchcrawler]

 

 

The leak is sterngear. it's an insignificant but steady drip (which becomes significant because of time). I was told a drip from the sterngear is expected. I tighten it after every journey and recently when stationary. Was this good advice?

What do you mean by tighten it, it shouldn't need tightening that often but it does require the grease pumping in.Normally if you do this after you stop then you will be leak free until the shaft moves again.

[system 4-50]

Is the OP just tightening the greaser? Does he know that you need to put grease in it?

[hackenbush]

in answer to the stern gland questions as far as I understood it needed to be tightened after every move, although I have been tightening it more often due to the dripping. as for repacking I was told this needs doing every 6 months or so.

I did also tighten the holding nuts.

[Tony Brooks]

 

in answer to the stern gland questions as far as I understood it needed to be tightened after every move, although I have been tightening it more often due to the dripping. as for repacking I was told this needs doing every 6 months or so.

I did also tighten the holding nuts.

 

This sounds to me as if there is confusion.

 

If you have been tightening the gland after each move you have probably ruined the packing and possibly damaged the shaft. The gland is tightened (adjusted) by the nuts either side of the shaft if you have them. I assume that you do because you talk of nuts.

 

Unless there is something very wrong with the shaft and gland the time between re-packing is usually measured in years. The repacking is done by undoing the nuts, pulling the pusher out along the shaft and the replacing a rope like materiel that fits down the hole you have exposed and around the shaft. See the maintenance notes on my website - stern glands.

 

Edited to add - With a worn set of stern gear you may have to ADJUST the gland every six months but many of us go for years between adjustment. Tightening each nut the same amount until you can feel a little friction on the shaft when you turn it by hand in neutral is how you adjust it.

 

What you do do after every move is turn down the stern gland greaser but even with a perfectly serviceable stern gland and shaft I doubt the greaser would last six months before it needs refilling if you are moving several times a week. I find I often need six turns or more of the greaser before it tightens.That is the point the grease has filled the bearing.

 

My advice is to read my website so you know what you are dealing with and then get the gland re-packed by someone who knows what they are doing. Watch them and get them to explain all about it. I think with new packing and a properly adjusted gland the leak will stop with just the greaser unless the gland and/or shaft is damaged.

 

In fact if you have been getting six months out of the greaser with frequent moving you might be luckily enough to find that the leak stops if you turn the greaser down until it stiffens up.

 

 

 

 

Edited November 22, 2016 by Tony Brooks

[Murflynn]

no mention has been made by the OP of a greaser.

 

it is quite possible that the boat has a water lubricated stern gland and no greaser (e.g. Vetus).

 

my Scouse-built boat had exactly that.

[Iain_S]

no mention has been made by the OP of a greaser.

 

it is quite possible that the boat has a water lubricated stern gland and no greaser (e.g. Vetus).

 

(snip)

 

But does a Vetus gland have an easy method of adjustment?

 

There is certainly a bit of confusion

 

I can only suggest that the OP studies Tony's post above, and consults his web site, HERE in particular.

[ditchcrawler]

in answer to the stern gland questions as far as I understood it needed to be tightened after every move, although I have been tightening it more often due to the dripping. as for repacking I was told this needs doing every 6 months or so.

I did also tighten the holding nuts.

Is this what you are turning every day

Is this what you are turning every day

16056_450_450.jpg

Or are you tightening these

[Tony Brooks]

no mention has been made by the OP of a greaser.

 

it is quite possible that the boat has a water lubricated stern gland and no greaser (e.g. Vetus).

 

my Scouse-built boat had exactly that.

 

Yes yours may have but I bet it does not have anything to tighten it after every move - let alone more often. I very much yours needs repacking every six months either. His words, not mine

 

My post was based on a fairly common misunderstanding of terms exhibited by many new boaters I have dealt with. I may be wrong but I think this poster thinks turning the greaser = tightening the gland, refilling the grease = repacking the gland.

 

This makes sense when considered along with the symptoms. I think he has a gland that probably needs repacking, definitely needs adjusting and if that is correct he is not screwing the greaser down anything like far enough each time.

 

Very unlikely to be a packless gland but even if it is he is still confused and probably has a faulty part..

 

 

PS Nice one Brian. If we get than answered we will know what type of gland he has.

Edited November 22, 2016 by Tony Brooks

[hackenbush]

 

But does a Vetus gland have an easy method of adjustment?

 

There is certainly a bit of confusion

 

I can only suggest that the OP studies Tony's post above, and consults his web site, HERE in particular.

am studying site, thanks

 

Is this what you are turning every day

16056_450_450.jpg

Or are you tightening these

I'm turning the above picture everyday. I have tightened those nuts on picture below too and that made a massive difference as the water was quite an extensive trickle before that.

[hackenbush]

 

Yes yours may have but I bet it does not have anything to tighten it after every move - let alone more often. I very much yours needs repacking every six months either. His words, not mine

 

My post was based on a fairly common misunderstanding of terms exhibited by many new boaters I have dealt with. I may be wrong but I think this poster thinks turning the greaser = tightening the gland, refilling the grease = repacking the gland.

 

This makes sense when considered along with the symptoms. I think he has a gland that probably needs repacking, definitely needs adjusting and if that is correct he is not screwing the greaser down anything like far enough each time.

 

Very unlikely to be a packless gland but even if it is he is still confused and probably has a faulty part..

 

 

PS Nice one Brian. If we get than answered we will know what type of gland he has.

You're absolutely right, I have been confused. It also does sound like I didn't tighten the nuts enough. I just gave them a few turns until the water stopped trickling and that was a while ago. In above post you mention turning the nuts while "in neutral", does this mean turning them while running the engine?

 

about to read your site now.

[WotEver]

You're absolutely right, I have been confused. It also does sound like I didn't tighten the nuts enough. I just gave them a few turns until the water stopped trickling and that was a while ago. In above post you mention turning the nuts while "in neutral", does this mean turning them while running the engine?

 

about to read your site now.

With engine stopped and gearbox in neutral you tighten the nuts (evenly each side) until you can just feel slight friction when you rotate the drive shaft by hand. It should not be binding against the shaft as that achieves nothing except excessive wear and wasted fuel. Once adjusted in this manner it shouldn't need touching for many months if you regularly use the greaser.

 

The greaser should be turned after every trip. Screw it down until it gets very stiff. This might take several turns of the handle. That forces grease into the gap between the packing and the shaft which lubricates, cools and seals.

[Tony Brooks]

This post is a little off topic but it relates to the whole three pages here.

 

It seems to me that when people who have experience ask some questions of a poster because they think there is rather more to a problem that meets the eye then very often other posts comments along the lines of "the OP did not say" and so on. This topic started as what looked like an electrical question and over time it became clear the electrical thing was only a symptom of a different problem.

 

By more questions and the use of experience we have arrived at what I hope is a satisfactory outcome for the OP even though leaking stern glands have nothing to do with generators. If people had not persisted with questions the OP would still be having problems with flooding bilges.

[bizzard]

I usually recommend folk to, before they go in for fancy expensive gauges, Smart or otherwise, is to learn the simple digital voltmeter. These can be bought very cheaply for just a few quid and installed, say, in your lounge area where you can easily keep an eye on it. It can be plugged into a 12v wall socket to monitor the domestic batteries. Once the voltmeter has been learned you will be much much wiser about your 12v electrical supply and batteries, and can then progress onto the more fancy and expensive gauges if you wish which you should then be able to understand a lot better. My opinion, anyway. .

[Tony Brooks]

I usually recommend folk to, before they go in for fancy expensive gauges, Smart or otherwise, is to learn the simple digital voltmeter. These can be bought very cheaply for just a few quid and installed, say, in your lounge area where you can easily keep an eye on it. It can be plugged into a 12v wall socket to monitor the domestic batteries. Once the voltmeter has been learned you will be much much wiser about your 12v electrical supply and batteries, and can then progress onto the more fancy and expensive gauges if you wish which you should then be able to understand a lot better. My opinion, anyway. .

 

Is this in the correct topic?

 

Anyway I tend to agree with you but for some that "learn" can take a long time so something a bit more sophisticated may save money while the learn bit takes place.

[bizzard]

 

Is this in the correct topic?

 

Anyway I tend to agree with you but for some that "learn" can take a long time so something a bit more sophisticated may save money while the learn bit takes place.

Your right Tony, I should have stuck it in the alternator rpm topic.

[Murflynn]

we still don't know if OP has a greaser.

 

by the way, not all greasers look like that picture - some are simply a knurled cap fitted to a threaded spigot attached to the stern tube just behind the gland.

[WotEver]

we still don't know if OP has a greaser.

Yeah we do - look back 8 posts

 

"I'm turning that every day"

[hackenbush]

With engine stopped and gearbox in neutral you tighten the nuts (evenly each side) until you can just feel slight friction when you rotate the drive shaft by hand. It should not be binding against the shaft as that achieves nothing except excessive wear and wasted fuel. Once adjusted in this manner it shouldn't need touching for many months if you regularly use the greaser.

 

The greaser should be turned after every trip. Screw it down until it gets very stiff. This might take several turns of the handle. That forces grease into the gap between the packing and the shaft which lubricates, cools and seals.

Thank you, have done that and the trickle of water has stopped.

Once again the bilge pump began to work in what seemed to be a random outburst. I manually pumped water that had accumulated beneath the engine over the pump until it was once again totally submerged but it didn't do anything. I'm confused. (About to attempt to upload a photo of the pump which may help).

 

And yes, I've learnt a huge amount about stern glands by having a battery problem!