I did not have a greased stuffing box. Confusing me with someone else.

Actually on my old boat the stuffing box failed or was failing and needed to
be replaced. I could not keep it from leaking. After a sail or two and
some normal in-out motoring there was a good leak that needed tightening.
That went on until there was no more adjustment and then I would add another
ring or two of stuffing. I had paid professionals re-stuff the box on
haulouts.

Anyway the hottest thing at the time was PSS so I installed one and it
worked fine. No leaks and no drips. I liked it. I selected the low
speed - no hose unit. But you did need to burp it.

On my current boat I use the synthetic packing. I get it at West Marine and
install it per instructions. Yes I buy the synthetic grease and apply it to
the packing, but that is a one time application not a semi-continuous one
like a grease seal. I completely restuff every 2 to 3 years on a haul out
and hand tighten the packing. The shaft turns freely in my hand. Launch
the boat and might need 1 slight tightening adjustment in the next 2 to 3
years.

"Larry W4CSC" wrote in message
...
"Rick & Linda Bernard" wrote in
:

No. You need to burp it any time that an air bubble occures. A diver
cleaning the prop etc can cause the problem. I would up over burping
mine for fear of having a leaking seal due to overheating with the air
bubble. With packing you can add another ring but with PSS you need to
haul out.

I have since found out from some one on this group that an air bubble
will cause a racket (noise) from the seal. Burping after this fixed
the noise and the seal did not leak. I guess my worries were for not.


God, and to think he replaced a perfectly great-working GREASED seal so
easy to grease with this "thing" with the bubblosity problem.

On Sun, 06 Jun 2004 03:22:09 -0000, Larry W4CSC
wrote:



God, and to think he replaced a perfectly great-working GREASED seal so
easy to grease with this "thing" with the bubblosity problem.

The greased seal would be a step up from my waxed flax, which I
replaced recently with teflon impregnated flax, which was a step up.

Some steps up take one so high it's a death plunge if one falls off.

R.

On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 00:23:14 -0400, in message

rhys wrote:

On Sun, 06 Jun 2004 03:22:09 -0000, Larry W4CSC
wrote:

God, and to think he replaced a perfectly great-working GREASED seal so
easy to grease with this "thing" with the bubblosity problem.

The greased seal would be a step up from my waxed flax, which I
replaced recently with teflon impregnated flax, which was a step up.

Some steps up take one so high it's a death plunge if one falls off.

What is the received wisdom on servicing packed stuffing boxes? Can
you repack without hauling?

I tightened mine a little this year to reduce the dripping, but the
shaft still turns easily by hand. I have no idea what's in there, but
there's still plenty of threads showing. The boat has been sailed in
clear fresh water, so contamination shouldn't be an issue.

Ryk

Ryk wrote:
What is the received wisdom on servicing packed stuffing boxes? Can
you repack without hauling?

Sure you can, if you've got good nerves, good packing gland access, and
*definitely* the right tools and materials. When you've got the thing
half taken apart is a poor time to find out that you need to run down to
the store (assuming they'll even have what you need).

BTW a useful trick is to get a 5lb pkg of plumber's putty and build up a
cofferdam in the bilge, so that instead of flooding the whole bilge, you
only flood half (or hopefully less).



I tightened mine a little this year to reduce the dripping, but the
shaft still turns easily by hand.

Well, you're good to go!

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

DSK wrote in
:


BTW a useful trick is to get a 5lb pkg of plumber's putty and build up a
cofferdam in the bilge, so that instead of flooding the whole bilge, you
only flood half (or hopefully less).

That's not "flooding"....That's FLUSHING! Dump a little bilge cleaner in
there with it, too!...

Geez, if there's oil in there, too, do it late at night so the greenies
down the dock don't get all hyper.....

The adding a ring is not for the faint of heart. You can also get a diver
with the plumbers putty to place around the shaft where it comes through the
fiberglass.

I always suggest a backup plan anytime you work on a boat with a flooding
possibility. Sometimes things crumble from corrosion in you fingers.


"Larry W4CSC" wrote in message
...
DSK wrote in
:


BTW a useful trick is to get a 5lb pkg of plumber's putty and build up a
cofferdam in the bilge, so that instead of flooding the whole bilge, you
only flood half (or hopefully less).

That's not "flooding"....That's FLUSHING! Dump a little bilge cleaner in
there with it, too!...

Geez, if there's oil in there, too, do it late at night so the greenies
down the dock don't get all hyper.....

On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 13:36:22 -0400, Ryk
wrote:

On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 00:23:14 -0400, in message

rhys wrote:

On Sun, 06 Jun 2004 03:22:09 -0000, Larry W4CSC
wrote:

God, and to think he replaced a perfectly great-working GREASED seal so
easy to grease with this "thing" with the bubblosity problem.

The greased seal would be a step up from my waxed flax, which I
replaced recently with teflon impregnated flax, which was a step up.

Some steps up take one so high it's a death plunge if one falls off.

What is the received wisdom on servicing packed stuffing boxes? Can
you repack without hauling?


Womebody posted a while ago about putting two 55-gallon drums on the
foredeck and then filling them with water till the stern rose high
enough to do the packing gland.
{Probably depends a lot on the individual boat.
Mark E. Williams

Maynard G. Krebbs wrote in
:

On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 13:36:22 -0400, Ryk
wrote:

Womebody posted a while ago about putting two 55-gallon drums on the
foredeck and then filling them with water till the stern rose high
enough to do the packing gland.
{Probably depends a lot on the individual boat.
Mark E. Williams


That'd work on my Watertender 9.4.....(c;

I doubt 110 gallons of water would tilt an Amel Sharki ketch over an inch
at the bow....I weigh a third of that and it doesn't budge...(c;

Larry

Larry W4CSC wrote:
I doubt 110 gallons of water would tilt an Amel Sharki ketch
Amel Sharki ketch this
Amel Sharki ketch that
Amel Sharki ketch the other
Amel Sharki ketch again
Amel Sharki ketch ans again
Amel Sharki ketch over
Amel Sharki ketch and over
Amel Sharki ketch ad nauseum

Jeez, Larry, it's just another middle of the road little plastic
sailboat ... and it belongs to someone else ...

Rick

Larry W4CSC wrote:
Amel Sharki ketch this
Amel Sharki ketch that
Amel Sharki ketch the other
Amel Sharki ketch again
Amel Sharki ketch ans again
Amel Sharki ketch over
Amel Sharki ketch and over
Amel Sharki ketch ad nauseum

Rick wrote:
Jeez, Larry, it's just another middle of the road little plastic
sailboat ... and it belongs to someone else ...

Not only that, it's French (snicker snicker).

DSK