Newbee: Packing Gland Issue

[KayW]

Ok... how much damage have I done?

We are new sailors. We tightened our packing gland.. Maybe too tight we think. We failed to check it to make sure it did not get too hot (in other words to make sure it leaked a little) before we took her out....

Then, when we got back in (maybe 30-45 min on the engine) the area unde the gland was bone dry... and one of the hose clamps was broken.

We are replacing the clamp and loosening the gland a little.... but first I want to know what we "may" have done before I do anything else...

She ran fine.... but it's the unseen I"m afraid of...

Thanks!
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KayW - New Sailor from Houston TX

[Chief Engineer]

Probably did no damage...were the hose clamps rusted?

It is not leaking?

[KayW]

Thanks for your reply! I do hope you are right that there was probably no damage done.....

As a matter of fact, we had recently changed the clamps with what were supposed to be stainless, but they are already rusting. So yes, the clamp was rusted.

And, no, at present it is not leaking... at all! And, before we loosen/adjust it we wanted to see what to expect..., thus our inquiry

[Charlie]

How much it should leak depends on the type of packing material used. There are many different opeinions on how often a drip of water shuld come out. My opinion is that you should not worry about the drip count but the temperature of the shaft. Chec the shaft when the transmission is engaged and feel the shaft. If the shaft is cool to the touch then you are in good shape. From there I tighten the gland a little at a time. Maybe 1/16 of a turn. Eventually the shaft begins to feel warm when run for a few minutes. I then back it off till it is cool again. It takes a while to do it this way and a professional wouldn't do it this way b/c it is so time consuming but I like toknow that the shaft is cool to the touch and that the least amount of drip possible is coming from the shaft.

[GordMay]

I also doubt that you did any significant shaft damage in ½-3/4 hour of warm/dry running.
I usually re-adjust the gland after a couple of hours running time, once the packing has seated.

[scubasteve]

I doubt you damaged anything.

When running you should see a few drops every 30 seconds but I agree with the above statement, temperature is the most important this to watch out for. I like the GFO type over the flax but the GFO is more difficult to set. If you take this route, start out with very little, almost no pressure.