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Old 15-10-2011, 23:43   #1
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Packing

Can anybody help with info on this.....
I have just dived on my boat and found packing around the outside of what I believe is the cutlass bearing. There isn't any water coming into the bilge.
As we're not long off the hard stand I really don't want to pull her out again due to $$$.
So the questions are...
1.is this an urgent job?
2.could it be fixed by me (reasonably handy) on careening piles in a short space of time?
Thanks in advance
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Old 16-10-2011, 02:29   #2
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Re: packing

I am thinking it might be just some trash that you have picked up and has wrapped around the shaft rather than part of your boat. Whatever it is needs to be removed
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Old 16-10-2011, 22:01   #3
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Re: Packing

Thanks for your reply.
I'm pretty sure it's not trash caught around the prop shaft.
When we first bought our yacht and had her hauled out there was packing, but more of it, in the same place. Unfortunately I could not hang around to see the repair the yard did but the shipwright did give me the remaining packing out of the new packet. Lesson learned.....always hang around to watch the experienced fix something on your boat so you know how to do it!!
I'm not sure what the packing is there for, I know there is some on the shaft inside, so don't understand the double up.
We're around Gladstone where we have the possibility of careening so trying to gather as much advice as possible before attempting a fix.
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Old 16-10-2011, 22:41   #4
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Re: Packing

photo?
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Old 17-10-2011, 01:19   #5
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Re: Packing

Quote:
Originally Posted by manateegirls View Post
Thanks for your reply.
I'm pretty sure it's not trash caught around the prop shaft.
When we first bought our yacht and had her hauled out there was packing, but more of it, in the same place. Unfortunately I could not hang around to see the repair the yard did but the shipwright did give me the remaining packing out of the new packet. Lesson learned.....always hang around to watch the experienced fix something on your boat so you know how to do it!!
Hmm... sounds like the experienced one may not have fixed the problem after all. Second leson, don't always believe the yard expert, at least not until they have some runs on YOUR board.
Quote:
Originally Posted by manateegirls View Post
I'm not sure what the packing is there for, I know there is some on the shaft inside, so don't understand the double up.
Me neither and yes a photo(s) would help.
I am looking forward ro see how this mystery resolves itself.
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Old 17-10-2011, 03:14   #6
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Re: Packing

thats strange .i havnt seen or heard of that before ,does it drip a little while motoring along to keep it cool and lubricated also what is holding the packing on the outside, apart from being wraped around the shaft
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Old 17-10-2011, 20:51   #7
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Re: Packing

I'll get a photo up as soon as I can.
I've found out there is packing (1/4") at both ends....there is a stern tube filled with oil and the external packing wraps around the prop shaft and is enclosed by a casing that is mounted (one side) on the hull. I'm thinking this must be peculiar to sprays as in a search on this forum the only other reference to this packing came from cloudspray. The internal packing appears the same as other yachts with a stuffing box.
Thanks everyone for your suggestions.
wotname, yes we've been 'had' by a lot of people claiming to be experienced, this particular shipwright was not only honest but excellent. He replaced the packing 4 years ago which I believe is about the time frame to be expected
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Old 18-10-2011, 01:22   #8
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Re: Packing

Quote:
Originally Posted by manateegirls View Post
I'll get a photo up as soon as I can.
I've found out there is packing (1/4") at both ends....there is a stern tube filled with oil and the external packing wraps around the prop shaft and is enclosed by a casing that is mounted (one side) on the hull. I'm thinking this must be peculiar to sprays as in a search on this forum the only other reference to this packing came from cloudspray. The internal packing appears the same as other yachts with a stuffing box.
Thanks everyone for your suggestions.
wotname, yes we've been 'had' by a lot of people claiming to be experienced, this particular shipwright was not only honest but excellent. He replaced the packing 4 years ago which I believe is about the time frame to be expected
OK, the picture I am getting is that you have a packing gland at each end of the stern tube which rather than keeping the seawater out, they are keeping the oil in.

How long is the stern tube? How many bearings / bushes does it have, what sort are they and where are they? How do you know if there is any oil still in the tube?

Does sound a bit unusual, good risk of oil leakage and then the tube fills with seawater!

I didn't pick up of the time between the first repair and this problem as being 4 years, somehow I (incorrectly) assumed the repair was recent and therefore somewhat lacking if it had failed again so soon.
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Old 18-10-2011, 03:40   #9
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Re: Packing

i have the same system on my macwester 26,though it uses 2 grease box's to push grease in ,i would think what you are seeing is the new packing bedding itself in,rather than all the packing coming out,not serious and probably caused by the stuffing nut being over tight.

this system relies on the bronze bearing surface in side the sterntube,so does not have a" cutlass bearing",so lubrication with oil or grease is essential to avoid wear.
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Old 18-10-2011, 04:20   #10
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Re: Packing

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Originally Posted by atoll View Post
i have the same system on my macwester 26,though it uses 2 grease box's to push grease in ,i would think what you are seeing is the new packing bedding itself in,rather than all the packing coming out,not serious and probably caused by the stuffing nut being over tight.

this system relies on the bronze bearing surface in side the sterntube,so does not have a" cutlass bearing",so lubrication with oil or grease is essential to avoid wear.
Yes I can understand a grease system but could it really be an oil system? However from what the OP has posted, the packing is not new and has been there for 4 years so it should have bedded in well by now - assuming it has been used in the last 4 years (and this does seem to be a reasonable assumption).
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Old 18-10-2011, 04:42   #11
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Re: Packing

the excess packing will probaby hang there in definitely untill cut away or worn through,would be surprised if it was designed to be oil filled,as grease is the norm.
though you never know on homebuilds....
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