Stuffing Box Packing

[PetenSuz]

Paul,
Thanks for the advice re: shaft alignment. I looked at the shaft while it was turning in the slip, and to "eyeball", it seems to be pretty well aligned, but your point is a good one. Since I just repacked it, I'll watch it closely and see.
Pete

[Pblais]

I looked at the shaft while it was turning in the slip, and to "eyeball", it seems to be pretty well aligned, but your point is a good one. Since I just repacked it, I'll watch it closely and see.

Eyeballs are not really the same. If you could see it out of alignment it would really be very very bad.

[zeehag]

i have teflon in my ericson and is good, so far--and i am still packing my formosa--flanged unit was never packed on installation--so far has flax--i will have gore added.....and see what happens. cannot get any worse than what i already have...

[AnchorageGuy]

Originally Posted by PetenSuz

Chuck,
It's good to hear that you have liked the Gore packing, but I think it is also "Teflon", which is PTFE or Polytetrafluoroethylene, which has also been patented by Gore as Gore-Tex.
Pete

This is quite different than your traditional Teflon packing. Some additional info here.

[Sailorman375]

I may be wrong but I didn't think Gore Tex was PTFE. May have some in it though. Teflon is DuPont trademark for PTFE. They invented the compound.

[Sailorman375]

I was incorrect. Gore Tex is indeed PTFE

[sabray]

Thanks everyone. Ask a simple question get lots of different but good answers. I am pretty sure my current packing is old fashion flax. It's worked well so I will stick with it. I think that getting the installation right is the key to all of these products. Factors beyond the product quality probably have a bit of play. I like a little drip from the box. Yes the bilge pump will run every once and a bit. I actually worry if I don't hear the bilge pump come on once and a bit. I check the box while underway cruising if I'm motoring a bit. Then when I put the boat away check again.. I have easy access to it. If I didn't I would probably go dripless. I found this article which I thought was a good explanation of some issues that have been mentioned here. And a good guide to packing the box.http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/stuffing_box&page=2. Yes the shaft is 1 1/4" thanks for catching that error. I almost ordered 1"zinc too you saved me from aggravating myself.

[PetenSuz]

Originally Posted by Waterwayguy

This is quite different than your traditional Teflon packing. Some additional info here.

Thanks very much for the link. Cleared up my understanding a bit!
Pete

[Cheechako]

If you are 1 1/4 shaft then likely 5/16 packing. Still better to buy one of each! Has your boat sat alot while for sale etc? More often than not I have found corrosion on the shaft inside the stuffing box where you cant see it. If possible it would be good to unlink the coupling and pull the shaft far enough out to see the situation. When boats sit without being used, the shaft is in an anerobic environment inside the packing and corrodes quite readily if it's stainless steel. One of mine actually looked like little worms ate tracks in there! I fixed this once by removing the shaft and having an inch and a half cut off the end and rekeyed..... but you have to have enough spare length outside the hull to make this work!

My traditional flax packing had lasted only about 50 hours or so on the shaft, and then water was flowing as a continuous stream from the stuffing box. My guess is it was packed improperly, the wrong size packing or the corrosion mentioned above...? (did you retighten after running a few hours?)

[PetenSuz]

My traditional flax packing had lasted only about 50 hours or so on the shaft, and then water was flowing as a continuous stream from the stuffing box. My guess is it was packed improperly, the wrong size packing or the corrosion mentioned above...? (did you retighten after running a few hours?)[/QUOTE]

Probably packed improperly. Also, the boat was on the hard for a while, and then trucked about 1000 miles overland. The shaft, however, looked pretty clean and smooth when I got the stuffing box apart. Not corroded. My guess is that a corroded shaft would greatly increase the friction factor. I'm going to keep a closer eye on it, and adjust to drip counts when the shaft is turning.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Waterwayguy

We used the Gore packing material for years and put thousands of miles on it. I would never go back to the old packing materials. Teflon is not one of my favorites. Chuck

Gore “GFO” packing is a PTFE (Teflon), Graphite, & Silicone product.
➥ GORE® GFO® Packing