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Old 24-06-2008, 16:09   #31
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Originally Posted by Chuck Baier View Post
Sorry Acoustic, I have only been doing this for 35 years so it is always good to have someone teach me the basics.
Me too Chuck about 35 years...

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Originally Posted by Chuck Baier View Post
The Goretex claims you adjust till it stops dripping. .
I just wanted to clarify that W.L. Gore does not state that... Sorry for ruffling the feathers of the a master boater..
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Old 24-06-2008, 19:09   #32
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From Goretex site:

Bilges stay dry Since GFO fiber dripless packing is four times more thermally conductive than flax, it needs virtually no sea water for lubrication or cooling. And, because it doesn't swell or shrink, leakage is controlled and kept to an absolute minimum. In fact, you'll notice that your bilge is dry and cleaner, because this remarkable packing hardly ever drips. It's so conformable and flexible that it will solve most perpetual problem leakers, too.

The full text at

Virtually Dripless Packing by Gore GFO
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Old 25-06-2008, 02:03   #33
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I think I see where the confusion is coming in. The sites that Chuck has quoted is not Goretex themselves. The actual Gortex site gives a detailed explanation of installation and suggests that the gland must drip. Check here and see No.6
http://www.gore.com/MungoBlobs/123/4...structions.pdf
I have not used GFO so I can not comment on that product and am not sure which way to side as I see both right and both wrong depending on how you read it and if the shaft is new or not.
I would go for the let it drip side, but??......
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Old 25-06-2008, 03:54   #34
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From Alan's link:
WHEN STARTING UP A NEWLY-PACKED PUMP, ALLOW PACKING TO LEAK
FREELY.
Excessive leakage during the first hour of operation will result in a better packing job over a longer period of time.
Take up gradually on the glad as the packing seats, until leakage is reduced to a tolerable level, preferably 8-10 drops per minute, per inch of shaft diameter.
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Old 25-06-2008, 04:39   #35
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Guys..

GFO is what it is, a GREAT packing material, and I have been able to adjust to as little as 3-6 drops per minute with no excess heat in conjunction with a proper break in period something many over look. Packing should not be over tightened on the hard...

There are two sets of instructions. One for W.L. Gores industrial pump instructions and one for the marine industry. The packing used is exactly the same thought the applications differ..

Industrial pumps can run at much higher shaft speeds and they generally run 24/7 so a little more dripping is required. The two differing instructions make sense because they are two different levels and intensities of application. 24/7 use vs. 100-200+/- hours use per year??

An industrial pump can do a sailboats entire seasons worth of engine run time in approximately FOUR days! This is why GFO will and can last for years and years in a sailboat. It has been thoroughly time tested in much more demanding industrial applications with shaft speeds sometimes running 10 times faster than a boat 24 hours a day seven days a week..

The marine instructions are very careful to NOT mention that it can be run with no drips.

They use words like "virtually" and terms like "leakage is controlled and kept to an absolute minimum" and "this remarkable packing hardly ever drips" while at the SAME time saying things like this: "bilges stay dry"..

It's no wonder people are confused their literature contradicts its self in the same paragraph!! It should say "bilges stay drier" not "dry". The bottom line is that GFO still needs some water for lubrication, as stated in their installation instruction, but LESS than other packing materials..

It is NOT drip free! It just drips less.... In many instances it can be made drip free, even on a scored shaft, while at rest but when running it should stay cool and have some drip..
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Old 25-06-2008, 13:48   #36
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Quote:
but LESS than other packing materials..
Actually no. The drip rate is the same for other packing materials. The difference is the less wear. The packing most likely will not need replacing and maybe even tighning for a far longer period.

Quote:
even on a scored shaft,
Here is another theme I seem to be reading in the discussions. Now this could simply be wording, but...
A prop shaft is very dangerous if it is scored. Scoring on a shaft should mean replacement or at the very least sleeving. Of course I have no way of knowing what you guys deem as scoring. A slight wear is OK, but in my books, Scoring is badly cut and that can cause a shear point for SST in a high load situation.
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Old 25-06-2008, 14:51   #37
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Acoustic View Post
this: "bilges stay dry"..


That means it drips so little the drop evaporates before the next falls.
This means drips are not measured in units of time.
They are measured in mm of stalagmite formation.
ZZZZZzzzzzzz.

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Old 25-06-2008, 19:42   #38
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Actually no. The drip rate is the same for other packing materials. The difference is the less wear. The packing most likely will not need replacing and maybe even tightening for a far longer period.
This has not been my experience. I've found after installing it on many boats that GFO can be adjusted to still run cool but drip less than a teflon impregnated or parafin impregnated flax on the same boat. You get too much heat with traditional flax, either teflon or parafin based before you get the drip rate that can be achieved with GFO.

I've experimented with this many times and every time the Gore results in less achievable drips at the same operating temp.. cool.

Less than tree weeks ago I replaced the packing in a boat where the owner insisted he had just had Gore installed. it was not Gore GFO. The shaft was in mediocre shape and did have a slight reduction in diameter at the stuffing location due to wear. I suggested a new shaft but he declined. What he had was the white teflon impregnated traditional flax and he was still dripping 20-30 drops per minute. With a careful adjustment we got it to 18-25 drops but it was bordering on too hot. Yes it was too hot even with 18-25 drips per minute of cooling water and I've seen this more than once with slightly worn shafts! I ripped out the teflon flax and replaced it with GFO. After about a weekend of break in it adjusted out to about 2-6 drops per minute while running and had less than a 10 degree differential from the sea water temp after being run at the dock for 15 minutes.. Oh it also did not drip at rest..

There is a difference..

P.S. I personally use a PSS so I'm not touting GFO just because I have it on my boat. I tout it because it has proven it self to me time and time again, in many installations, where traditional flaxes fell short of the mark..
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Old 27-07-2008, 04:18   #39
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lots of great stuff here I was having some problems with my packing I think I will try the gfo thanks for all the info
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Old 12-09-2008, 08:18   #40
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Late to the discussion but have been reading up on these threads as I'm trying to adjust my packing box.

I have teflon white flax in my box. It has just been replaced as the shaft, prop and motor are new.
It does not drip......there seems to be a slight film of moisture that starts to extend out the box along the shaft when it is running in gear, but no drops.

When I loosen the locknut to adjust the box, water starts to drip from the thread.

What to do?
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Old 12-09-2008, 10:48   #41
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Thanks for any help...
The packing is this material:

TEFLON PTFE FLAX
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Old 12-09-2008, 13:11   #42
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That packing..

That packing is nothing more than regular flax impregnated with teflon as opposed to a parrafin based lube.

GFO has no lube or impregnation and instead the fibers themselves are made of a proprietary Gore fiber then woven into the square flax shape. That stuff is better than the traditional flax but GFO is even better than that..

For more reading on the subject feel free to check this out: Re-Packing A Traditional Stuffing Box
This is what GFO looks like:
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Old 12-09-2008, 13:23   #43
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Thanks for the reply Acoustic.

Any idea why mine does not drip from the shaft side? Its loose on the threads.....
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Old 12-09-2008, 18:23   #44
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I have repacked at least 60-90 shafts with GFO......none leak......The only problem I ever had was with a large stuffing box on a long shaft tube. The GFO seemed to deteriorate slightly....W.L. Gore said to try to tap a fitting into the stuffing box to introduce water. It woiks!!!

I tighten till it stops leaking....run engine in gear and check. Do not over tighten initially
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Old 13-09-2008, 08:31   #45
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Untill it stops leaking from where Chief?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chief Engineer View Post
I have repacked at least 60-90 shafts with GFO......none leak......The only problem I ever had was with a large stuffing box on a long shaft tube. The GFO seemed to deteriorate slightly....W.L. Gore said to try to tap a fitting into the stuffing box to introduce water. It woiks!!!

I tighten till it stops leaking....run engine in gear and check. Do not over tighten initially
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