Stuffing box ID

[Laskadog]

Hello all, My new boat's stuffing box drips a little too much for my liking, so I want to see how to service it. Unfortunately, I don't know what make it is and none of the stuffing boxes I've seen look like this one.

Does anyone know what kind of stuffing box it is? What's the little cap on the top?

Thanks,

Dave

[Calif.Ted]

I'm not familiar with that stuffing box but the cap is a "grease cap" I've seen on other applications. It's filled with grease, if you screw it down a little it forces more grease onto the bearing or shaft. Is that a "high" speed box on a power boat or low speed sailboat ?

[Laskadog]

Ah, thanks Calif. It's on my 28 foot sailboat.

[Helia 44]

The stuffing box is the bronze at the end...

Aft side is the lock nut, the big end towards the tranny is the adjusting end. You tighten it clockwise, the tighten the locking nut again.. You want it to run about say 3-4 drips a minute...

Now that one has an added grease cup, that twists down and adds grease. Maybe they did not want it to drip while they are away. It could be OK, but the water leaking is COOLANT for the packing gland material... The packing material is cooled, and I have not seen one with a grease fitting on it. You can try it, but I would rather have the water cooling the stuffing box material OK?

Old School here, "Helia 44" now on a Saba 50 SERENITY...

[shakey doug]

This type of set up is a very common one use widely both by sail and power vessels in Australia, sometimes called a shaft log arrangement. The grease cup feeds a bronze Lantern ring helping with lubrication of bearing surfaces, half a turn at the end of a days running will normally stop any gland drips. To stop excess dripping back off the aft locking nut then tighten fwd nut until drip stops not forgetting to retighten lock nut, go for run checking gland for a drip every 5-10 seconds, also check for heat it should be comfortable to touch not more than 70c. Over greasing will induce HEAT. To repack gland best done on the hard but can be managed in the water with experience. Undo lock nut then fully undo packing nut in the cavity between the nut and shaft you will find a packing material use a packing screw or make a pick out of small screw driver or similar. Measure thickness of packing to be purchased, best to use Greasy hemp with a grease lubricated system, Teflon or similar have become popular in recent times these can be very touchy when bedding in if over Heated they are nackked. U tube shows how cut and repack.

# 4 Sorry, not up when started.

[Laskadog]

Awesome. Thanks for the info. I'll start with a turn of the grease cup and see if the dripping slows first.

Cheers!

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by Laskadog

Awesome. Thanks for the info. I'll start with a turn of the grease cup and see if the dripping slows first.

Cheers!

From the photos, your packing but appears to be run all the way aft. This indicates to me that you’re due for a re-pack as well. So grease away, but be prepared to open the gland, pull out what remains of the old slimy packing and insert new rounds.

[Laskadog]

Good to know! Thanks.