It seems that no one had done this job for several years, so the difficult part was getting the packing nuts loosened up to begin with, and then extracting what I believe was the wrong-sized packing material. You'll have to back the first nut all the way off, then use the picks to pick the waxy rope packing out of the packing gland.Summary: I changed the packing flax material on my propeller stuffing box. And to get the packing material out, I found a pack of 4 picks at Harbor Freight for like 2. Real boat mechanics use a pair of packing wrenches that cost about 4 times that.
That previous post has a discussion of the anatomy of the contraption and which part does what. In principle a stuffing box is identical to the packing nut on a common faucet.I did my initial overview/analysis of how my propeller shaft packing gland works in August of 2020. Stuffing boxes are also used to seal rudder stocks that penetrate the hull below the waterline.
There were three layers of flax and each successive layer took more time to remove. I spent some time cleaning the stuffing box (lots of vinegar, some PB Blaster), and eventually once everything was moving it looked like this:I could unscrew the cap nut on the stuffing box, and the locking nut.I went to work removing the wraps of flax material stuffed up inside of the cap nut. Although we recommend upgrading traditional stuffing boxes to our ISB-SA self-aligning shaft seal system, we also manufacture traditional bronze stuffing boxes suitable for lower horsepower new boat builds and as a replacement to existing stuffing box systems.My propeller shaft packing gland started out looking like this, in July 2020:While the packing was not leaking, it seemed clear that no previous owner had addressed the stuffing box for some time, and I thought I should figure out the process and change the material. Other Ericson owners were wading through the same challenges.Product Description.
It was extremely challenging to remove the old flax and had water been pouring in the stuffing box, it would only have raised my stress level substantially. The work was so unpleasant that after finishing the job I ordered a special tool that I hope will make the next time easier.Harbor Freight also sells inexpensive pick kits that might work well.In retrospect I am very glad that I did not attempt this job, at least this first time, with the boat in the water. For the $36 purchase price it is amazing technology and could peer into the packing nut where neither my eye nor my phone camera could view.The arrangement of the stuffing box and transmission is so close that I am left with less than 1” of exposed propeller shaft to work with when the packing nut is slid up.I manufactured a ‘flax removal tool’ out of a bent framing nail to gouge out the flax.
I dutifully bought a small tube. So that’s what I wound up installing.The packing flax manufacturer advises the application of “Syn Tef” lubricant to the packing material. It could have been ¼” or even 5/16”:After consultation from other members of the Ericson Owners forum, it seemed like 3/16” was the best choice to re-pack for my 1” propeller shaft.
0 kommentar(er)
