oldgit
Well-Known Member
It is not a drama to replace your shaft gland packing while your boat afloat.
Lots of useful advice on V Y Cox website.
The stern gland was leaking weeny bit but not really enough to panic, however was definately running out of the ability to tighten up the gland much further.
The job had obviously not been done for some considerable time looking at the amount of crud on the adjusting nuts and around the local area.
A good clean up with wire brush and light coating of grease revealed all.
Carefully released the locking nuts and then the nuts underneath, the studs/threading into the gland was firmly secure.
Needed a big screwdriver to prise the packing compression plate out of the body of the gland.
Was expecting 3 rings of old packing there were 5, the last was real pig to get out due to old age and compaction. Was virtually solid.Had to break it up using small screwdriver and hammer.
As the rings came out the water into the bilge increased from weep to fast dribble at worse.
Popped in 4 bits of the ready prepared new packing, using a bit of grease to help it slide in.
Had to add another ring after first attempt at gland tightening,.
Did the other gland about a week later, dislodging of the final ring of packing was even worse but the water coming in from outside helped wash out the debris as it was broken up by my efforts with small screwdriver.
Total cost of job under £20,00 and about an hour per side.
Not counting tea and clearing up both me and the boat afterwards.
TIP. Do not buy your new gland packing from the local chandler. Sold in fancy package with barely sufficient, certainly not enough for 4 rings , to do even a single shaft.
For less money buy from Ebay you can get metre of exactly the same stuff with free P&P.
Lots of useful advice on V Y Cox website.
The stern gland was leaking weeny bit but not really enough to panic, however was definately running out of the ability to tighten up the gland much further.
The job had obviously not been done for some considerable time looking at the amount of crud on the adjusting nuts and around the local area.
A good clean up with wire brush and light coating of grease revealed all.
Carefully released the locking nuts and then the nuts underneath, the studs/threading into the gland was firmly secure.
Needed a big screwdriver to prise the packing compression plate out of the body of the gland.
Was expecting 3 rings of old packing there were 5, the last was real pig to get out due to old age and compaction. Was virtually solid.Had to break it up using small screwdriver and hammer.
As the rings came out the water into the bilge increased from weep to fast dribble at worse.
Popped in 4 bits of the ready prepared new packing, using a bit of grease to help it slide in.
Had to add another ring after first attempt at gland tightening,.
Did the other gland about a week later, dislodging of the final ring of packing was even worse but the water coming in from outside helped wash out the debris as it was broken up by my efforts with small screwdriver.
Total cost of job under £20,00 and about an hour per side.
Not counting tea and clearing up both me and the boat afterwards.
TIP. Do not buy your new gland packing from the local chandler. Sold in fancy package with barely sufficient, certainly not enough for 4 rings , to do even a single shaft.
For less money buy from Ebay you can get metre of exactly the same stuff with free P&P.
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