Is my stern gland greaser blocked?

Captain Crisp

Captain Crisp

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Hi, I had some trouble last year with my stern gland and I've just been repacking it. I'm now concerned that there's something wrong with the greaser tube as when I disassembled the brass cartridge, I discovered that the rubber washer had distorted and there was a lot of grease above the washer (rather than going down the tube). It's an old rigid metal tube. Is there any way of checking if it's blocked? I've tried turning the tap endlessly, but no grease ever seems to appear at the stern gland. But I don't know what I'm supposed to be seeing...
Many thanks!
Crisp
 
I never see any grease leak out, but if I keep turning the handle on my shaft greaser, it suddenly gets very hard to turn. I read that as full of grease!
 
If you temporarily disconnect the grease tube from the stern gland, and then screw the greaser, it will tell you if the greaser and the tube are OK.
 
Boater Sam said:
Please explain what is pathetic.
As far as I know you cannot buy new seal washers for greasers.
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This is a Practical Boat Owner forum so we fix things and not just cheque book sailors.

Easy to make a new seal washers from either suitable rubber leather or flexible plastic.

I just fixed a seized up gate opening motor took me just over an hour with no cost.
 
You are entitled to your view.
I prefer fixing rather than replacing, I restore antiques.
However for the minimal cost involved, I consider having to clean out the old barrel, find and make a washer which may or may not work, to be the wrong way to suggest to a boater who may not have the skills or desire to get covered in grease which is a health hazard.

So sorry to offend your sensibilities but I thought this was an open forum without members who were large waving sunflowers. I am certainly entitled to express my views as well as yourself.
 
Many people actually pack their shaft glands too much ... and then the grease has a devils job getting into the gland.

My gland if I turn the greaser T ... eventually if I do it too much - grease will squeeze out of gland round the shaft.

Grease should be able to be pushed into the gland to provide the lubricant, cooling and final seal ... preventing the scorched packing you see when too much packing and too tight.

I was always taught a very slow drip when running ... when stopped - give it a turn or two to then stop the drip but no more. When engine run again next time - the small amount of grease put in to stop the drip will move and the very slow drip will restart - keeping the gland cool etc.

TO OP :

If Grease has forced its way past the plunger disc - then something is blocked. Either the pipe to the gland ... the olive joints at greaser or gland ... or gland itself is packed too tight etc.

You can disconnect the pipe and run a garden fence wire through it to see if its blocked .... renew the washer / disc on the T bar plunger ... but first with short bit of garden fence wire - check the pipe connection on barrel base is not blocked.
Then remove packing from shaft gland - poke wire to check connection is clear ....
Re-assemble it all but without packing - try pushing grease from greaser into gland ... checking to see grease enters the gland.
Once that's confirmed ... repack with the recc'd number of packing strips, with joints at different positions.

If boat is afloat .... then of course the gland end of the job is a bit difficult !!
 
RichardS said:
Replacing the greaser would not be my first option but I do not feel that your response chimes well with the collaborative nature of the forum. :(

Richard
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Think what you like, but this is supposed to be a forum for Practical Boat owners. If your motor bike didn't start, would you just buy another one, or would you sort the problem? The OP can obviously please himself. I have made a constructive suggestion, that he disconnects the grease pipe, down at the gland, and then try the greaser, to determine whether the problem is at the greaser, or at the gland. What constructive suggestions have you made?
 
Captain Crisp said:
, I discovered that the rubber washer had distorted and there was a lot of grease above the washer
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I've re-read the post and now see differently.
The rubber "or whatever it is" seal is probably worn if grease is getting on top of its internal piston.
It's all about if you can get new internals/seals
Asap supplies sells some parts under "remote greases and cups"
 
NormanS said:
Think what you like, but this is supposed to be a forum for Practical Boat owners. If your motor bike didn't start, would you just buy another one, or would you sort the problem? The OP can obviously please himself. I have made a constructive suggestion, that he disconnects the grease pipe, down at the gland, and then try the greaser, to determine whether the problem is at the greaser, or at the gland. What constructive suggestions have you made?
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The constructive suggestion I have made is pointing out that saying "How pathetic!" to a fellow forumite on a technical forum is rude and inappropriate,

If you and Refueler believe such a comment to be acceptable then we must agree to disagree. :unsure:

Richard
 
RichardS said:
The constructive suggestion I have made is pointing out that saying "How pathetic!" to a fellow forumite on a technical forum is rude and inappropriate,

If you and Refueler believe such a comment to be acceptable then we must agree to disagree. :unsure:

Richard
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Your definition of "Constructive" differs from the normal. ?

By the way, some of us go to sea, and find it quite useful to be able to find practical solutions to problems. No use being able to write a cheque there.
 
Is it a washer or an O ring? If an O, easy enough to buy or make a new one, plenty of cheap kits around. My greaser, like previous boat's, injects the grease just aft of the packings and if too much is pumped in, it can fill that area of the stern tube and stop water getting to the packings.
 
RichardS said:
The constructive suggestion I have made is pointing out that saying "How pathetic!" to a fellow forumite on a technical forum is rude and inappropriate,

If you and Refueler believe such a comment to be acceptable then we must agree to disagree. :unsure:

Richard
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Now what have I done ?????

I thought I agreed with the suggestion that PBO means Practical Boat Owner and as I recall from its early days - it really was a PRACTICAL site with suggestions of repairs / fixing etc.

I have posted before about Cheque Book Sailing ... that's the choice of each person if they feel not capable or not want to bother with repairing. Me - I get a good kick out of fixing something.

With regard to these Greasers - they are simple affairs and most people would be able to sort ... I tried to provide a way that might help.
 
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