Re Stern Gland Packing

[TonyBrooks]

In the can you pack stern glands in the water thread (you can, but it can be a bit scary first time), there was talk about the glands running hot and slackening them.

I was ruminating on this last night and do not think that anyone mentioned that an engine out of alignment would cause the gland to overheat - especially if teh stern gear is of the solid type. So especially if you have flexible engine mounts, try to make sure the engine and shaft are still in alignment.

If you have a flexible shaft log (one with a bit of "hose" between gland and log), I have known mounts drop so far that the shaft has worn right through the bottom of the log, just behind the "hose". The leak was a bit of a problem to find until the hole was large enough to get a steady tricle of water!

Tony Brooks

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[JEG]

Hope I'll never need that info., but many thanks for it.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Johnjo]

If the gland has run too hot, might be a good idea to have a look at the packing,
could have cooked it.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[wiggy]

But what is the best way to check if all is still aligned?

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[vyv_cox]

Checking Stern Gland Packing

You can sometimes make an assessment through pressing the hose in with your fingers and assessing the symmetry. This will tell you if the shaft is close to or touching the stern tube. Easy if the boat is ashore, just pull the hose off the tube. When you are sure the shaft will not touch the tube, even at low revs or when the engine is moving a lot, you can align the shaft to the output flange in the normal way.

<hr width=100% size=1>