Stern gland...a pat on the back...or not!!!

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Matata

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We have an old style stern gland with a stuffing box and a grease "squirter". The squirter is a brass cylinder with a screw piston...every so of we would put 1/4 turn of grease in,especially on long motor sails and especially when we remember! It has worked faultlessly for the last 10 years....or so we thought...Working on a job in the stern area we had reason to remove the nylon pipe into the gland . turning the screw it was virtually impossible to extrude the grease. all those years of packing in as much as we could wasn't really happening! On reflection maybe the grease had emulsified or it was simply too viscous to be sent down a 3mm bore tube 1 meter long. We are now thinking Ramonol...less viscous...Thoughts to the panel please Nik
 
We have the same set-up. When we re-engined, our Dutch yard provided us with the grease. It is waterproof and not particularly viscous. The yard insisted we pump the grease through until it started coming out the stern bearing. It takes a surprising amount to achieve that; the shaft log needs to be entirely filled with grease. Failure to do so will wear out the stern bearing (been there, done that).
I do not think viscosity, within reason, is the problem here; the line probably just needs a good cleaning out.
 
Mm... the plot thickens scuz the pun.. my buddy is working on servicing the greaser... we reckon we’ve historically used Ramonol... over the last five years it’s settled into oil on the top and the white paste settled on the lower... that K99 might be the one thanks .. Nik
 
Our Kiwi boat has a Bukh DV20 with the Bukh oil filled stern gland.

It had a tiny grease cup which fitted horizontaly. It was almost impossible to get the thread started before the heavy oil ran out.

I changed it this year for a proper screw down oiler - holds nearly 300 ml - and new pipe.

Perhaps a heavy oil might be better? I use an OMC outboard gear lube.
 
rotrax said:
Our Kiwi boat has a Bukh DV20 with the Bukh oil filled stern gland.

It had a tiny grease cup which fitted horizontaly. It was almost impossible to get the thread started before the heavy oil ran out.

I changed it this year for a proper screw down oiler - holds nearly 300 ml - and new pipe.

Perhaps a heavy oil might be better? I use an OMC outboard gear lube.
Click to expand...

I had a BUKH oil-filled stern gland when I bought my boat. Like this:

1583662770252.png
It doesn't need any kind of force fed system since the lubricant is not under great pressure (except that due to the height of the reservoir above the gland) and it should use very little of the oil. If it does it means a seal has failed. Also the oil should not become discoloured . If it does it means seawater is getting in.

I replaced it with a traditional stuffed gland and have never regretted it.
 
Laminar Flow said:
The yard insisted we pump the grease through until it started coming out the stern bearing. It takes a surprising amount to achieve that; the shaft log needs to be entirely filled with grease. Failure to do so will wear out the stern bearing (been there, done that).
Click to expand...

Perhaps for clarity it should be pointed out that this does not apply when a water lubricated bearing (type cutless) is used.
 
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