Stern gland...how warm can it be?

Iain C

Iain C

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Perhaps slightly regretting this now, but as my totally leak free stern gland had not been touched for many years, I stupidly decided to change the packing. Sods law, to start with, it dripped quite a lot, so I wound it up a bit and on a pontoon test it got hot. So I've backed it off a little bit.

Any tips for setting it up properly? Should it run totally cool? Will stuff "bed in"? Or do I leave it pretty leaky and gently wind it up over time? Generally, are the glands very sensitive to small adjustments?

Any tips gratefully received!
 
After installing new packing I wind the gland up very tightly to compress together and bed in the new packing. Then loosen the gland off completely, it is at this time you can see if you can get another ring of packing in or not. Then bring the gland back into contact with the packing surface nuts finger tight, then give the nuts a half a more turn pre-load. Start with this setting, if it drips too much turn the nuts in increments of one or two nut flats only.
Half a turn on the gland nuts can make a big difference, they are quite sensitive to adjustment.
 
Generally agree with the previous comment but would add that it's OK for the gland to be WARM but not HOT. I think if you can comfortably bear your hand on it, it's about right. Good idea with new packing to tighten well up to bed in the packing then back off to the correct pressure which can only be done by trial and error to balance temperature against leakage rate.
 
I found when I repacked my gland that at first it took a bit of trial and error to get it just right. After the first few outings and some adjustment I got a virtually drip free gland after that I never touched it for 2 seasons. I've just been out for the winter and as I was fitting a flexi coupling I moved the shaft back and forth a bit. After a few hours motoring last weekend I had about a sponge full of water in the drip trap under the gland so gave the nuts a quarter turn. I'll check it next time I'm at the boat.
 
Iain C said:
Perhaps slightly regretting this now, but as my totally leak free stern gland had not been touched for many years, I stupidly decided to change the packing. Sods law, to start with, it dripped quite a lot, so I wound it up a bit and on a pontoon test it got hot. So I've backed it off a little bit.

Any tips for setting it up properly? Should it run totally cool? Will stuff "bed in"? Or do I leave it pretty leaky and gently wind it up over time? Generally, are the glands very sensitive to small adjustments?

Any tips gratefully received!
Click to expand...

When you say "totally leak free", do you mean it is a dripless gland, or merely that it has never dripped, (leaked)?

If the latter, it should be tightened/loosened so that it runs warm to the touch, like a cup of tea that you can just hold in your hand. It should also drip about once a minute.... Twice a minute is probably fine, as is once every minute and a half, if you get my drift.

On Rogue, I think it dripped about every 15 seconds, or not at all. It ran warm, but not hot.... And it was fine.
 
Mine ran at seawater temperature and never dripped a drop. I used it like this for ten years, even taking the shaft out a couple of times and replacing it. I only adjusted it twice in all that time.

As has been said, it can take some time for a new packing to bed in, during which it may be warm. After that you should be able to back it off a little to cool things down.
 
stern gland

You have to ask why is it hot??.......simple answer, its too tight. as previous posts have said it should be warm, only warm enough to be able to touch it, any hotter is too much. I find that its beast if there is a drip maybe every minute or 4.
you have not said, is it graphite or not?
it will take some running to bed in but I find its best to nip it then keep nipping it till the drip is reduced to the required amount.
 
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