Stern gland repacking

[Merrick]

I'm looking to repack my Centaur's stern gland as I'm getting an increasing amount of water ingress when motoring.

The engine is a Yanmar 2GM20 and the shaft size at the prop end is 1" or 25mm I can't remember quite which. Does anyone (a) have any experience of repacking that they could share ( I've been doing a fair bit of reading up on the general process but would be grateful for some Centaur specific advice) (b) have any idea what size and amount of packing I should order and (c) where I could order some from?

Thanks in advance

 

[Poignard]

I'm looking to repack my Centaur's stern gland as I'm getting an increasing amount of water ingress when motoring.

The engine is a Yanmar 2GM20 and the shaft size at the prop end is 1" or 25mm I can't remember quite which. Does anyone (a) have any experience of repacking that they could share ( I've been doing a fair bit of reading up on the general process but would be grateful for some Centaur specific advice) (b) have any idea what size and amount of packing I should order and (c) where I could order some from?

Thanks in advance

I think Viv Cox's website would be a good place to start:

Stern glands

 

[Caer Urfa]

If it's a standard stuffing box then I used 1/4" stuffing on my 1" dia shaft, make sure you count the number of rings you take out and also make sure when cutting to length your cut is diagonal not square and when fitting around the shaft stagger the joints to each other.

You may not get all the number of rings back in first time when assembling that you take out, so put a many in as possible refit and tighten up then take apart again and you will find you can get another one in

 

[howardclark]

When you’ve packed it spin the shaft to let the packing settle down. Then tighten bit by bit until required no of drips/no drips is achieved . When running it for the first time in anger may need to nip it up a little more.

 

[vyv_cox]

Have you been tightening the gland nut(s) to stop the leakage? No need to repack until all adjustment has been taken up.

 

[Merrick]

I think Viv Cox's website would be a good place to start:

Stern glands

Thank you, yes, Vyv Cox is one of the invaluable resources I've been researching.

 

[Merrick]

Have you been tightening the gland nut(s) to stop the leakage? No need to repack until all adjustment has been taken up.

Not as yet though I did have a quick footle with a couple of spanners but was a bit tentative as we were afloat at the time and I live in fear of sinking her by overtightening the nut/bolts and pulling the heads off or something equally dumb

 

[vyv_cox]

Not as yet though I did have a quick footle with a couple of spanners but was a bit tentative as we were afloat at the time and I live in fear of sinking her by overtightening the nut/bolts and pulling the heads off or something equally dumb

Tighten about a quarter of a turn each at a time and continue rotating the shaft by hand until you feel resistance. Then try with engine running and in gear. Check that dripping stops and the gland does not get hot. If it does back off a little.

 

[Merrick]

Tighten about a quarter of a turn each at a time and continue rotating the shaft by hand until you feel resistance. Then try with engine running and in gear. Check that dripping stops and the gland does not get hot. If it does back off a little.

Thanks Vyv, I'll give that a go when next I'm down there.