West Marine "Dripless" stuffing box problems

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Tarka1

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West Marine \"Dripless\" stuffing box problems

Over the winter I repacked the stuffing box with the West Marine "dripless" packing. Launched the boat this weekend expecting a few dips until properly adjusted, unfortunately every time I tightened the bolts and ran the engine the green goo was forced past the inner piece of packing. Eventually had to completely repack with normal packing.
Reading all of the glowing reports on this product I assume I have done something wrong (?) and was wondering if anyone else had had this problem.....
 
Re: West Marine \"Dripless\" stuffing box problems

Hi,
When I was looking into this, no one in my owners association would recommend this stuff, and the engineer at the yard wouldn't either.
What many of them use, and have done for a long time now is GFO Goretex virtually dripless packing.
You can mail order it from www.e-marine-inc.com
Many in the C38 owners association have been satisfied customers for years.
If you've ever tried to access the C38's stuffing gland adjustment nuts you'd understand why!! /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
I don't envy you the task of clearing out all the green goo.
 
Re: West Marine \"Dripless\" stuffing box problems

Very sorry to hear of your experience. When I used West's dripless it dripped a little water until I tightened it up and then was perfect - low temperature on outside of gland and no drips, this was about three years ago! It is difficult to comment on your experience without detailed notes on type of sterngland and method of applyong the goo and number of pieces of regular stuffing at each end of gland.
 
Re: West Marine \"Dripless\" stuffing box problems

I am puzzled by this , because, as I said, I had no problem and your gland sounds much the same as mine.. A possible but unlikely solution is given in Nigel Calder's "Boatowner's Mechanical and Electriclas Manual"; he writes (about overheating in the gland) "In the worst case the Drip-free will simply melt and run out, leaving the inner and outer flax rings. The stuffing box will leak, but not catastrophically". Sorry not to provide better help.
 
Re: West Marine \"Dripless\" stuffing box problems

Agree totally, I've used this GFO packing in my stern gland now for 3 seasons - I renew every year.
Great stuff and at least when you purchase from the states you get the imperial size not the metric equivalent (which I was sold several years ago my by local chandlery and always leaked)
 
Re: West Marine \"Dripless\" stuffing box problems

I know the WestMarine stuff and my only guess is that you may have used the wrong size of regular packing meant to keep the "dripless goo" in place. Probably too small according to the clearance between the shaft and the inner surface of the "stuffing box".
An undersizing would certainly produce your problem.

A good practice is to make a precise measurement with a caliper before fitting any kind of standard packing unless you are sure that the packing will adjust itself (dilate) to the right size by the mere pressure of tighting. With the "green goo" in the middle it is quite unlikely that a standard packing will adjusts itself before the "goo" has "gooed off" completely.

Ciao
Daniel
 
Re: West Marine \"Dripless\" stuffing box problems

Our guys don't renew. The technical editor of the owners association has had his in for at least six years without problem. It's regarded as a fit and forget in the states amongst raggies.
A sailing boat's shaft speed is unlikely to test the stuff anywhere near it's design capacity as it's used in high speed applications.
If it aint leaking it doesn't need replacing.
 
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