Drip Free/Dripless Packing

While my Cal 33-2 is on the hard, I'd like to do something besides the typical packing. I don't want to spring for a mechanical seal but would like to improve on standard packing. What experience does the group have with these? I see some that are putty-like and some packing rope that is teflon impregnated. What is recommended? Thanks, Travis

Hi Travis, I use the normal Teflon packing (rope) on my Cal 33-2 and it usually last 3+ years without doing anything. I've heard that the Gortex fiber packing is supposed to be even better, but its harder to find. Here's one place I found that carries it: http://www.emarineinc.com/products/gfopacking/packing.html I've repacked the stuffing box while the boat is in the water before and it's really not a big deal. I have a Rule pump in the engine bilge and just keep it running while digging out the old stuff and inserting new rings. You want a minimum of three rings around the shaft. Offset the cuts between the three rings by 1/3 each. good luck, Bill Terrell "Tupelo Honey", '88 Cal 33-2 --- Travis <tr… [at] sbcglobal.net> wrote: > While my Cal 33-2 is on the hard, I'd like to do > something besides the > typical packing. I don't want to spring for a > mechanical seal but > would like to improve on standard packing. What > experience does the > group have with these? I see some that are > putty-like and some > packing rope that is teflon impregnated. What is > recommended? > > Thanks, > Travis > >

Hi Travis, I got this stuff called GFO packing. I think it has gore-tex in it. Anyway it is amazing. Install it just like regular packing. And it will drip just like regular packing. For a while. Then it will miraculously quit or nearly quit. And, I swear, it does not get hot when the engine is running. I check. I've gone down numerous times to feel the gland while it is or has been running hard (for hours). Warm but not hot. I really love this stuff. It makes me laugh when I hear of all the money some people pay for dripless seals and some of the problems encountered. This is so easy. A truely great product. I tried it because the guy said it's what the Coasties use. I dunno if that is true but wouldn't be surprized. I've had it in there for years. It seems to drip a bit while running, but then quits when stopped. And that's fine with me. ~smile~ SMon Travis <tr… [at] sbcglobal.net> wrote: While my Cal 33-2 is on the hard, I'd like to do something besides the typical packing. I don't want to spring for a mechanical seal but would like to improve on standard packing. What experience does the group have with these? I see some that are putty-like and some packing rope that is teflon impregnated. What is recommended? Thanks, Travis __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

Hi Travis, Keep in mind that all packing materials require a small amount of leakage through the ring-gland to function properly; even so called "drip-less" packing material needs to leak a little. Therefore, you will always have some dripping seawater. This is accompanied by friction & abrasion of the packing on the shaft due to the rings riding on the shaft and the various abrasives (mud and sand) that come in with the seawater. The only way to avoid this is the mechanical face seal. -John Cal 2-30 Hull #4 "Francine" Emeryville, California _____ From: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Bill Terrell Sent: Wednesday, December 20, 2006 6:48 AM To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] Drip Free/Dripless Packing Hi Travis, I use the normal Teflon packing (rope) on my Cal 33-2 and it usually last 3+ years without doing anything. I've heard that the Gortex fiber packing is supposed to be even better, but its harder to find. Here's one place I found that carries it: http://www.emarinei <http://www.emarineinc.com/products/gfopacking/packing.html> nc.com/products/gfopacking/packing.html I've repacked the stuffing box while the boat is in the water before and it's really not a big deal. I have a Rule pump in the engine bilge and just keep it running while digging out the old stuff and inserting new rings. You want a minimum of three rings around the shaft. Offset the cuts between the three rings by 1/3 each. good luck, Bill Terrell "Tupelo Honey", '88 Cal 33-2 --- Travis <travlin74@sbcglobal <mailto:travlin74%40sbcglobal.net> .net> wrote: > While my Cal 33-2 is on the hard, I'd like to do > something besides the > typical packing. I don't want to spring for a > mechanical seal but > would like to improve on standard packing. What > experience does the > group have with these? I see some that are > putty-like and some > packing rope that is teflon impregnated. What is > recommended? > > Thanks, > Travis > >

IMHO Teflon Reggie >From: "Travis" <tr… [at] sbcglobal.net> >Reply-To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com >To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com >Subject: [Cal_Boats] Drip Free/Dripless Packing >Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2006 14:17:50 -0000 > >While my Cal 33-2 is on the hard, I'd like to do something besides the >typical packing. I don't want to spring for a mechanical seal but >would like to improve on standard packing. What experience does the >group have with these? I see some that are putty-like and some >packing rope that is teflon impregnated. What is recommended? > >Thanks, >Travis > Find sales, coupons, and free shipping, all in one place! �MSN Shopping Sales & Deals http://shopping.msn.com/content/shp/?ctid=198,ptnrid=176,ptnrdata=200639

steve honour wrote: > > > It seems to drip a bit while running, but then quits when stopped. > And that's fine with me. > The drips are needed when running, for lubrication, and not when stopped, so it's perfect behavior. My query for the engineers on the list is whether this fancy stuff might become more abrasive by trapping more suspended solids in the water that does run through. I recall reading that the shaft tends to wear more in regions with silty water, because the silt stalls at the packing and grinds away. That's why you need to move the packing's location on the shaft sometimes, to move to an unworn area. Would this more-effective packing trap more abrasive particles? Or, more likely, is the effect so tiny that it doesn't matter? Chris Campbell

Chris, Depends on how much you run the engine I suppose. If you were a powerboat, you would probably have a mechanical seal. For us sailors, the packing seems to do just fine. The softer seal types are more embeddable and tend to keep the grit in them and not trap it hard between the packing and the shaft so I think the software materials are probably better in this respect (for wear of the shaft). If you were really concerned about the shaft, you could have it chromed in the way of the shaft seal gland rings. Similarly, if your existing shaft is worn, you can have it chrome plated back to the original diameter. The main advantage of the softer materials (graphoil and Teflon) is their lubricity; they generate less friction and do not require as much gland water. They also do not dry out and lose their shape they way older seals did if they were in to tight (insufficient sealing water) or if the boat was on the hard. Hope this helps. -John _____ From: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Chris Campbell Sent: Wednesday, December 20, 2006 11:02 AM To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] Drip Free/Dripless Packing steve honour wrote: It seems to drip a bit while running, but then quits when stopped. And that's fine with me. The drips are needed when running, for lubrication, and not when stopped, so it's perfect behavior. My query for the engineers on the list is whether this fancy stuff might become more abrasive by trapping more suspended solids in the water that does run through. I recall reading that the shaft tends to wear more in regions with silty water, because the silt stalls at the packing and grinds away. That's why you need to move the packing's location on the shaft sometimes, to move to an unworn area. Would this more-effective packing trap more abrasive particles? Or, more likely, is the effect so tiny that it doesn't matter? Chris Campbell

I replaced my complete stuffing box on my new-to-me boat this past year and used the teflon packing.....it worked drip free. Good stuff with the safety of the traditional stuffing box set-up Greg 1986 P36-2 1977 Cal 34 III (for sale) ----- Original Message ----- From: Travis To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Sent: Wednesday, December 20, 2006 9:17 AM Subject: [Cal_Boats] Drip Free/Dripless Packing While my Cal 33-2 is on the hard, I'd like to do something besides the typical packing. I don't want to spring for a mechanical seal but would like to improve on standard packing. What experience does the group have with these? I see some that are putty-like and some packing rope that is teflon impregnated. What is recommended? Thanks, Travis

Actually it was GFO packing not Teflon that I use and again the stuff is great. I always check to see if the packing nut and shaft get hot and it only gets warm even after several hours of running.....great stuff. Greg ----- Original Message ----- From: Sail Away To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Sent: Wednesday, December 20, 2006 2:53 PM Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] Drip Free/Dripless Packing I replaced my complete stuffing box on my new-to-me boat this past year and used the teflon packing.....it worked drip free. Good stuff with the safety of the traditional stuffing box set-up Greg 1986 P36-2 1977 Cal 34 III (for sale) ----- Original Message ----- From: Travis To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Sent: Wednesday, December 20, 2006 9:17 AM Subject: [Cal_Boats] Drip Free/Dripless Packing While my Cal 33-2 is on the hard, I'd like to do something besides the typical packing. I don't want to spring for a mechanical seal but would like to improve on standard packing. What experience does the group have with these? I see some that are putty-like and some packing rope that is teflon impregnated. What is recommended? Thanks, Travis

From: John Vronay To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Sent: Wednesday, December 20, 2006 1:35 PM Subject: RE: [Cal_Boats] Drip Free/Dripless Packing Hi Travis, Keep in mind that all packing materials require a small amount of leakage through the ring-gland to function properly; even so called "drip-less" packing material needs to leak a little. ****** This is incorrect. When we install a new shaft and Gore tex packing, it will not leak at all, assuming the packing nut is adjusted correctly and engine alignment is also correct. Therefore, you will always have some dripping seawater. This is accompanied by friction & abrasion of the packing on the shaft due to the rings riding on the shaft and the various abrasives (mud and sand) that come in with the seawater. The only way to avoid this is the mechanical face seal. ***** Mechanical face seals are MORE susceptible to grit in the water. This is why they are not recommended for Cape Cod or the Florida pan hadle. Joe DeMers Sound Marine Diesel LLC www.soundmarinediesel.com -John Cal 2-30 Hull #4 "Francine" Emeryville, California ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Bill Terrell Sent: Wednesday, December 20, 2006 6:48 AM To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] Drip Free/Dripless Packing Hi Travis, I use the normal Teflon packing (rope) on my Cal 33-2 and it usually last 3+ years without doing anything. I've heard that the Gortex fiber packing is supposed to be even better, but its harder to find. Here's one place I found that carries it: http://www.emarineinc.com/products/gfopacking/packing.html I've repacked the stuffing box while the boat is in the water before and it's really not a big deal. I have a Rule pump in the engine bilge and just keep it running while digging out the old stuff and inserting new rings. You want a minimum of three rings around the shaft. Offset the cuts between the three rings by 1/3 each. good luck, Bill Terrell "Tupelo Honey", '88 Cal 33-2 --- Travis <tr… [at] sbcglobal.net> wrote: > While my Cal 33-2 is on the hard, I'd like to do > something besides the > typical packing. I don't want to spring for a > mechanical seal but > would like to improve on standard packing. What > experience does the > group have with these? I see some that are > putty-like and some > packing rope that is teflon impregnated. What is > recommended? > > Thanks, > Travis > >

John Vronay wrote: > > If you were really concerned about the shaft, you could have it > chromed in the way of the shaft seal gland rings. Similarly, if your > existing shaft is worn, you can have it chrome plated back to the > original diameter. > John: I am grateful all over again for having an outboard. At least until the next time it decides not to run at some crucial moment. I'm curious about the chrome plating. How do you plate a portion of a shaft? Or do you just do the whole thing? I think of plating tanks and getting just part of the shaft in it, or even the whole shaft, would be quite an exercise unless the tank were really big or the shaft quite short. If short shaft or long tank, I guess you could just mask off the part you didn't want plated, using some sort of impervious coating where you didn't want plating. Chris Campbell > > > > . > >