[C320-list] Fw: Fw: stuffing box packing

[Koen Bennebroek]

I have replaced the packing in the water early summer this year. It was a
real pain to get the old stuff out and the water entering through the
packing doesn't help in that task. I did manage to get the old,
non-GFO packing all out using the picking tool sold specifically for this
task. It took quite some time doing this but when I was done, the automatic
bilge pump had not even started yet. The water inflow is really minimal
compared to the size of your bilge.
So I wouldn't worry too much about the water entering other than it being a
nuisance. That said, you should definately be prepared before opening the
packing nut. Make sure you have your 2 or 3 rings of new packing ready cut.
It also helps to have a buddy to wrap a towel tight around the end where the
water enters after you loosened the nut. There isn't a lot of space, but
having a towel restrain the water influx helps when trying to pull out the
old stuff and insert the new GFO packing.

Of course, if you have the choice, it's much easier to do it on the hard.
But it's not a big deal to do it in the water.

Hope that helps. Goodluck!

-Koen
(Big Cat, #224, 1995)

On 11/1/06, Bill Culbertson <billculb_a2 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> I've changed it several times on the hard and I wouldn't have enough nerve
> yet to change it in the water.  My first experience was almost as bad as
> Scott's.  It got better with practice and probably because the 1st year I
> tighted down too much probably making it harder to remove that year.
>
> I'm in the midwest and haul out every winter so it is a no-brainer to wait
> and change on the hard for me.
>
> -bill
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Jerry Clayton <jsea at prodigy.net>
> To: C320-List <C320-List at catalina320.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, November 1, 2006 11:03:44 AM
> Subject: [C320-list] Fw: Fw: stuffing box packing
>
>
> This has been my concern all along, a 20 minute job that turns into a
> nightmare.  Anyone else have experiences, good or bad about getting the
> old
> fiber out?
>
> Regards,
>
> Jerry Clayton
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Scott Thompson" <sthompson at toad.net>
> To: "C320-List" <c320-list at catalina320.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2006 3:18 PM
> Subject: Re: [C320-list] Fw: stuffing box packing
>
>
> >I did it on the hard and thought it WAS a big deal, primarily because I
> had
> >so much trouble getting the old stuff out.  It was unbelievably
> compressed
> >and tended to disintegrate as I removed it, which meant that even if you
> >got a few strands loose they just broke off instead of providing a means
> to
> >remove the rest.  In fact it took me at least several hours and two trips
> >to the store before I had tools that worked. The dental pick method
> didn't
> >work for me.  (The picks bent.)  The special tools for removing packing
> >that are sold in marine supply stores also failed.  The method
> recommended
> >here using drywall screws also didn't work for me.  In the end, a set of
> >Stanley picks -- which are much stiffer than dental tools -- worked for
> me.
> >I'd be nervous about taking this apart unless I had a reliable way to
> stop
> >the flow to no more than a slow trickle while the stuffing box is open.
> >Mine was open for several days once I started the project.
> >
> > Scott Thompson
> >
> > amshd2 at aol.com wrote:
> >> I did it in the water not a big deal...   need to have everything ready
> >> and the packing material cut.   a couple of towels to stuff around the
> >> box helps keep teh amount of water down.......   -----Original
> >> Message-----
> >> From: jsea at prodigy.net
> >> To: C320-List at catalina320.com
> >> Sent: Tue, 31 Oct 2006 1:53 PM
> >> Subject: [C320-list] Fw: stuffing box packing
> >>
> >>
> >> Bob, Did you do this with the boat in the water, or on the hard? I have
> >> been wanting to do this, but haven't yet, do to concerns over
> controlling
> >> the water intake during the installation process. Any suggestions
> anyone?
> >> Regards, Jerry Clayton Tropo #988 ----- Original Message ----- From:
> >> "Robert E. Sloat" <resloat at comcast.net> To: "C320-List"
> >> <c320-list at catalina320.com> Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2006 6:20 AM
> >> Subject: Re: [C320-list] stuffing box packing
> >>> I have hull 894 (2002) and the same situation with the owner's manual
> >>>  >saying 3/16 inch packing dimension. When measured using drills the
> >>> packing >was 1/4 inch. I used the 1/4 inch Gortex packing from emarine
> >>> mentioned in >an earlier string and basically eliminated any leakage
> to
> >>> the bilge. I >readjust once or twice during the season. This is the
> best
> >>> $15 investment >made on the boat and it only takes about 20 boat
> minutes
> >>> to replace the >packing. The hardest part was getting the old packing
> >>> out and cleaning >packing off of the threads on the packing fitting so
> >>> it could screw tight.
> >>> This is the 3rd season on the packing. On thing I noticed is that I
> >>> could > only get 2 layers of packing in the fitting and the
> instructions
> >>> say use 3 > layers. I think there were only 2 layers of the original
> >>> stuff in the > fitting. Bob Sloat Savannah ----- Original Message
> -----
> >>>  > From: "Bill Culbertson" <billculb_a2 at yahoo.com> To:
> >>> <catalina at thehares.com>; "C320-List" <c320-list at catalina320.com> Sent:
> >>> Monday, October 30, 2006 10:10 PM Subject: Re: [C320-list] stuffing
> box
> >>> packing
> >>>
> >>> Bert,
> >>> Jeff describes my situation. My manual says 3/16" just like yours. But
> >
> >>> my stuffing box takes 1/4".
> >>> The dealer had put 1/4" when I took delivery. It leaked by season end
> so
> >>>  > when I replaced, I replaced with 3/16" per the manual. When I
> changed
> >>>  > that out after the 2nd season, I could see that the rings had a >
> >>> rectangular cross-section - not square. One dimension was about 1/4" -
> >
> >>> the other much skinnier than the original 3/16".
> >>> So I used the drill bit technique, found that 1/4" drill bit fit fine
> >>> and > snugly, and switched back to 1/4".
> >>> -bill
> >>> ----- Original Message ----
> >>> From: Jeffrey Hare <catalina at thehares.com> To: C320-List
> >>> <c320-list at catalina320.com> Sent: Monday, October 30, 2006 6:55:33 PM
> >>> Subject: Re: [C320-list] stuffing box packing
> >>>
> >>> Bert,
> >>> I believe most people have reported that 1/4" is what actually fits on
> >>> our boats, even though the manual says 3/16". If you've actually used
> >
> >>> 3/16" and had it work, then you're boat is seems to be an exception to
> >>> the norm. :)
> >>> Many folks have switched over to GFO packing material for dripless
> >>> operation.
> >>> -Jeff
> >>> -----Original Message-----
> >>> From: BAdams3491 at aol.com [mailto:BAdams3491 at aol.com] Sent: Monday,
> >>> October 30, 2006 6:27 PM To: c320-list at catalina320.com Subject: Re:
> >>> [C320-list] stuffing box packing
> >>> Don't know what people are saying, but the owner's manual for my 1997
> >
> >>> model says 3/16".
> >>> Bert At Ease #442
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
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