[C320-list] Dry bilge?

[jim brown]

This discussions of the shaft packing has interested me. Almost everyone says that there should be no drips with the engine not in gear or off but the 320 manual says the following:
"A properly adjusted shaft packing gland should drip slightly
( fiom l to 2 drops per minute ) with the engine off. Too loose
an adjustment will allow too much water in the bilge and engine
operation will spray water from the shaft. Too t'ight an
adjustment will rob the engine of power, and the lack of water
lubrication in the packing gland can generate enough heat to
damage the gland and/or score the propeller shaft"
I guess that this is based on the traditional flax packing. At 2 drops/min and 20 drops per ml that would be about  144 cc a day (if my math is correct) I've used the Gortex packing and have adjusted to no drips when stationary and 1-2 drops when in gear. No overheating of the packing nuts and no scoring of the SS shaft for a couple of years now. 

I hadn't looked a the PSS Shaft Seal site recently but they used to state that the product was used by the US Navy and now the don't advertise that. Someone mentioned that the Navy had stopped using them but I don't know if that's correct of is it is why they stopped. I did notice that they no longer offer the seal without the water connection for low rpm use like they used to. So it looks like any installation would require a water feed. Has anyone installed one recently? I was thinking of this option when the boat is next hauled but adding some gortex looks easier. 

Jim Brown



      From: Chris Burti <clburti at gmail.com>
 To: 320 <C320-List at catalina320.com> 
 Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2014 11:38 AM
 Subject: Re: [C320-list] Dry bilge?
   
Jerry,
What kind of packing material are you using?

On Thu, Nov 20, 2014 at 10:53 AM, <jsheets at aol.com> wrote:

> We had to replace our shaft this summer due to discovery of some twisting,
> probably caused by PO fouling the prop. We replaced our bronze shaft with
> stainless steel. I am having trouble regulating the drip and it seems to
> get hotter than before. Any ideas as if the new stainless shaft makes a
> difference?
>
> Jerry
> JellyRoll  # 890
>
> > On Nov 20, 2014, at 9:47 AM, Chris Burti <clburti at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > Scott,
> > If adjusted to not drip when not running and one drip when running, no
> > water gets to the bilge...it evaporates first. Mechanical seals can fail,
> > if they do, you will have a lot of water coming on board.
>



-- 
Chris Burti
Farmville, NC