[C320-list] GFO Packing

[John Meyers]

I use an infrared temperature gun which can cost between 11 and 35 dollars
at Amazon.com. I use mine a lot. It can even be used to measure hull temp
to see if it is warm enough to paint (come on 45 degrees  - not yet.) It
even gets temp of engine block and water.

John Meyers
Wind Chime #406
Muskegon, MI

On Sun, Apr 2, 2017 at 6:31 AM, Ted Harrison <tharrison at innovations-plus.com
> wrote:

> Jim, how do you check the heat of the shaft ? Do you have a gauge of some
> sort.
>
> Ted Harrison
>
> > On Apr 1, 2017, at 7:00 PM, jbrown5093 at yahoo.com wrote:
> >
> > GFO and gortex packing material are advertised as dripless in contrast
> to the flax packing which has to drip.  Is this not correct?  If not I'll
> have to back the nut off a bit to get some drips. I'm pretty compulsive
> about checking the heat of the shaft and nut after a long motor and it
> stays pretty cool.
> >
> > Jim Brown. Hull 973
> >
> > Sent from my iPad
> >
> >> On Apr 1, 2017, at 4:33 PM, Utility Email <kswanson123 at comcast.net>
> wrote:
> >>
> >> I replaced mine with GFO a couple of years ago when I had a leaking
> stern tube gland.  Mine took only 2 rings.   There was a little confusion
> between my owners manual size (5/16") of the packing material and what
> others had experienced and what fit in my boat.
> >>
> >> My boat has a 1 inch SS shaft and my GFO is 1/4 inch.  From my
> experience with GFO, make sure that the packing nut is not too tight.
> Beside checking the drip rate, also check the temperature of the packing
> nut - it should not be too hot to the touch if the boat is in cold
> seawater.  If is is too tight, the material will wear prematurely and
> potentially score the shaft.
> >>
> >> Dave Swanson
> >> S/V Emily Ann
> >> 2007 C320 MK II, No. 1107
> >> Mukilteo, WA
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>> On Apr 1, 2017, at 12:41 PM, John Jacobs <johjacob1 at mac.com> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> The old packing came out easily with just a little encouragement from
> a screw driver.  It was dry and brittle which probably explained the
> excessive leaking this past summer.  I put a little anti-seize on he
> threads but no corrosion was noted.  Thanks for the advice.
> >>>
> >>> 1999 C320 “Surprise” #644
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>> On Apr 1, 2017, at 3:35 PM, Warren Updike <wupdike at hotmail.com>
> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> IMHO, five full turns should be find. The packing should compress for
> a while so check for adjustment this season. Also, lube the threads on the
> gland and locking ring. They tend to get some corrosion esp. if there is
> water being flung around underway. Don't tighten the lock nut overly. It
> only needs to be snug, not hard on.
> >>>>
> >>>> Did you have any difficulty getting the old packing out? When I did
> ours, I had to screw a long screw into the packing to get a hold on it as I
> couldn't dig it out. I also took a piece of 1" PVC and cut it length-wise.
> After the packing was in, I slid the PVC on the shaft into the gland to
> initially compress it. Don't know if that helped; but, doesn't seem to hurt
> either. The GFO is very soft and deforms easily. Have to handle it
> carefully, as I remember.
> >>>>
> >>>> FYI, when I took an owner's diesel maintenance course in Annapolis,
> Dr. Diesel, as he was called, told me he never removes the old packing,
> just add another ring. That's one approach, I guess.
> >>>>
> >>>> Warren and Pattie Updike
> >>>> 1994 C320 "Warr de Mar" #62
> >>>> Middle River, Chesapeake Bay
> >>>>
> >>>> -----Original Message-----
> >>>> From: John Jacobs [mailto:johjacob1 at mac.com]
> >>>> Sent: Saturday, April 01, 2017 2:00 PM
> >>>> To: C320-list at catalina320.com
> >>>> Subject: [C320-list] GFO Packing
> >>>>
> >>>> I just cleaned out the old Flax Packing from the stuffing box.  There
> were a total of 4 complete ringlets of packing inside.  I had purchased GFO
> packing,  1/4” as per owners manual.  I cut 4 strands to size and installed
> them with the appropriate degree of rotation for each one so that the seams
> would not overlap.  All of this was a piece of cake.
> >>>> My concern however is that I was only able to turn the stuffing box
> nut five turns onto the threaded portion of the Locking nut shaft.
> >>>> Anyone have the same experience?  Not sure if this is right?  Is this
> too much packing?  Should I take a ring out?
> >>>>
> >>>> John Jacobs
> >>>> “Surprise” 1999
> >>>
> >
>