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Shaft packing


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Can you buy it at West Marine? Is there any specific type I should look for? I think I should replace mine, how hard is it to replace?

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Can you buy it at West Marine? Is there any specific type I should look for? I think I should replace mine, how hard is it to replace?

Many of us buy our parts at Discount Inboard Marine (www.skidim.com). Talk to Richard or Vince, they are great! They just sent me some new shaft packing that is supposedly way better than the original stuff. I think it has graphite in it.

Wood

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Just out of curiosity, how do you know when it's time to replace it, and at about how many hours/boat age is this typically required? I'm at the point on mine where the last time I tightened it I felt like I had already reached the end of how much the large nut could tighten. Now the drip rate looks like it needs tightened again, but I'm not sure it has any left. Time to replace, or is this something that can be removed and readjusted?

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Once it's packed as tight as it will go, or you can't control the drip rate, it's time for new packing. I've heard that is typically around the 300-500 hour make.

It can't really be removed & re-adjusted as it's a wax impregnated rope.

It's not too bad to replace.

There are 2 ways...

1) Remove prop shaft from transmission & remove flange from prop shaft. Slide off packing nut, dig out packing & replace. Re-attach & re-align(if necessary) shaft. If you're using the gore packing, it will be 3 layers of packing cut to just fit around the shaft & joints spaced at least 90 degrees apart. For the regular packing, I removed 2 layers from my boat.

2) Undo the packing nut all the way, dig out packing from inside nut, clean out all remnants of packing, replace packing, put packing nut back on.

I chose route #2, but it took about an hour to get all the hardened packing rope & wax out of the packing nut. It's pretty tight quarters to work between the nut & the shaft and it was very dry and hard.

  • Like 1
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Once it's packed as tight as it will go, or you can't control the drip rate, it's time for new packing. I've heard that is typically around the 300-500 hour make.

It can't really be removed & re-adjusted as it's a wax impregnated rope.

It's not too bad to replace.

There are 2 ways...

1) Remove prop shaft from transmission & remove flange from prop shaft. Slide off packing nut, dig out packing & replace. Re-attach & re-align(if necessary) shaft. If you're using the gore packing, it will be 3 layers of packing cut to just fit around the shaft & joints spaced at least 90 degrees apart. For the regular packing, I removed 2 layers from my boat.

2) Undo the packing nut all the way, dig out packing from inside nut, clean out all remnants of packing, replace packing, put packing nut back on.

I chose route #2, but it took about an hour to get all the hardened packing rope & wax out of the packing nut. It's pretty tight quarters to work between the nut & the shaft and it was very dry and hard.

I've never heard of anyone removing the nut to put new packing in, route #2 has much less possibility for screwing up. Also I've always been able to get away with just adding a full ring of packing without all the work of pulling out the old packing. YMMV

-Chris

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route #2 has much less possibility for screwing up

That was why I chose route #2 also, but route #1 would be much easier to remove & replace the packing. As long as you don't need to re-align the motor/shaft, it could be faster as the longest part of the process was pulling the old packing out.

To change over to the gore-tex packing, the instructions say you need to remove all the old wax/flax packing.

I believe next time (if there is one) will be an upgrade to an OJ or PSS shaft seal, thought they are much more expensive and require dropping the prop shaft and possibly the rudder.

Edited by wienrdog
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Yeah to pull the shaft you have to pull the rudder, which isn't that bad if you have long skinny arms, usually the hard part is getting the rudder back in, with the keyway and the nuts it can be fustrating.

-Chris

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  • 4 weeks later...

My wife was doing some cleaning and found a new package of 3/16x24 GFO Gore-Tex shaft packing.

I have no use for it so if anyone is in need PM me your name & address and I will send it to you.

It may take me a little while to respond since I do not visit TMC as often.

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My wife was doing some cleaning and found a new package of 3/16x24 GFO Gore-Tex shaft packing.

I have no use for it so if anyone is in need PM me your name & address and I will send it to you.

It may take me a little while to respond since I do not visit TMC as often.

FYI

A TMC member has requested the GFO so I will hopefully mail it this week.

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My wife was doing some cleaning and found a new package of 3/16x24 GFO Gore-Tex shaft packing.

I have no use for it so if anyone is in need PM me your name & address and I will send it to you.

It may take me a little while to respond since I do not visit TMC as often.

FYI

A TMC member has requested the GFO so I will hopefully mail it this week.

Many thanks. Cheers.gif

I've been running with the packing nut as tight as it will go and still a pretty steady drip. I took the nut off today to see how much packing is left in there. Ummm, it looked pretty empty. I think the nut was bottomed out.

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Many thanks. Cheers.gif

I've been running with the packing nut as tight as it will go and still a pretty steady drip. I took the nut off today to see how much packing is left in there. Ummm, it looked pretty empty. I think the nut was bottomed out.

Glad I could help

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