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Shaft Packing


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noticed water in the bilge recently and the shaft is dripping 16 drops in 10 seconds.  I read it's supposed to be about 1 drop in 10 seconds.

I set it to about 1 drop every 10 seconds with the engine off - took a spin and it was up to 1 drop every 3-4 seconds.     Guessing I didn't get it tight enough.

Do i count the drips with the engine is off or idling in forward gear ?      Should it drip at all with the engine off ?

 

thanks !

Edited by SkiPablo
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Id say keep tightening it until you get the flow rate and the nut stays cool/warm to the touch under operating conditions.  I don't believe mine drips much at all with the engine off.  

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Packing should not drip when the drive shaft is not moving. 8-10 drips a minute is ideal when the drive shaft is rotating. I have found the least difficult way to do this is while the boat is still on the trailer, put it in gear at an idle and adjust  your packing gland nuts till you get the desired drips. its that simple. A few more drips is fine , you just don't want less than the 8-10 or you will cause damage to the shaft do to overheating the shaft. .

  • Like 2
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19 hours ago, Ndawg12 said:

Id say keep tightening it until you get the flow rate and the nut stays cool/warm to the touch under operating conditions.  I don't believe mine drips much at all with the engine off.  

Good advice, drip rate is secondary if she's getting really hot.

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Also keep in mind you don't want to fully tighten the packing box or you will cause what's left of the packing (usually dried up/baked cordage) to score the prop shaft.  When was the last time the shaft was freshly packed and/or tightened?

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i'm not sure it was ever changed.  I just did it lightly finger tight and I got a drip about once every 20 seconds when sitting and about once every  8 seconds after running a lap around the lake - it felt pretty cool.   Doesn't seem to drip when idling in gear.   I'm still confused if I'm supposed to check it running or off.  

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RUNNING, Back the boat in the water but leave it on the trailer still hooked to the bow eye. Put the boat in gear (forward) increase throttle till about 1500-1800 RPM, Then count your drips. it should not drip when the shaft is not rotating. If you have a worn shaft then this will fluctuate allot and make the adjustment hard. Have you pulled the nut off and looked to see if the shaft was worn at all?  If you have a worn shaft you can either lengthen or shorten the shaft log to get a better sealing area. However this would involve pulling the shaft. 

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2 hours ago, 96Response said:

RUNNING, Back the boat in the water but leave it on the trailer still hooked to the bow eye. Put the boat in gear (forward) increase throttle till about 1500-1800 RPM, Then count your drips. it should not drip when the shaft is not rotating. If you have a worn shaft then this will fluctuate allot and make the adjustment hard. Have you pulled the nut off and looked to see if the shaft was worn at all?  If you have a worn shaft you can either lengthen or shorten the shaft log to get a better sealing area. However this would involve pulling the shaft. 

Personally I'd replace the shaft if it is grooved. I've seen too many end up breaking at that groove in the past.

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2 hours ago, 23LSVOwner said:

Personally I'd replace the shaft if it is grooved. I've seen too many end up breaking at that groove in the past.

If its grooved badly absolutely. If there is just a slight dimple on the surface that will cause a sealing issue, which i have seen many times. This usually cause a slight distortion and causes the shaft sealing area to be slightly O.O.R.( OUT OF ROUND). The integrity will not be less with a slight distortion. If the distortion Value is less than .008-.0010 you will be fine. With out extreme vibration or a sudden stop of the Prop, there really should not be a great risk of the shaft breaking. 

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Just for @SkiPablos sake, I wasn't suggesting he had worn his prop shaft - just encouraging checking that it isnt tightened too much so as to save him an expensive repair. 

My boat only had a few threads left to tighten when I did mine, so I ran it with the leak until parts and tools could be ordered.  The packing was pretty shot and I believe had I tightened it more it would have become a much bigger problem than the bilge running for a few seconds after an hour of run time.  

Edited by Pra4sno
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