STUFFING BOXES - Convential Flax vs Packless Sealing System

Bill Bell, #41, Kialoa

The stuffing box is the most complex thru-hull on your Triton in terms of serviceability. The wearing element in the standard type involves some type of string packing. If you buy one of the "dripless" types involving mating plastic or porcelain elements, you have a fancy bit of hardware to discuss with friends - but a horror to fix when it fails because the boat will probably have to be hauled and the shaft removed while you are awaiting the arrival of the replacement part. The heart of the problem with every fancy seal that I have seen is that they incorporate elements that have to he threaded onto the shaft before the shaft is attached to the engine. The wearing element in old style boxes is called "plumbers' packing" (gooey string) which can be replaced by simply wrapping the string around the shaft while the shaft is in place! (In a fix, an old shoelace can be used in lieu of the more exotic "plumbers' packing".

Please worry about the rest of what we call the "stuffing box" - the supporting hose and clamps. I think that the "seal" part of the box is easy - but tell me about the age of your stuffing box hose, the number and type of clamps. If you use the "old style" sealing device, ("Stuffing box"), can you tighten and loosen it for installing packing or adjusting the degree of tightness in the seal? Try it, it can be interesting. You must be able to loosen the lock nut and take up on the compression nut after the lock nut is backed off. These nuts must turn freely. They should be well greased and you must have the right tools to adjust them. I use a large "Vice-Grip" to hold the body and a crescent wrench to handle the lock nut for the compression nut. ----------

It helps to remove the plugs and coil and put padding over the top of the engine block if you are working over the Atomic Four. DO NOT STRAIN THE HOSE. If it goes, you have a big problem. If offshore, Street ("The Ocean Sailing Yacht") says the only thing to do is to saw the prop shaft right through, shove it out the aperture - praying that it doesn't jam the rudder - and then pound a tapered wooden plug into the hole!.

When I bought "Kialoa" in l967, it had one of the "dripless" porcelain sealed types. I replaced it with the repairable, old style flax packed boxes and have had no problems since.

Good luck.

Repacking the Stuffing Box

Packing can be bought in the form of gooey string like material - maybe 3/32 dia. While securing the metal tube part of the stuffing box, undo the "lock nut" - the larger diameter piece that is closest to the engine. It is similar to the nut used in sink traps. It helps to take out the spark plugs and maybe remove the coil if you are working over an Atomic Four. A cushion atop the block, a good light and proper size wrenches help. Just wrap many turns of gooey string around the shaft - maybe 8 or 10 turns - then screw the lock nut down over the whole mess and tighten it up. If you have too much string, take some off, maybe you only need 3 or 4 turns. No big deal. Tighten up, run it a bit and tighten up again. Wrap the string with the ditection of shaft rotation. You need to do it maybe once every ten years, the other years, the drip can be cured by slight tightening up of the nut. You do not need to get it 100% drip prooof, tiny crud in the water will seal it up in a little while. Bill Bell, #341